Meeting documents

Standards Committee
Monday, 28th February, 2011 7.30 pm

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 Date: Tuesday, 29th June, 2010 Time: 7.30 pm Place: Council Chamber, Council Offices, Gernon Road, Letchworth Garden City
 PRESENT: Mr N. Moss (Independent Chairman), Mr P. Chapman (Independent Vice-Chairman), Mr S Gillies (Independent Member)
Parish Councillor R. Wornham
District Councillors Mrs A.G. Ashley, Judi Billing, David Kearns, Bernard Lovewell and M.R.M. Muir.
 IN ATTENDANCE: Corporate Legal Manager (Monitoring Officer) and Committee and Member Services Manager.
 ALSO PRESENT:
Item Description/Resolution Status Action
PART I
1 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of District Councillors A. Bardett, Sal Jarvis and L.W. Oliver; Parish Councillors M. Goddard and B. Hillan; and Mr P. Joester.
 Noted   
2 MINUTES
Data/Standards Committee/201102281930/Agenda/Minutes

RESOLVED: That, subject to the inclusion of the names of District Councillor Judi Billing and Mr S. Gilles (Independent Member) in the list of those who had submitted their apologies for absence, the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 23 February 2010 be approved as a true record of the proceedings and signed by the Chairman.
 Agreed   
3 NOTIFICATION OF OTHER BUSINESS

No other items were presented for consideration.
 Noted   
4 CHAIRMAN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS

(1) The Chairman informed the Committee that the new coalition Government had announced its intention to abolish what it described as the ‘Standards Board regime'. However, there was uncertainty over whether or not this applied to the role of Standards for England and/or the work undertaken at local level by Standards Committees. He noted also that the Prime Minister had used the term ‘Standards Board bureaucracy'. Whatever the Government's plans, the Chairman considered that arrangements would still be necessary to deal with conduct matters locally. He felt also that a mechanism would be required to deal with any that those managing local arrangements felt that they should not handle for reasons of complexity or sensitivity.

(2) The Chairman drew attention to a Minute Extract from the NHDC Annual Council meeting held on 20 May 2010 in respect of the short Annual Report of the Standards Committee for 2009/10 that he had presented to that meeting.

(3) The Chairman reminded Members that, in line with the Code of Conduct, any Declarations of Interest needed to be declared immediately prior to the item in question.
 Noted   
5 UPDATE ON PROGRESS AND WORK PROGRAMME
Report
Appendix 1
Appendix 4

The Monitoring Officer presented a report updating Members on progress and the Work Programme last considered by the Committee at its meeting held on 23 February 2010. The following appendices were submitted with the report:

Appendix 1 - Work Programme;
Appendix 2 - Annual return to Standards for England (Part 2 document);
Appendix 3 - Quarterly Return to Standards for England (Part 2 document);
Appendix 4 - Letter from Chair of Standards for England dated 1 June 2010.

The Monitoring Officer referred to the Work Programme, which had been tabled at the meeting, and commented as follows:

- Training - A training session on standards and the Code of Conduct for the 5 new District Council Members had been arranged for 2.00pm on Monday, 19 July 2010. It was considered that it would be useful if any Members of the Standards Committee could be available to attend on 19 July 2010, as well. The Committee agreed that the Monitoring Officer be requested to write to all Parish Councils in the District inviting their Members (both new and old) and Clerks to this training session;

- Engagement with Town/Parish Councils - the Committee was informed that the Standards Committees of nearby District/Borough Councils engaged with their Town/Parish Councils in various ways, including inviting Parish representatives to attend Standards Committee meetings once or twice a year; a Monitoring Officer/Deputy Monitoring Officer contacting each Parish Council on a quarterly basis to ascertain if there were any Code of Conduct problems; offering ad hoc advice and training (as happened at NHDC); and the despatch of reports to Parish Councils. The Committee considered that all of these processes seemed commendable, and agreed that all Parish Council Chairmen/Clerks should be invited to attend one meeting of the Standards Committee per year, and that the Chairman's Annual Report 2009/10 should be sent out to all Parish Councils in the District;

