Issue - meetings

To submit the report of the Propriety and Elections Manager.

To note the information.

Submitted – the report of the Propriety and Elections Manager presented information to the committee about the Ombudsman's decisions on formal complaints against members.

On a point of clarity, the Propriety and Elections Manager noted that the Welsh version of the last sentence of the summary to the second complaint (Appendix 2 of the report) should read 'Dewisodd yr aelod gyfeirio’r mater at yr Ombwdsmon i’w ystyried yn hytrach na mynd drwy Drefn Datrys Lleol y Cyngor’.

The Monitoring Officer noted that the second complaint highlighted how difficult it was to remove the boundary between free speech and saying something that could be offensive to some people, and he was glad of the Ombudsman's support to the local resolution procedure in his observations on the case.

It was enquired whether the Ombudsman, possibly, suggested that there was a lack of trust in the local resolution procedure, and was it possible to be confident that the procedure was robust and efficient.  In response, the Monitoring Officer noted:-

·         That the procedure was in place and adaptations had been made to it by now and a discussion had also been held with the Leaders of the Political Groups.

·         That it was natural, whilst going into a procedure like this, that questions arose, but the members were encouraged to have a conversation with him first regarding the steps that were put in place to ensure that the process was fair and appropriate.

RESOLVED to note the information.