No disclosures of interest in matters under consideration were received.

Recommended –

(1)  That the minutes of the meeting held on 15 October  2015 be signed as a correct record (previously circulated).

(2)  That the minutes of the meetings of the Complaints Sub-Committee held on 22 February and 24 March 2016 be signed as a correct record (previously circulated).

(Tracey Sugden – 01274 434287)

Resolved –

(1)  That the minutes of the meeting held on 15 October 2015 be signed as a correct record.

(2)  That the minutes of the meetings of the Complaints Sub-Committee held on 22 February and 24 March 2016 be signed as a correct record.

ACTION: City Solicitor

(Access to Information Procedure Rules – Part 3B of the Constitution)

Reports and background papers for agenda items may be inspected by contacting the person shown after each agenda item.  Certain reports and background papers may be restricted. 

Any request to remove the restriction on a report or background paper should be made to the relevant Strategic Director or Assistant Director whose name is shown on the front page of the report. 

If that request is refused, there is a right of appeal to this meeting. 

Please contact the officer shown below in advance of the meeting if you wish to appeal. 

(Tracey Sugden - 01274 434287)

There were no appeals by the submitted by the public to review decisions to restrict documents.

Previous Reference: Council, Minutes 9 & 11 (2016/17)

The Committee is advised that it is required to appoint a Complaints Sub-Committee. The Sub-Committee will be made up of three voting Members of the Standards Committee, one of whom must be from the same political group as the subject Member (wherever possible), but not all of the Members will be from the same political group. The Chair will be elected from among the membership at the beginning of the meeting, but cannot be from the same political group as the subject Member.

The Sub-Committee is required to hear and determine allegations of breach of the relevant code(s) of conduct by Members of Council and of Parish and Town Councils respectively.

Recommended –

That a Complaints Sub-Committee be appointed with memberships and role and functions as contained in the resolution of Council made on 10 July 2012 and subject to the Rules of Procedure contained in Part 3 of the Constitution adopted by Annual Council on 17 May 2016.

(Parveen Akhtar – 01274 432496)

Previous Reference: Council, Minutes 9 & 11 (2016/17)

The Committee was advised that it was required to appoint a Complaints Sub-Committee. The Sub-Committee would be made up of three voting Members of the Standards Committee, one of whom must be from the same political group as the subject Member (wherever possible), but not all of the Members would be from the same political group. The Chair would be elected from among the membership at the beginning of the meeting, but could not be from the same political group as the subject Member.

The Sub-Committee was required to hear and determine allegations of breach of the relevant code(s) of conduct by Members of Council and of Parish and Town Councils respectively.

Resolved –

That a Complaints Sub-Committee be appointed with memberships and role and functions as contained in the resolution of Council made on 10 July 2012 and subject to the Rules of Procedure contained in Part 3 of the Constitution adopted by Annual Council on 17 May 2016.

ACTION: CitySolicitor

The Monitoring Officer will propose that an annual overview report be provided to the Committee giving a summary of those complaints which have been dealt with to the point of conclusion during the municipal year.

Recommended –

That the Committee receive an annual report on concluded complaints at the final meeting of this and future municipal years.

(Parveen Akhtar – 01274 432496)

The Monitoring Officer proposed that an annual overview report be provided to the Committee giving a summary of those complaints which had been dealt with to the point of conclusion during the municipal year.

Resolved –

That the Committee receive an annual report on concluded complaints at the final meeting of this and future municipal years.

ACTION: City Solicitor

Previous Reference: Council, Minute 25 (2016/17)

Members will recall that, at the meeting of Council held on 12 July 2016, an amendment to the Members Code of Conduct, which forms part of the Constitution, was made. The amendment was in respect of training for elected and co-opted members on child sexual exploitation (CSE)

The Monitoring Officer will provide a verbal update on that amendment.

(Parveen Akhtar – 01274 432496)

Previous Reference: Council, Minute 25 (2016/17)

Members recalled that, at the meeting of Council held on 12 July 2016, an amendment to the Members Code of Conduct, which formed part of the Constitution, had been made. The amendment had been in respect of training for elected and co-opted members on child sexual exploitation (CSE)

The Monitoring Officer provided a verbal update on that amendment, reminding members that the training had ben made compulsory for all members, with a time scale of three months for returning members and six months for new members.

Members noted that the training was already well underway within their respective groups.

The Monitoring Officer requested that, if any Member had comments to make on the training, they should advise her direct.  

ACTION: City Solicitor

The Monitoring Officer will remind Members that, under the current regulations, the Standards Committee has a role to play in respect of granting dispensations to voting members who would otherwise have to declare a disposable pecuniary interest, in line with part two of the Members Code of Conduct .

The Constitution does not currently make the role of the Committee sufficiently clear and the Monitoring Officer would like to discuss with the Committee options for updating the Constitution.

(Parveen Akhtar – 01274 432496)

The Monitoring Officer reminded Members that, under the current regulations, the Standards Committee had a role to play in respect of granting dispensations to voting members who would otherwise have to declare a disposable pecuniary interest, in line with part two of the Members Code of Conduct .

The Constitution did not currently make the role of the Committee sufficiently clear and the Monitoring Officer discussed with the Committee options for updating the Constitution, following which she undertook to present a report to the next meeting of the Committee.

Members of the Committee are asked for their view on a schedule of meetings for the remainder of this municipal year.

Suggested dates are:-

8 December 2016

2 March 2017

Or

10 November 2016

16 February 2017

13 April 2016.

The view of the Committee is requested.

(Parveen Akhtar – 01274 432496)

Members of the Committee were asked for their view on a schedule of meetings for the remainder of this municipal year.

Suggested dates were provided and it was agreed that meetings be held on 8 December 2016 and 2 March 2107, with a later start time than had previously been used.

ACTION: City Solicitor