Decision details

Standards and the Code of Conduct

Decision status: Recommendations approved

Is Key decision?: No

Decisions:

The Committee considered a report setting out details of the County Council's Code of Conduct, together with the legislative context, the process for dealing with complaints and the sanctions available to the Conduct Committee. The current Code was approved by the Full Council in May 2012 in accordance with the provisions of the Localism Act 2011 and replaced the previous, more prescriptive, standards regime.

 

It was reported that on 18 September 2017 the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) had published a consultation 'Disqualification Criteria for Councillors and Mayors' proposing to introduce additional criteria for disqualification. As the closing date for responses was 8 December 2017, in advance of the next meeting of the Committee, it was proposed to circulate the consultation document by e-mail and that Committee Members be requested to submit any comments to the Director of Governance, Finance and Public Services so that a response could be drafted and approved under the County Council's Urgent Business Procedure for submission.

 

The Committee discussed ways in which Councillors could be encouraged to undertake training and awareness on conduct matters and it was felt that the County Council should promote greater awareness of conduct issues and that the issue should also be highlighted in reporting the proceedings of the Committee to Full Council.

 

Resolved: - That:

 

(i)  The report be noted;

(ii)  The proposals for responding to the DCLG consultation 'Disqualification Criteria for Councillors and Mayors' be noted.

 

 

Report author: Josh Mynott

Date of decision: 25/09/2017

Decided at meeting: 25/09/2017 - Audit, Risk and Governance Committee

Accompanying Documents: