Agenda item
New standards regime under Localism Act
Report attached on the implications of the Localism Act 2011 in relation to the Member’s Code of Conduct, the Standards arrangements and the regulations published on 8th June 2012 setting out pecuniary interests.
Minutes:
Members had before them the report on the implications of the Localism Act 2011 in relation to the Member’s Code of Conduct, the Standards arrangements and the regulations published on 8 June 2012 setting out the pecuniary interests.
Councillor Jones drew attention to the criminal sanctions for breach of disclosable pecuniary interests. She also referred to the recommendation to re-establish a Standards Committee. Councillor Lorber stated that there was no barrier to establishing the Standards Committee on the basis of equal representation from each of the political groups if there was unanimous agreement and he felt it was wrong for one party to have a majority on the committee. Councillor Kansagra referred to his earlier motion and re-iterated his support for equal representation from each of the political groups.
RESOLVED:
(i) that the implications of the Localism Act 2011 and in particular that it
places an obligation on the Council to promote and maintain high
ethical standards by its members and co-opted members be noted;
(ii) that the Code of Conduct for Members as attached at Appendix 1 to the report submitted be adopted;
(iii) that the sanctions available to the Full Council in relation to members
found to be in breach of the new Code of Conduct set out in paragraphs 12 and 16.7 of the report submitted be noted;
(iv) that a new Standards Committee be appointed with the terms of reference attached as Appendix 2 to the report submitted;
(v) that the allocation of seats on the new Standards Committee be:
|
Labour |
Liberal Democrat |
Conservative |
Number of seats |
3 |
1 |
1 |
(vi) that a non-voting co-opted member (and alternate) be appointed to the new Standards Committee;
(vii) that the Monitoring Officer be delegated the decision to refer a written complaint to Standards Committee and to take other action, including no action;
(viii) that two ‘independent persons’ be appointed to fulfil the role set out in paragraph 13 of the report submitted;
(ix) that the Monitoring Officer be delegated authority to take decisions in relation to dispensations, as set out in the Code of Conduct;
(x) that the Monitoring Officer be delegated authority to draw up and agree detailed procedures to support the Code of Conduct and the new standards regime, including detailed powers and duties and procedures for the new Standards Committee following consultation with the Constitutional Working Group;
(xi) to note that the new Standards Committee will review and refine the detailed procedures and operation of the new regime at a meeting during the 2012/13 municipal year;
(xii) that the advice note from the Monitoring Officer to all members in relation to the definition of pecuniary interests, attached as Appendix 3 to the report submitted, be noted;
(xiii) that the Constitution be amended in accordance with the tracked changes shown at Appendix 4 of the report submitted;
(xiv) that the following be appointed members of the new Standards Committee for the remainder of the municipal year:
Councillor Beck (Chair)
Councillor Gladbaum
Councillor Harrison
Councillor Ketan Shah
Councillor HB Patel
Sheila Darr (non voting co-opted member);
(xv) that John Mann and Sola Afuape be appointed as ‘independent persons’.
Supporting documents:
- Standards rpt, item 10. PDF 95 KB
- Stnds - App 1, item 10. PDF 75 KB
- Stnds - App 2, item 10. PDF 46 KB
- Stnds - App 3, item 10. PDF 178 KB
- Stnds -App 4, item 10. PDF 1 MB