Decision details

Decision details

Report by Committee for Standards in Public Life on Review Of Standards in Local Government

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: No

Decisions:

Council received a report of the Group Head of Democracy and Governance which informed members about the recommendations made by the Committee for Standards in Public Life following its review of standards in local government.

 

RESOLVED –

 

1.      that the Committee on the Standards in Public Life’s recommendations set out below be adopted.

 

         Recommendation 3: Local authorities should review their code each year and regularly seek the views of the public, community organisations and neighbouring authorities – that the code be reviewed annually by the Monitoring Officer and Standards Committee.

 

         Recommendation 6: Local authorities should publish a clear and straightforward public interest test against which complaints should be filtered

 

        that the procedure be updated to include a clear and straightforward public interest test against which complaints should be filtered.

 

         Recommendation 7: Local authorities should have access to at least two independent persons – that the council advertises for a second Independent Person.

 

         Recommendation 8: The Independent Person should be consulted as to whether to undertake a formal investigation into an allegation, and given the option to comment on any allegations that the responsible officer is minded to dismiss as being without merit, trivial or vexatious.       

 

        that the Monitoring Officer seeks the view of the Independent Person when minded to dismiss any complaint as without merit, trivial or vexatious.

 

2.      that the Committee on the Standards in Public Life’s recommendation 2: Local authorities should provide in their codes for councillors to comply with formal standards investigations, and prohibit trivial or malicious allegations by councillors, not be adopted.

 

3.      that Council notes that the recommendations 1, 4, 5, 9, 10 and 15 of the Committee for Standards in Public Life’s review were already being followed and recommendations 12 and 13 were not applicable as there were no parish or town councils in the borough.

Report author: Carol Chen

Publication date: 26/03/2020

Date of decision: 17/03/2020

Decided at meeting: 17/03/2020 - Council

Accompanying Documents:

 

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