Agenda and minutes

There were none.

The Standards Committee to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 3 December 2018.

The minutes of the meeting held on 3 December 2018 were approved and signed by the Chair as a true and accurate record.

There were none.

There were none.

There were none.

A verbal update to be given on the recruitment of an Independent Member Co-Optee to the Standards Committee.

The Standards Committee was apprised of the applications and recent interviews that had taken place for the vacancy of co-optee to the Committee – Independent Member.

The Chair advised that  a number interviews had been held for the role of Independent Member Co-Optee.  The Standards Working Group  recommended that  Applicant A is offered the role of Independent Member Co-Optee to the Standards Committee.  Applicant A, Ika Castka, had verbally accepted the appointment subject to the approval of the Standards Committee.

Resolved:  That:

(1)   Ika Castka is offered the role of Independent Member Co-Optee to the Standards Committee from 1 April 2019.

The Standards Committee to consider a report regarding complaints received under the Arrangements for dealing with allegations of breaches of the Council’s Code of Conduct and of Codes of Conduct adopted by Parish Councils.

The Standards Committee considered the report that detailed the statistical data in relation to Code of Conduct Arrangements complaints.

The Code of Conduct Arrangements is scheduled to be an agenda item at all meetings of the Standards Committee also.

The Standards Committee queried the status of a complaint that could not be dealt with until a separate investigation had been completed.

The Chair advised that the Committee must convene a Hearings Panel, comprising three Councillors from the Committee, one Co Optee (independent Member) and one Co Optee (Parish Councillor) to conduct a Local Hearing in accordance with the Council’s Arrangements for dealing with allegations of breaches of NBC’s Code of Conduct and Codes of Conduct adopted by Parish Councils.  The Hearings Panel would then consider the complaint in respect of a Parish Councillor.

RESOLVED:        (1) That the statistics in relation to the number of complaints received, and dealt with, in respect of the Code of Conduct Arrangements is noted.

                            (2) That further information on the statistical data, in relation to the number of complaints received, and dealt with, in respect of the Code of Conduct Arrangements is presented to the Committee at its next meeting.

                           (3)   That a Hearing Panel comprising of the following Members is convened to consider the complaint as detailed in paragraph 3.1.5 a)1) of the report:

                                                  Councillors Suresh Patel, Brian Oldham, Les Marriott (Councillor Brian Markham – substitute), Roger Rumsey, Co Optee (indepdent) and Parish Councillor David Lewis (Co Optee.)

The Standards Committee to consider and approve its Annual Report 2018/2019.

The Standards Committee considered the draft Annual Report of the Standards Committee 2018/2019 noting the content contained within.

RESOLVED: That the Annual Report of the Standards Committee 2018/2019 is approved, subject to the update of the membership of the Committee being confirmed in the report and the statistical data for Code of Conduct complaints received is updated if required.

The Standards Committee to consider and provide comment on the Internal Audit Report:   Member-Officer Relationship Review (December 2018).  Copy attached.

The Committee heard that the Monitoring Officer’s representative had requested that the Committee had sight of the document - Internal Audit Report:   Member-Officer Relationship Review (December 2018).  It is expected that from this document an Action Plan will be produced. Once the Action Plan has been produced and confirmed, a further report will be presented to the Committee for its information.

The Committee commented that it was good to receive this report and would be useful to monitor it.

RESOLVED: That the report:  Internal Audit Report:   Member-Officer Relationship Review (December 2018) is noted and a further report is presented to the Committee at a later meeting.