Agenda item

            The Committee received a report from the Director of Law and Democratic Services (Monitoring Officer) providing an update of various matters relating to the Ethical Framework in respect of:

i)                    Standards Board – The Committee received the Standards Board Bulletin for September 2007 (Issue 35) and the Town and Parish Standard for September 2007 and noted key areas of interest for the work of the Standards Committee.  In particular, the Committee discussed the statistics showing that 80% of Town and Parish Councils had not been the subject of a Code of Conduct complaint.  This proportion was broadly reflected in Swindon, and was to be welcomed.  It was agreed that having regard to the various training sessions for parish councils which had been carried out by the Monitoring Officer over recent months, it was appropriate for the Committee to seek an assurance from parish councils in the Swindon area that they were fully conversant with the requirements of the Code and were receiving the support needed from the Monitoring Officer and the Committee.

The Committee noted the headline feedback on the local filter pilots of which Swindon had been one of 38 local Standards Committees involved, and that the Committee would be one of twenty authorities taking part in the forthcoming pilot on monitoring and audit arrangements. 

ii)                  Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire Independent Standards Committee Members’ Forum – The Committee received the notes from the Forum held on 19^th October and from the Co-ordinators Meeting held on 30^th July.  The Committee thanked Mr Trevor Davies for attending these meetings, and noted the discussions being held on potential implications of local filtering on local Standards Committees.

iii)                Annual Standards Board Conference – The Monitoring Officer reported back on the Conference held on 15^th and 16^th October 2007.  It was noted that no indication had been given as to when the draft Regulations for the new local filter arrangements would be published, although the intention was for the arrangements to operate from April 2008.

iv)                Training and Development – The Monitoring Officer advised of a workshop for Members and Senior Officers which had been held on 29^th September 2007, in conjunction with Learning and Development and the I&DeA, which identified a number of actions to support good member / officer relationships.

v)                  Standards Committee Conference - The Committee supported the proposal for a conference on ‘Ethical Standards in Partnership’, to be held in the spring.  The Monitoring Officer would contact Committee Members prior to the next meeting in regard to the arrangements.

vi)                Ethical Governance Healthcheck – The Monitoring Officer reported that he had recently acted as a Peer Reviewer on an I&DeA Ethical Governance Healthcheck of the London Borough of Lambeth.  A number of learning points had arisen from the review which would be progressed, including the use of a local News Bulletin to advise the public of the work and role of the Standards Committee.

            Resolved - 1) That the Ethical Framework Update be noted.

      (2) That the Monitoring Officer provide to Mr Mike Compton a list of the Parish Councils where there had been only limited attendance at training events on the New Code of Conduct, for consideration by the Swindon Area Committee of the Wiltshire Association of Local Councils, on how they might provide further support and assistance.

(3) That the Monitoring Officer write to Parish Councils in the Swindon area seeking assurance that that they were fully conversant with the requirements of the Code and were receiving the support needed from the Monitoring Officer and the Committee.

      (4) That the Monitoring Officer investigate use of an article in Swindon News or a similar publication to promote the work and role of the Standards Committee.