Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room

Contact: Helen Barrington  Director of Organisational Development and Democratic Services

Items
No. Item

15.

Apologies for Absence and Substitutions.

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Councillors Bosworth and Payne and Patricia Woodfield.

16.

To approve, as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting held on 26 September 2019. pdf icon PDF 196 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED:

 

That the minutes of the above meeting, having been circulated, be approved as a correct record.

17.

Declaration of Interests.

Minutes:

None.

18.

Update on implementation of the best practice recommendations from the Committee on Standards in Public Life Report - Review of Local Government Ethical Standards. pdf icon PDF 161 KB

Report of the Director of Organisational Development and Democratic Services.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Rosalie Hawks joined the meeting

 

The Director of Organisational Development and Democratic Services introduced a report, which had been circulated in advance of the meeting, updating members in relation to progress against the agreed action plan to implement the best practice recommendations set out in the Committee on Standards in Public Life report

 

RESOLVED THAT:

 

1)    The progress made to implement the best practice recommendations set out in the Committee on Standards in Public Life report at Appendix 1 be noted;

 

2)    A working group be set up comprising Councillors Boyle, Towsey-Hinton, Hope, Smith or Murray depending on availability, Rosalie Hawks and John Baggaley to give views on an appropriate response to the consultation being carried out by the Local Government Association on a model Code of Conduct; and

 

3)    The Monitoring Officer in consultation with the working group be authorised to prepare the consultation response to the Local Government Association in relation to the model Code of Conduct on behalf of the Standards Committee.

19.

Bullying and Intimidation of elected Members pdf icon PDF 185 KB

Report of the Director of Organisational Development and Democratic Services

Minutes:

The Director of Organisational Development and Democratic Services introduced a report, which had been circulated in advance of the meeting, updating members in relation to responses received from councillors about bullying and intimidation experienced and the actions the Government, the Committee on Standards in Public Life and the Local Government Association have taken to tackle intimidation in public life.

 

RESOLVED THAT:

 

1)    The actions by the Government, the Committee on Standards in Public Life and the Local government Association to tackle intimidation in public life is noted; and

 

2)    The Local Government Association Councillors’ guide to handling intimidation is circulated to all Members, shared with Parish Clerks for circulation to Parish Councillors, included in induction training for Members following future borough elections and saved in a location where Members can readily access it.

 

20.

Membership of Standards Committee and review of Independent Person Remuneration pdf icon PDF 159 KB

Report of the Director of Organisational Development and Democratic Services.

Minutes:

John Baggaley and Susan Dewey left the meeting for consideration of this item as it relates to their remuneration.

 

The Director of Organisational Development and Democratic Services introduced a report, which had been circulated in advance of the meeting, proposing a review of the membership of the Standards Committee and remuneration payable to the Independent Person and reserve.

 

RESOLVED THAT:

 

1)    Standards Committee recommends to Council that the vacant co-opted parish representative post be removed from the Committee; and

 

2)    Standards Committee recommends to Council that with effect from 1 April 2020 the remuneration paid to the Independent Person and the reserve Independent Person shall increase to £860 per annum and £400 per annum respectively.

21.

Any other item which the Chair considers urgent.

Minutes:

None.

22.

Exclusion of Press and Public

Minutes:

RESOLVED:

 

That, Members being satisfied that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information that under Section 100(a)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the ensuing report on the grounds that the confidential appendix would involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12a of the Local Government Act 1972.

 

23.

Code of Conduct Complaints Update pdf icon PDF 128 KB

Report of the Director of Organisational Development and Democratic Services.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Director of Organisational Development and Democratic Services introduced a report, which had been circulated in advance of the meeting, providing information about code of conduct complaints received between 17 September 2019 and 2 March 2020.

 

RESOLVED THAT:

 

1)    The report be noted; and

 

2)    The Chair of the Standards Committee to write to all group leaders to remind Members not to use the code of conduct complaints process for politically motivated complaints.