Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Cllrs Fower and Sandford.

At this point Members must declare whether they have an interest, whether personal or prejudicial, in any of the items on the agenda. Members must also declare if they are subject to their party group whip in relation to any items under consideration.

No declarations of interest were received.

The minutes form the meetings held 21 October and 4 November were approved as an accurate record.

To receive and comment on a report from the Monitoring Officer

The committee received a report form the Deputy Monitoring Officer.  The committee were advised that in future, if a request came to it from another committee of the Council, this would be contained in a separate report.  The Deputy Monitoring Officer proposed regular agenda items were submitted for each meeting.

The committee discussed the following sections of the report:

Update on minutes from last meeting

·         CRB check - New CRB check legislation was due out in July 2010.  New guidance to be submitted to a future meeting.

·         Local Democracy Week -The committee would be involved in Local Democracy Week – the recommendation for some mock hearings should be progressed.

·         Neighbourhood Councils - The presentations at Neighbourhood Councils helped raise the Standards Committee’s profile.

·         A further report to be submitted to Neighbourhood Councils in a year’s time.

·         The annual report to be submitted to Parish Council Liaison.

·         Training - Training DVDs could be given to any Member who is subject of an adjudication hearing.

·         An induction pack for new committee members would be prepared.

·         Questionnaires - 14 questionnaires had been received back so far – councillors to request other group members return the questionnaires.

·         Work Programme - Communications plan was progressing.

·         Cost for Code of Conduct Leaflet to be investigated.

·         The committee agreed the work programme proposed in the report.

Complaints

·         Only one complaint had been assessed since the last meeting.

·         Reference numbers would be used to identify all cases in future.

Items of Interest

·         The Strategic Governance Board met on 19 November 2009 – minutes to be circulated to the committee.

·         Following an Extraordinary Meeting of Council on 21 December, a new parish would be established for Hampton Hargate and Vale containing 14 new Parish Councillors (7 for each neighbourhood) – Code of Conduct training can be provided when necessary.

Work Programme

·         Members agreed the proposed work programme.

·         Deputy Monitoring Officer to meet with members suggested at last meeting regarding a local review of Standards issues (O Menendez, R Nesbitt and Cllr D Batty).

To consider publication of Register of Interests of all Councillors.

The committee received a report following the Council meeting held on 2 December 2009 in which Cllr Goldspink moved a motion to publicise all Members’ Register of Interests submission on the council website.  The Council agreed to defer voting until it had received the recommendations of the Standards Committee on this matter.

The committee debated the recommendation raising the following issues:

·         Sensitive and confidential information could be treated differently.

·         Other Authorities already have all submissions on their websites.

·         Sensitive information should be at the Monitoring Officer’s discretion.

·         Submission form should not have an option to exclude information.

The committee ARGEED to the following:

“All City Councillors’, Parish Councillors’ and co-opted members’ Register of Interests submissions be made available on the council’s public website unless withheld at the Monitoring Officer’s discretion due to the information creating a serious enough risk that someone in their household would be subjected to violence or intimidation.”

The committee AGREED that further information on how to report non-submissions would be included on the website.

The committee further AGREED that submissions in the Gifts and Hospitalities Register also be visible on the council’s public website for all Members and co-opted members.

To discuss and determine future agenda items.

This item was discussed as part of agenda item 4.

Due to be held 10 February (provisional) and 17 March 2010.

The committee agreed that the date of the next meeting was 17 March and the provisional date of 10 February be kept available for any assessments that were needed.