Agenda item

Purpose:To provide an update on local and national issues relating to ethical standards and to bring to the attention of the Committee any complaints or other problems within West Berkshire.

The Committee considered a report (Agenda Item 4) concerning an update on local and national issues relating to ethical standards and highlighting to the Committee any complaints or other problems within West Berkshire.

The Monitoring Officer reported that the revised Code of Conduct had been adopted at the December Council meeting. He thanked all those that had contributed to the revised Code as well as the production of the Social Media Protocol. A copy of the revised Code and the Social Media Protocol had been sent to all Parish and Town Councils.

During quarter three Part 4 (Council Rules of Procedure), Part 5 (Executive Rules of Procedure), Part 6 (Overview and Scrutiny Management Commission Rules of Procedure), Part 7 (Regulatory and Other Committees Rules of Procedure) and Part 13 (certain Codes and Protocols) had been amended.

The Monitoring Officer outlined the process and procedures for dealing with requests for dispensations. David Holling explained that following the adoption of the new standards regime authority had been delegated to the Monitoring Officer to grant dispensations in situations where they were deemed to be objective. Where requests were more subjective a decision on whether or not to grant a dispensation would need to be made by the Standards Committee . Since October 2013 the Monitoring Officer and the Standards Committee had each been asked to grant a dispensation to a group of West Berkshire District Councillors.

In addition, the Monitoring Officer had written to all Parish and Town Councils on the 12 November 2013 to remind them that under the provisions of the Localism Act 2011 the ability to grant dispensations in order to discuss matters relating to the setting of their precepts had been delegated to the Town or Parish Council.

During Quarter 3 of 2013/14 (October –December 2013) two complaints, NPC11/13 and NDC4/13, were received by the Monitoring Officer.  The Monitoring Officer, in consultation with the Independent Person, concluded that in respect of NPC11/13 informal resolution would be the most appropriate course of action. The subject member was asked to write to the complainant and set out the circumstances surrounding the comments that she had made and explain that they were made in her private capacity and that she had not sought to cause any offence. It was noted that although a draft copy of this letter had been received the signed version requested by the Monitoring Officer had not yet been forthcoming. The Standards Committee offered their support to the Monitoring Officer to take further action should the letter not be received.

In respect of complaint NDC4/13 the complainant had asked for their identity to be kept confidential. Despite several attempts to contact the complainant no response has been received and therefore the complaint has not been progressed.

The Advisory Panel had not met during quarter 3 and no training had been undertaken during this quarter either. The Monitoring Officer concluded that the number of complaints remained relatively low and no additional action was therefore required.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.