Meeting documents

Following the decision at the meeting on 10 March 2015 that a further report be brought to the Committee to consider amendments to both the Code of Conduct and standards complaints arrangements, a report was presented which put forward more detailed measures to improve and strengthen the Council’s standards regime.  The District Solicitor and Monitoring Officer clarified that whilst the Council’s current Code and complaints process were lawful and broadly in line with other authorities, the proposals were measures which had been highlighted through Hoey Ainscough’s review which the committee could consider in order to further improve and reinforce the Council’s Member standards and ethics provisions.

In debate it was highlighted that the membership of the Committee had changed following the recent elections, and that the new membership did not necessarily hold the same views as had been expressed by the Committee previously in relation to revising the Code.  Some Members questioned the rationale for seeking to change the Code in light of the fact that it currently appeared to be working well and was lawful; the suggested changes seemed counter to the government’s move towards a ‘lighter touch’ on standards issues; and some of the suggested changes seemed to require a more stringent approach than the legislation demanded.

In relation to the proposals to arrange quarterly meetings for the Monitoring Officer, Independent Persons, and Chairman and Vice-Chairman of Standards Committee to review recent decisions in order to ensure consistency between cases, and to bring regular quarterly reports to Standards Committee on case numbers and types so as to highlight any emerging trends, some Members cautioned against sharing this information too widely, citing that some complaints may be malicious in intent, and complaints information could find its way into the public domain to be used for political gain.

In relation to the proposal to recommend to Council that a list should be published of Members who have agreed to abide by the Code of Conduct, the need for Members to be accountable to themselves and their own consciences was highlighted, and it was suggested that agreement to abide by the Code of Conduct should be assumed on the taking of office as part of the organisational culture without the need for a formal signature.  However, the need for Members not only to avoid wrongdoing, but also the appearance of wrongdoing in the public perception was also stressed.  Members also cautioned against making the Code overly-complicated.

All of the proposals contained within paragraphs 5 and 9 of the report were put to the vote and it was

RESOLVED:

(i)    That all proposals outlined in paragraphs 5 and 9 of the report be put forward for consultation with all Wycombe District Council Group Leaders, Buckinghamshire County Council, and all District Councils in Buckinghamshire, subject to an amendment to 9(iii) to remove the words ‘….and who have not done so.’

(ii)   That the Independent Persons be added to the consultees in (i) above.

(iii) That a further report detailing the results of the consultation be brought to the Committee.