Agenda and minutes

There were none.

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting held on 30 April 2008 are correctly recorded, subject to the deletion of Mrs N Ahmed in those present and the addition of the word ‘allegedly’ before ‘breached’ in Minute 14(1), and that they be signed by the Chairman.

RESOLVED that:-

(a)       the information contained on the Standards Committee web page be approved; and

(b)       the Committee’s thanks be passed to Tracey Gleeson for all her assistance.

RESOLVED that:-

(a)       an Assessment Sub-Committee be set up comprising three Members of the Standards Committee, subject to there being at least one elected Member and at least one Independent Member present, with the following Terms of Reference:-

            “To consider initial complaints that a Member or co-opted Member is alleged to have breached the Code of Conduct and decide whether (a) the complaint appears to show a breach of the Code and (b) whether the complaint merits investigation.”; and

(b)       a Review Sub Committee be set up comprising three Members of the Committee, subject to there being at least one elected Member and at least one Independent Member present, with the following Terms of Reference:-

            “If so requested by the original complainant, to review any decision of the Assessment Sub Committee to take no action in respect of allegations”;

(c)        the Committee noted that any Member who serves on the Assessment Sub-Committee cannot serve on the Review Sub Committee in respect of the same complaint; and

(d)       the Committee agreed that Mr P Gammon, Mr L Christie and Mr J London will serve on the Assessment Sub Committee in respect of the forthcoming meeting scheduled for 3 June 2008.

(Mrs F Leathers, Chairman of the Remuneration Panel, was in attendance for this item)

(1)       The report contained comments from the Remuneration Panel following their consideration of Members’ Annual Reports on 12 May 2008.

(2)       Miss R MacCrone, seconded by Mr Daley, moved that the names of the two County Councillors who had failed to complete their annual reports within the required timescales should be named in the Standards Committee Annual Report to the County Council.

For 5, Against 1

(3)       RESOLVED that:-

(a)       the report be noted; and

(b)       the report of the Remuneration Panel be included in the Annual Report of the Standards Committee to the County Council on 19 June 2008 including the names of the two County Councillors who had failed to complete their annual reports within the required timescale.

RESOLVED that the Annual Report to the County Council covering the period June 2007 to June 2008 should include details of Members Annual Reports, Complaints received during this period, details of the new Regulations and the proposed future work of this Committee.