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    • Agenda and decisions

    Standards Committee
    Monday, 22nd February, 2021 10.30 am

    • Attendance details
    • Agenda frontsheet pdf icon PDF 274 KB
    • Agenda reports pack pdf icon PDF 2 MB
    • Printed decisions pdf icon PDF 309 KB

    Venue: Virtual Meeting - Zoom

    Contact: Eirian Roberts  01286 679018

    Items
    No. Item

    1.

    APOLOGIES

              To receive any apologies for absence.

     

    2.

    DECLARATION OF PERSONAL INTEREST

              To receive any declaration of personal interest.

     

    3.

    URGENT ITEMS

    To note any items that are a matter of urgency in the view of the Chairman for consideration.

     

     

    4.

    MINUTES pdf icon PDF 222 KB

              The Chairman shall propose that the minutes of the previous meeting of this committee held on 9th November, 2020 be signed as a true record  (attached).

     

    5.

    SELF ASSESSMENT AND WORK PROGRAMME pdf icon PDF 127 KB

    To submit the report of the Monitoring Officer  (attached).

    Decision:

    (a) To adopt the following as the committee’s self-assessment of its performance in 2019/20, noting that circumstances beyond the control of the Standards Committee had meant that several actions could not be implemented this time:-

     

    FUNCTION

    ASSESSMENT

    (1/2/3/4)

     

    Evidence

    Further action

    Promote and maintain high standards of conduct by members

     

     

    1

    The Chair and Vice-chair have attended the North Wales Standards Forum to share experiences with other standards committees.

     

    Submit an annual report to the Full Council

     

    The Committee have received a report on the Ethical Framework arrangements in the context of collaboration

     

    Continue to attend and support

     

     

     

    Assist the members to adhere to the Code of Conduct

     

    2

    The Monitoring Officer and his team provide advice and guidance at meetings, and on a one-to-one basis for members.

     

    Resume training stages when resources permit

    Advise the Council with regard to adopting or amending the Code of Conduct

     

    No action required

    No occasion has arisen to amend the Code.

     

    Monitor the implementation of the Code of Conduct

     

    2

    Receive regular reports of allegations against members

     

    Receive the annual reports of the Ombudsman and the Adjudication Panel for Wales.

     

    Continue to monitor, consider and promote alternative methods of receiving information

     

    Receive regular reports from the Ombudsman's Code of Conduct Casebook.

     

    Receive annual reports on the register of interests and hospitality.

     

    Advise, train or arrange for members to receive training on matters relating to the Code of Conduct

     

     

    3

     

    Need to look at providing new training.

    Granting dispensations to members

     

    1

    Applications have been considered under the new procedure.

     

     

    Deal with reports of case tribunals and any reports from the Monitoring Officer on matters referred by the Ombudsman

     

    No action required

    No hearings were required during the year

     

    Authorise the Monitoring Officer to pay allowances to persons assisting with an investigation

     

    No action required

    There were no occasions where such an allowance was due

     

     

    Exercise the above functions in relation to community councils

     

    3

    The Monitoring Officer and his team provide advice and guidance to councillors, clerks and members.

     

    Adopt a training pilot on the Code of Conduct.  A session has been included to pilot the content of the course.

     

     

    A pilot course was held with Tywyn Town Council, with positive feedback.  Need to consider resuming the programme virtually when resources allow.

     

    (b)    To approve the following work programme for 2021/22:-

     

    June, 2021

     

    Annual Report

    Allegations against Members

    The Ombudsman’s Casebook

    Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021

    Training in general

     

    November, 2021

     

    Register of Gifts and Hospitality

    Declaration of Interests Register

    The Ombudsman’s Annual Report

    Allegations against Members

    Conflicts of Interests and partners outside Local Government

    Preparation for the May 2022 Election in respect of the Code of Conduct

     

    February, 2022

     

    Adjudication Panel’s Annual Report

    Allegations against Members

    6.

    PUBLIC SERVICE OMBUDSMAN WALES CONSULTATION - NEW DRAFT GUIDANCE ON THE CODE OF CONDUCT FOR MEMBERS OF COUNTY AND COMMUNITY / TOWN COUNCILS pdf icon PDF 308 KB

    To submit the report of the Monitoring Officer  (attached).

    Additional documents:

    • Item 6 - Appendix 1 , item 6. pdf icon PDF 402 KB
    • Item 6 - Appendix 2 , item 6. pdf icon PDF 393 KB

    Decision:

    To submit the following observations in response to the consultation, and delegate the right to the Monitoring Officer to collate and convey the response on behalf of the Council:-

     

    ·         That the committee welcomes the document overall, and is of the view that it is readable and very useful in terms of explaining the code.  We also believe that the use of case studies and speech bubbles are a good way of highlighting parts of the document and making it relevant to people.

    ·         It would be useful if the examples of Code of Conduct breaches listed in the document also noted what the outcome had been, in order to give a clearer picture.

    ·         It would be useful if the document included examples of how the public interest test has worked in practice i.e. what types of complaints have passed the threshold, and what types of complaints have failed.

    ·         The document should be gender-neutral.

     

    7.

    ALLEGATIONS AGAINST MEMBERS pdf icon PDF 255 KB

    To submit the report of the Senior Solicitor (Corporate)  (attached).