Further to Minute No. 4 of the meeting of the Standards Committee held on 19 June 2012, the Committee considered the report of the Head of Corporate Legal Services which provided a further update on the impact of the Localism Act 2011 and the current standards regime following the Council meeting on 12 April 2012.
The report contained the following appendices:
The report also provided details of the new Regulations relating to the disclosure of pecuniary interests by local authority members and co-opted members and the appointment of Independent Persons, which would take effect on 1 July 2012; and the action to be taken by Officers on these issues.
A discussion took place on the arrangements to be made for Members of the Council to briefed on the revised Code of Conduct prior to the Council Meeting on 5 July 2012, the briefing arrangements for Parish Council representatives, the on-line submission of disclosable pecuniary interests by Members of the Council, the problems that may be encountered within the Merseyside sub region if different Codes of Conduct are implemented by the local authorities and the arrangements to be made for all Members of the Committee to receive training on the procedures for assessing, reviewing and hearing complaints against Members of the Council under the new Code of Conduct.
RESOLVED: That:
(1) the report be noted;
(2) it be noted that a further review and research would be undertaken of the administration of the Standards Regime and the Code of Conduct within the current municipal year and be submitted to this Committee and the Council for consideration;
(3) the Council be recommended to approve the additional terms of reference for this Committee as set out in Appendix D of the report; and
(4) the Council be recommended to give approval to the appointment of a Parish Council representative and substitute representative (appointed by the Sefton Area Partnership Of Local Councils) as a co- opted member of the Audit and Governance Standards Sub Committees, to enable him/her to be involved in the consideration of any complaints submitted in respect of the conduct of any Parish Councillor within the Borough of Sefton.
Further to Minute No. 14 of the meeting held on 13 March 2012, the Committee considered the report of the Head of Corporate Legal Services which provided a further update on the impact of the Localism Act 2011 and the current standards regime following the Council meeting on 12 April 2012. The report contained the following appendices:
The report also provided details of the new Regulations relating to the disclosure of pecuniary interests by local authority members and co-opted members and the appointment of Independent Persons, which would take effect on 1 July 2012; and the action to be taken by Officers on these issues.
Members of the Committee expressed concern that a Parish Council representative had not been appointed as a co-opted member of the three Standards Sub Committees which would deal with complaints relating to the conduct of any Parish Councillors within the Borough of Sefton.
A discussion took place on the arrangements to be made for Members of the Council to briefed on the revised Code of Conduct prior to the Council Meeting on 5 July 2012, the briefing arrangements for Parish Council representatives, the on-line submission of disclosable pecuniary interests by Members of the Council and the problems that may be encountered within the Merseyside sub region if different Codes of Conduct are implemented by the local authorities.
RESOLVED: That:
(1) the report be noted;
(2) the Council be requested to give approval to the appointment of a Parish Council Representative and Substitute Representative (appointed by the Sefton Area Partnership Of Local Councils) as a Co- opted Member of the Audit and Governance Standards Sub Committees, to enable him/her to be involved in the consideration of any complaints submitted in respect of the conduct of any Parish Councillor within the Borough of Sefton; and
(3) the Audit and Governance Committee be requested to give due regard to the Codes of Conduct implemented by other Merseyside local authorities and joint authorities in due course.