13 LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND ELECTIONS (WALES) ACT 2021 PDF 564 KB
To submit the
report of the Cabinet Member for Corporate Support (attached).
Additional documents:
Decision:
1. To accept the information.
2. To ask the Audit and Governance Committee to
approve and monitor a work programme in response to the provisions of the Act.
Minutes:
The Cabinet Member for Corporate Support submitted
a report detailing the provisions of the Local Government and Elections (Wales)
Act 2021, and recommending that the the Audit and Governance Committee be asked
to approve and monitor a work programme in response to those provisions.
In response to questions from members, it was
explained:-
·
That the act did not affect the pre-election period,
but for the Welsh Senedd Election in May, the period started on 22 March and
continued until election day on 6 May. Although this could affect Council
business, because of the requirement to seek to avoid giving publicity to
politically sensitive matters during a pre-election period, the impact was
not substantial, usually.
·
That the act formalised a
new way for the role of group leaders to be accountable for the conduct of
their members. This would not mean that the Code would be breached, but it did
place a level of responsibility for conduct on the group leader. Currently,
there was not much statutory guidance in terms of how that would work in
practice, but it was likely that having a statutory procedure would note a
clear role for the leader should an issue arise in terms of member conduct. It
could also, possibly, be a means to resolve the matter and provide a more
robust context to this expectation.
·
When the arrangements for
job sharing between Chairs and Vice-chairs came into force, it would be
possible for more than one person to undertake these roles. Again, there was a
need to see the guidance in terms of how this procedure would work in practice,
but it was a part of the new requirements in terms of democratic arrangements.
RESOLVED
1. To accept
the information.
2. To ask
the Audit and Governance Committee to approve and monitor a work programme in
response to the provisions of the Act.