Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest made in accordance with the Code of Conduct.

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Joint Standards Committee held on 16 January 2017

RESOLVED:  That the Minutes of the meeting of the Joint Standards Committee held on 16 January 2017 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

This report requests that Members give consideration to a consultation paper concerning local government ethical standards.

The report of the Director of Central Services and Monitoring Officer set out details of a consultation paper published by the Committee on Standards in Public Life on 29 January 2018 calling for evidence about how local councils were supporting good ethical standards in local government.  He advised that responses had been sought by 18 May 2018 and the report provided a link via which responses could be made.  Annex 1 to the report set out details of the proposed response to be made by the Monitoring Officer on behalf of the Joint Standards Committee and particular attention was drawn to the section on Sanctions.  The Committee considered that the lack of effective sanctions, such as the ability to suspend a member of the Council, should be identified as a fundamental weakness and should be reinstated.  The Committee also felt that the costs burden on the Council of dealing with standards complaints should be set out in the response. 

RESOLVED:  That, subject to the inclusion of additional representations relating to the costs burden of dealing with standards complaints, the response to the Consultation, as set out at Annex 1 to the report, be approved.   

This report provides an update on complaints made to the Monitoring Officer that a Member may have failed to comply with his/her authority’s Code of Conduct.

The report of the Monitoring Officer provided an update on complaints received since January 2017.

RESOLVED:  That the report be received and noted.

Presentation by Director of Central Services and Monitoring Officer

The Committee received a presentation from the Director of Central Services and Monitoring Officer which outlined the current standards regime, the requirements of the Code of Conduct and, in particular, the rules governing Disclosable Pecuniary Interests and Other Significant Interests.  The Director of Central Services answered a number of questions raised at the meeting. 

The Chairman to move that the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting during consideration of any items the publication of which would disclose exempt information.

There were no items considered in private.