Agenda and minutes

To note that Councillor Members remain as Mr J F London (Conservative), Mr L Christie (Labour) and Mr D S Daley (Liberal Democrat); and that the following Independent Members have been appointed by the Council to serve for the four year term from 1 November 2007 to 31 October 2011:-

Mrs N Ahmed, OBE DL

Mr P A Gammon, MBE

Miss R MacCrone

            (Item 2)

(1)       Mr Gammon moved, Mr London seconded, that Miss MacCrone be elected Chairman of the Committee.

(2)       There being no other nominations, Miss MacCrone was declared elected as Chairman.

Miss MacCrone thereupon took the chair

The Council’s Constitution requires the Chairman to be drawn from one of the Independent Members.

Mrs Ahmed and Mr Gammon, who had been appointed by the Council to serve as Independent Members of the Committee, together with Miss MacCrone (re-appointment) for the four-year term from 1 November 2007 to 31 October 2011, were welcomed to their first meeting.

(Item 4)

(1)       RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting held on 30 May 2007 are correctly recorded and that they be signed by the Chairman. 

(2)       Mr Christie asked for, and received, an assurance that, in accordance with Minute 9(b) guidance would be given to Members about how to show political group activity on the Annual Report form about to be issued for 2007/08.

(a)       Government Consultation Paper (attached)

(b)       Paper by Miss R MacCrone (attached)

            (Item 5(a) - Report by Head of Democratic Services and Item 5(b) – Report by Miss MacCrone)

(1)       The Committee noted that the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) had published a consultation paper seeking views by 15 February on proposed regulations to put into effect the standards regime arising from the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.  The report (item 5(a)) included the consultation paper and a suggested draft response to be submitted by the Council.

(2)       The Committee discussed the suggested draft response and made some amendments to it.

(3)       The Committee also discussed a discussion document prepared by Miss MacCrone (item 5(b)).

(4)       The Head of Democratic Services reported that a local training course on operating the new standards regime, aimed at Members of Standards Committees and officers involved in ethical governance, would take place in Gravesend on 4 March 2008.

(5)       RESOLVED that:-

(a)       the response to the Government consultation paper, as set out in Appendix 1 to these Minutes, be submitted to the Department for Communities and Local Government;

(b)       proposals for the provision of appropriate training and advice about the new standards regime to all KCC Members be submitted to the next meeting following discussion between the Chairman and officers;

(c)        that places at the training course on operating the new standards regime to be held at Gravesend on 4 March be reserved for all those Members of the Committee who were able to attend on that day.

KCC Internal Audit completed an audit of authority-wide compliance with Ethical Standards last July (report attached).

Mrs Julie Samson, Audit Manager, will attend the meeting.

RESOLVED that:-

(a)       the recommendations of the Ethical Standards Audit conducted by KCC Internal Audit be noted;

(b)       on recommendation 5 of the Ethical Standards Audit (that more proactive fraud work should be undertaken, such as random checking of expense claims) KCC Internal Audit be requested to include the expense claims of Members, as well as officers, in the random checks.

(Item 7 - Report by Head of Democratic Services)

Mr L Christie declared a personal interest in this item as he had knowledge of the background to the allegation reported, and left the room during the discussion.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

Miss MacCrone attended the SBE Assembly as a representative of the Standards Committee.  Her report on the proceedings is attached.

RESOLVED that:-

(a)       the report by Miss MacCrone on her attendance at the Annual Assembly of Standards Committees held at Birmingham on 15-16 October 2007 be noted;

(b)       as well as being distributed to all Members of the Committee, the quarterly SBE Bulletin be made available to all Members of the Council.

RESOLVED that the next meeting of the Committee be held on Wednesday 19 March at 10.00 am.