Issue - meetings

The purpose of this report is to update the Audit and Standards Advisory Committee on gifts and hospitality registered by Members during Q1 2025-26 and on member training.

(Please note the agenda was republished to include the Appendix B from the attached report on 12 June 2025)

Bianca Robertson (Principal Lawyer, Constitution Governance and Finance) introduced a report from the Corporate Director Finance and Resources updating the Audit and Standards Advisory Committee on gifts and hospitality registered by Members and a recent standards decision involving King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough.

In reviewing the content of the report, the following key issues were highlighted:

• During the first quarter of 2025-26 there had been five councillors who had declared gifts and hospitality as detailed in Appendix A of the report.  Since the report had been published members were advised that an additional declaration had been made by Councillor Kelcher.
• Updating the Committee on changes to the Members Code of Conduct members were advised of the change made in response to the recommendation included within the External Auditors 2023-24 Value for Money (VFM) report concerning the registration of gifts and hospitality to include more information for “exceptional items” to ensure transparency.  Having reviewed the Code and following discussion at the Constitutional Working Group (CWG) it had been agreed to amend the gifts and hospitality provisions of the Code to require members accepting any gift or hospitality valued as £500 or more to provide reasons to the Monitoring Officer as to why they consider it appropriate to accept the gift or hospitality.  This agreement had been approved at the Annual Council Meeting in May 2025 with a copy of the amendment to the Members Code of Conduct set out within Appendix B of the report.

Having considered the update, as set out within the report without further comment the Chair thanked Bianca Robertson for the update provided and it was RESOLVED to note the contents of the report including the change to the provisions of the Members Code of Conduct concerning gifts and hospitality (G&H).