Agenda item

            The Committee considered a report of the Director of Law and Democratic Services (Monitoring Officer) to advise the Committee of the coming into force of the Standards Committee (England) Regulations 2008 on 8^th May 2008, and related guidance issued by the Standards Board on the local assessment of complaints under the Members Code of Conduct, for the Committee to agree how they should be implemented.

            Resolved that - 1) An Assessment Sub-Committee be established to comprise 3 members drawn from a panel of members of the Standards Committee and including one independent member (to act as Chair), one elected Member of Swindon Borough Council and one parish representative with the remit set out in Appendix A to the minutes (as amended by the Committee to include the timescale in which the Sub-Committee should operate).

            2) A Review Sub-Committee be established to comprise 3 members drawn from a panel of members of the Standards Committee and including one independent member (to act as Chair), one elected Member of Swindon Borough Council and one parish representative, provided that no member shall be selected to participate in a Review Sub-Committee where they have participated in the initial assessment of the complaint subject to review. The remit of the Review Sub-Committee be as set out in Appendix B to the minutes (as amended by the Committee to include the timescale in which the Sub-Committee should operate).

            3) The assessment criteria be adopted as set out at Appendix C to the minutes.

            4) The Monitoring Officer be authorised, in consultation with the Chair, to notify Members of the subject of an allegation of the complaint as soon as practicable after receipt unless, in his opinion, it would be contrary to public interest or might prejudice the proper investigation of the complaint.

            5) The Monitoring Officer be authorised to constitute and convene meetings of the Assessment Sub-Committee and Review Sub-Committee.

            6) The Monitoring Officer be authorised to amend the current procedures for the conduct of investigations and hearings to comply with such regulations and statutory guidance as may be issued from time to time.

            7) The Monitoring Officer, in consultation with the Chair of the Standards Committee, be authorised to arrange appropriate publicity for the new arrangements in accordance with the regulations and guidance.

            8) The Monitoring Officer amend the 'Information for Potential Complainants' to clarify that the process is not for complaints about paid employees, and the Monitoring Officer provide feedback from the Committee to the Director of Partnership, Policy and Communications to be considered as part of the review of the Corporate Equalities Monitoring Forum, on the need for the form to be comparable to other authorities.