Meeting documents

RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 27 March 2012 be approved as a true record and signed by the Chairman.

There were no declarations of interest.

The District Solicitor presented a comprehensive report to the Committee on the new Standards regime which the Government intended for implementation from 1 July 2012. The report detailed the changes and recommended the actions required for the Council to implement a new local Code and supporting framework, including the appointment of independent persons to assist with any complaints.

The District Solicitor commented that he had consulted with other authorities’ Monitoring Officers across Buckinghamshire with regards to the interpretation and implementation of the regime. It was noted that there would be a Members’ Seminar on the 11 July before recommendation to full Council on 31 July 2012.

After 1 July 2012 the Council was not required to have a Statutory Standards Committee (i.e. this Committee) therefore any Standards work could be delegated to an existing Council committee or new Council committee or Sub-Committee

The District Solicitor put each recommendation to the Committee; the following amendments were proposed and agreed:

Recommendation

The District Solicitor recommended that the Political group leaders should be consulted before referral to Council.

·              That Recommendations 1 to 7 featured below be adopted in respect of the Council’s Code of Conduct and Standards Regime, subject to consultation with the political group leaders having been undertaken.

Recommendation 1

a.            That the Council establish a Standards Committee comprising eight elected members of the District Council, appointed proportionally (currently 6 Conservative, 1 Labour and 1 Liberal Democrat).

Recommendation 2

The Committee suggested that the amount to be declared for gifts and hospitably should be amended to £50 and felt that it would be appropriate to have an additional Appendix included in the Code of Conduct to include other interests.

a.      That Council adopt the Code of Conduct set out in Appendix A to these minutes, subject to an amendment to Section 5 Gifts and Hospitality paragraph 5.1 being amended to £50 rather than £100 in which a Member must declare the gift or hospitality and the addition of another Appendix in the Code of Conduct to include other interests

Recommendation 3

The following amendment was made to recommendation 3g

g.      That Council delegate to the Hearings Panel of the Standards Committee such of its powers as can be delegated to take decisions in respect of a Member who is found on hearing to have failed to comply with the Code of Conduct, such actions to include –

§               Recommending to the Member’s Group Leader (or in the case of independent Members, recommend to Council) that he/she be removed from any or all Committees or Sub-Committees  of the Council (but not full Council);

§               Recommending to the Leader of the Council that the member be removed from the Cabinet, or removed from particular Portfolio responsibilities;

§               Instructing the Monitoring Officer to (or recommending that the Parish Council) arrange training for the Member;

§               Removing (or recommending to the Parish Council that the Member be removed) from all outside appointments to which he/she has been appointed or nominated by the authority (or by the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

The Committee considered the comprehensive report in respect of Complaints, Comments and Compliments for the 4^th Quarter (1 January to 31 March 2012). Officers indicated in response to a Member question that there were no exceptional issues that required the particular attention or consideration of the Committee.

RESOLVED: That the Monitoring of Complaints, Comments and Compliments report for the 4^th Quarter 1 January to 31 March 2012 and the data and charts contained therein be noted.

The Committee was informed that the training recommended by the Local Standards Hearing Panel held on 10 May 2012 reference IA54 had been held on 25 June and the case had now been closed.

Thanks were expressed to the Chairman of the Standards Committee and members of the Standards Committee for their contribution to the Committee over the years.