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Agenda item

Revised Code of Conduct for Members (including a Social Media Protocol) (C2737)

Purpose: To discuss and if appropriate agree any recommended changes to the Members Code of Conduct following the scheduled review by the Standards Committee and to consider the introduction of an associated Social Media Protocol for Members.

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report (Agenda Item 5) which asked Members to discuss and if appropriate agree any recommended changes to the Members’ Code of Conduct following the scheduled review by the Standards Committee and to consider the introduction of an associated Social Media Protocol for Members.

David Holling introduced the changes required to the Members’ Code of Conduct. West Berkshire Council’s Code of Conduct for Councillors had been adopted by Full Council at its meeting on 10th May 2012 and came into effect from 1st July 2012. The new processes had been in place for a year and, as suggested in the original report, the Code had been reviewed by a Task Group of the Standards Committee to reflect on its effectiveness. Following that review a number of changes were therefore set out in the document attached to the report.

Blogging and social networking had become increasingly popular and was an effective method for Councillors to interact with their parishioners. However, it was not clear whether such activities were covered by the Code of Conduct and therefore a Social Media Protocol had been drafted to ensure that the use of online media was well received.

The following changes to the existing Code of Conduct had been proposed by the Standards Committee Task Group:

·         The scope of when the Code was applicable should be reviewed and if appropriate clarified;

·         Footnotes pertaining to the Bribery Act 2010 and the Local Authority Code of Publicity should be inserted;

·         The terms “you must” and “you must not” to be inserted into the Code relating to the obligations of Members;

·         The level at which gifts and hospitality should be declared to be reviewed and if appropriate amended.

A number of amendments were also proposed to the existing procedures which included an assumption that hearings should take place in public and the ability for an Advisory Panel to refer an investigation back to the investigator if appropriate.

David Holling stated that the report had been considered by the Standards Committee where it had been agreed that the level at which gifts and hospitality should be declared should remain at the current value of £25. The Standards Committee were supportive of the Social Media Protocol.

The following amendments to the document were also agreed at the Governance and Audit meeting:

Item 5 Revised Code of Conduct for Members (Para 1.1)

195

Replace the text in the third line ‘It is effective from’ with ‘It came into effect on’

Item 5 Revised Code of Conduct for Members 3(d)

197

The words disclosable pecuniary interests should be written with a capital at the start of each word.

Item 5 Revised Code of Conduct for Members (Para 4.1.1)

197

Insert the word ‘of’ at the end of the first paragraph and insert semicolons after items (b) and (c) and a full stop at the end of (c).

Item 5 Revised Code of Conduct for Members (Para 7.1)

201

In the third line replace the word ‘of’ with ‘or’ after the word ‘receipt’.

Item 5 Revised Code of Conduct for Members (Para 2.2 (i))

206

Insert a hyphen into the word ‘decision-making’

Item 5 Revised Code of Conduct for Members (Para 2.2 (iv)

207

Delete the words ‘They suggest that’.

Item 5 Revised Code of Conduct for Members (Para 3.1)

207

Insert the word ‘the’ before ‘Standards Committee’.

Item 5 Revised Code of Conduct for Members (Para 3.

207

Insert the words ‘these are’ after the words ‘are objective and’ and replace the ‘a’ before Standards Committee with the word ‘the’.

Item 5 Revised Code of Conduct for Members (Para 5 (ii))

208

Insert a comma after ‘If appropriate’ in the first sentence

Item 5 Revised Code of Conduct for Members (Para 5 (iv)

208

Delete the word ‘the’ before ‘Monitoring Officer’.

Item 5 Revised Code of Conduct for Members (Para 5 (ix)

209

The word ‘Act’ should not be deleted

Item 5 Revised Code of Conduct for Members (Flowchart)

211

Insert the word ‘relevant’ in front of the word ‘committee’ under sanction 2

Social Media Protocol

215

You should not: (d) spell the word ‘council’ with a capital ‘C’.

Social Media Protocol

216

Align the text with that in paragraph 4.6.2

 

Members agreed to recommend the report, subject to the inclusion of the agreed amendments, to Full Council for approval.

RESOLVED that the report would be considered by Full Council on 12 December 2013.

 

Supporting documents: