Issue - meetings

(Monitoring Officer) To note that the terms of reference for the Committee is as follows:

(a)        Promoting and maintaining high standards of conduct by Councillors and Co-Opted Members;

(b)        Assisting Councillors and Co-Opted Members to observe the Members’ Code of Conduct;

(c)        Advising the Council on the adoption or revision of the Members’ Code of Conduct;

(d)        Monitoring the operation of the Members’ Code of Conduct;

(e)        Advising, training or arranging to train Councillors and Co-Opted Members on matters relating to the Members’ Code of Conduct;

(f)         Considering dispensations to Councillors and Co-Opted Members (including Parish and Town Councillors) from requirements relating to interests set out in the Members’ Code of Conduct;

(g)        Dealing with any reports referred from or on behalf of the Monitoring Officer on any matter, including investigations relating to Councillor conduct;

(h)        The exercise of (a) to (g) above in relation to the Parish Councils wholly or mainly in its area and the members of those Parish Councils either directly or through joint arrangements from time to time agreed; and

(i)         Adjudication on complaints regarding the operation of District Council protocols annexed to the Constitution.

The Committee noted its current Terms of Reference.

(Monitoring Officer) To note the terms of reference of the Committee is as follows:

(a)        promoting and maintaining high standards of conduct by Councillors and Co-Opted Members;

(b)        assisting Councillors and Co-Opted Members to observe the Members' Code of Conduct;

(c)        advising the Council on the adoption or revision of the Members' Code of Conduct;

(d)        monitoring the operation of the Members' Code of Conduct;

(e)        advising, training or arranging to train Councillors and Co-Opted Members on matters relating to the Members' Code of Conduct

(f)         considering dispensations to Councillors and Co-Opted Members (including Parish and Town Councillors) from requirements relating to interests set out in the Members' Code of Conduct

(g)        dealing with any reports referred from or on behalf of the Monitoring Officer on any matter, including investigations relating to Councillor conduct;

(h)        the exercise of (a) to (g) above in relation to the Parish Councils wholly or mainly in its area and the members of those Parish Councils either directly or through joint arrangements from time to time agreed; and

(i)         adjudication on complaints regarding the operation of District Council protocols annexed to the Constitution.

The Assistant Director (Governance & Performance Management) advised the Committee that the Terms of Reference had been revised at the last meeting, and these would be submitted to the next Council on 28 July 2015 for approval. The Committee was also informed that the article within the Constitution concerning the Standards Committee would be reviewed as part of the wider review of the Constitution, along with the Code of Member Conduct. It was currently planned to submit reports on both items to the Standards Committee in October for the Committee’s views to be taken into consideration.

Cllr Stallan highlighted that it should be pointed out at the forthcoming Council meeting that the Terms of Reference for the Committee could be reviewed further as part of the wider review of the Constitution.

Resolved:

(1)        That the revised Terms of Reference be noted and submitted to the next meeting of the Council for approval.