30 Standards Committee PDF 53 KB
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Minutes:
Mr D L Hall presented the Report of the meeting of the Standards Committee held on 5th June 2008.
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Upon being put to the vote, the recommendation contained in Item No. 1 was declared to be CARRIED.
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In connection with Item No. 4 and in response to a question from Councillor C R Hyams, Mr Hall replied that the Monitoring Officer undertook a programme of training for town and parish councils in the District and that he was due to attend a meeting of Little Paxton Parish Council for this purpose at the beginning of July.
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Whereupon, it was
RESOLVED
that, subject to the foregoing paragraphs, the Report of the meeting of the Standards Committee held on 5th June 2008 be received and adopted.
6 LOCAL ASSESSMENT OF CODE OF CONDUCT COMPLAINTS - REQUIREMENTS OF THE NEW REGIME PDF 74 KB
To consider a report by the Director of Central Services and Monitoring Officer.
Contact: Ms C Deller 388007
Additional documents:
Minutes:
A report by the Director of Central Services and Monitoring Officer was submitted (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) regarding the arrangements necessary to respond effectively to the coming into force, on 8th May, of the Standards Committee (England) Regulations 2008.
Members were reminded that the Regulations provided for the initial assessment of allegations of Member misconduct to be transferred from the Standards Board for England to local authority Standards Committees which would have to decide whether each allegation appeared to disclose a breach of the Code of Conduct for Members and whether it merited investigation.
Having accepted that the establishment and membership of two new sub committees to assess and review allegations was closely defined and that the Committee would, in future, be required to report periodically to the Standards Board for England on their performance of the functions transferred to them under the new Regulations, the Committee
RESOLVED
(a) that a Referrals (Assessment) Sub Committee be established comprising one Independent Member, one Town and Parish Councillor and one District Councillor and that Mr P Boothman be elected lead Independent Member and Chairman of the Sub Committee;
(b) that a Review Sub Committee be established comprising one Independent Member, one Town and Parish Councillor and one District Councillor and that Mr M Lynch be elected lead Independent Member and Chairman of the Sub Committee;
(c) that the Director of Central Services and Monitoring Officer and in his absence, the Head of Legal and Estates and Deputy Monitoring Officer be authorised to establish dates for monthly meetings of the Referrals (Assessment) Sub Committee for a six month period until December 2008 to allow for an assessment of the workload which is likely to arise from the new Regulations;
(d) that the Director of Central Services and Monitoring Officer and in his absence, the Head of Legal and Estates and Deputy Monitoring Officer be authorised, after consultation with the relevant Chairman to convene meetings of the Referrals (Assessment) and Review Sub Committees as necessary;
(e) that the Referrals (Assessment) and Review Sub Committees hold their meetings in private unless the relevant Sub Committee determine otherwise in the case under consideration;
(f) that the proposed terms of reference for each Sub Committee as appended to the report now submitted be approved;
(g) that the Council be recommended to appoint an additional Independent Member to serve on the Standards Committee for the remainder of the current four year term to May 2011;
(h) that, subject to the replacement of the post title of “Executive Director of Central Services” with that of “Director of Central Services and Monitoring Officer”, the resolution made at the meeting of the Standards Committee held on 17th December 2003 be reaffirmed; and
(i) that the Corporate Governance Panel be requested to endorse the consequential variations to the District Council’s Constitution arising from the implementation of the Regulations.