Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

An apology was received from Sion Huws (Propriety and Elections Manager)

To receive any declaration of personal interest.

            None to note.

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

None to note

The Chair shall propose that the minutes of the previous meetings of this committee held on the 17 February 2025 and 7 April 2025 be signed as a true record  (attached).

The Chair signed the minutes of the meeting of this committee held on 7 April, 2025 as a true record.

To submit the report of the Propriety and Elections Manager

To approve the Annual Report of the Standards Committee for 2024/25.

Presented – the Monitoring Officer's annual report asking for any comments from the committee before being presented to the Full Council at its next meeting. It was noted that a great deal of issues had been addressed during the year and that the Committee had dealt with requests for dispensations in areas of importance for town councils as well as Members who had applied.

It was explained that the standards committee had an important role in promoting high standards of behaviour and that it was a core part of the committee's work. The committee achieved this through a combination of on-demand advice, proactive advice and training – training on and an understanding of the Code of Conduct gave members a foundation upon which they could familiarise themselves with the basics of the code. It was noted that this was particularly related to the personal interests’ provisions, where they arose and how to respond. Disappointment was expressed with the number of members who still hadn't attended the full courses that had taken place.

It was asked if the members completed the training on-line, would this information be public? It was confirmed that this was noted and that this information was available on-line.

DECISION

To approve the Annual Report of the Standards Committee 2024/25

To submit the report of the Propriety and Elections Manager

To note the information.

A report was presented by the Monitoring Officer providing information to the committee about the Ombudsman's decisions on formal complaints against members. It was noted that these allegations had not gone further.

Attention was drawn to a series of reported allegations not supported with evidence. Submitting allegations to the Ombudsman without evidence was not thought to be acceptable.

Concern was expressed regarding these allegations not supported with evidence and attention was drawn to the fact that most of them had come from the town council. It was felt that the community clerks should have a course on how to advise members on standards which would be of great help to members in community councils.

DECISION

To note the information.

To submit the report of the Monitoring Officer

A report was presented by the Monitoring Officer on the annual self-assessment of the Standards Committee.

The committee went through the self-assessment table and completed it as follows:

DECISION

To adopt the following as the Standards Committee's self-assessment of its  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

To submit the report of the Propriety and Elections Manager

To note the information.

A report was presented by the Monitoring Officer providing information on training councillors on issues relating to the code of conduct which forms part of the statutory function of the Standards Committee. It was noted that the Committee had identified the need to undertake such training but accepted that delivering this had proved challenging recently due to a lack of resources.

It was noted that sessions had been prepared and piloted for community councils with the intention of enabling members and clerks to gain an understanding of the fundamentals of the Code of Conduct, equip members to operate within the framework and highlight where to access further guidance and information.

DECISION

To note the information.

To submit the report of the Propriety and Elections Manager

To accept and note the information.

A report presenting background information on the declaration and registration of interests in meetings. It was noted that the code of conduct for Members placed a duty on members to disclose orally at any meeting, the existence and nature of any personal interest they had in a business being considered. It was explained that the further duty to register that interest involved giving written notice to the Monitoring Officer. It was explained that the practice in Cyngor Gwynedd was for a democratic services officer to hand out a paper form when members made a declaration at a Committee meeting and collect it at the end.

It was explained that a new process had now been developed with the democratic and IT services which created a process to register interests on-line using the Microsoft Forms resource.

It was noted that the intention was to use this procedure for all declaring members including those present in the meeting room.

DECISION

To accept and note the information.

The Chair shall propose that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during the discussion on the following item due to the likely disclosure of exempt information as denied in paragraph 11, Part 4, Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. This paragraph should apply because it includes information relating to an individual Standards Committee.

The information is provided on a confidential basis by the Ombudsman and disclosure would be detrimental to the operation of the investigation of complaints under the Local Governance Act 2000.  Consequently, there is significant public interest in conducting the investigation process in a fair and appropriate manner and therefore the matter should be exempt.

To submit the report of the Propriety and Elections Manager (separate copy for committee members only).