- Declarations of Acceptance of Office/Interests - the Monitoring Officer advised that she may need to involve the Committee Chairman in chasing up a number of these forms which were expected back from Town/Parish Councils following the recent Elections;

- Selection Protocol for Town/Parish Council Members on the Standards Committee - the protocol had been agreed by NHDC at its Annual Council meeting held on 20 May 2010. However, it was agreed that the existing Town/Parish Council vacancy on the Committee be not filled at the current time, but that the Monitoring Officer write to all Parish Councils seeking expressions of interest from any Town/Parish Councillors that may wish to serve on the Committee in the future;

- Confidential Reporting Policy - this policy would be reviewed by the Monitoring Officer by 31 August 2010, in conjunction with the Council's Audit Manager;

- Advice/Guidance on Website publication of Members' Interests - the Monitoring Officer would be reporting to Council on this matter on 2 September 2010;

- Review of Gifts and Hospitality Policy - it was possible that this item would not need to come before the Committee, although the Monitoring Officer undertook to keep Members updated with progress;

- Review of Member/Officer Protocol - the Monitoring Officer commented that this review would take place as part of the 2010/11 Review of the Constitution as a whole;

- Review of Conflicts of Interest Policy - following recommendations from Internal Audit, a review of this policy would be undertaken by 31 August 2010.

RESOLVED:

(1) That the updates in the report be noted, and the Work Programme be agreed;

(2) That the Monitoring Officer be requested to write to all Parish Councils in the District inviting their Members (both new and old) and Clerks to the training session on standards and the Code of Conduct to be held on 19 July 2010;

(3) That all Parish Council Chairmen/Clerks should be invited to attend one meeting of the Standards Committee per year, and that the Chairman's Annual Report 2009/10 should be sent out to all Parish Councils in the District;

(4) That the existing Town/Parish Council vacancy on the Committee be not filled at the current time, but that the Monitoring Officer write to all Parish Councils seeking expressions of interest from any Town/Parish Councillors that may wish to serve on the Committee in the future.

REASON FOR DECISION: To ensure good governance within the Council.
 Agreed  Corporate Legal Manager
6 LAMINATED SHEETS TO ASSIST IN MEMBERS' INTERESTS

The Chairman noted the preparation of laminated sheets giving summary guidance to NHDC Members about the disclosure of any interests they may have. Committee Members were invited to inspect copies. The sheet would be available to all NHDC members at Council and committee meetings. The sheet had been commissioned by the Committee and he felt that it would be useful to Members as they considered whether or not they had any interest(s) to declare on matters before them. On behalf of the Committee, the Chairman expressed appreciation to the Monitoring Officer for her and her colleagues' work on the sheet.
 Noted   
7 EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC

RESOLVED: That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following discussion, on the grounds that the items may involve the likely disclosure of exempt information, as defined in Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the said Act (as amended).
 Agreed   
PART II
8 APPENDIX 2 TO UPDATE ON PROGRESS AND WORK PROGRAMME REPORT - ANNUAL RETURN TO STANDARDS FOR ENGLAND (1 APRIL 2009 - 31 MARCH 2010)
Data/Standards Committee/201102281930/Agenda/Appendix 2 to Item 5

The Committee considered the Annual Return to Standards for England. It was noted that all outstanding cases had now been closed.

RESOLVED: That the Annual Return to Standards for England, as set out in Appendix 2 to the Update on Progress and Work Programme report, be noted.
 Noted   
9 APPENDIX 3 TO UPDATE ON PROGRESS AND WORK PROGRAMME REPORT - QUARTERLY RETURN TO STANDARDS FOR ENGLAND (1 JANUARY 2010 - 31 MARCH 2010)
Data/Standards Committee/201102281930/Agenda/Appendix 3 to Item 5

The Committee considered the latest Quarterly Return to Standards for England. The Monitoring Officer informed the Committee that, possibly in the light of continued uncertainty over the future of the Standards regime, Standards for England had suspended the need for a Return from local authorities for the current Quarter (April - June 2010).

RESOLVED: That the latest Quarterly Return to Standards for England, as set out in Appendix 3 to the Update on Progress and Work Programme report, be noted.
 Noted   
Published on Wednesday, 1st September, 2010
Start - 7.30pm
End - 8.30pm