Issue - meetings

The Annual Report of the Standards Committee has been enclosed separately.  The Standards Committee’s Annual Return to Standards for England is available on the Council’s website at www.scambs.gov.uk/standards

Hard copies of the Annual Return to Standards for England will be provided by Democratic Services if requested no later than 48 hours before the meeting date.

Council RECEIVED the Standards Committee’s Annual Report to Council.  

Mrs Kathy English, Chairman and Independent Member of the Standards Committee, presented the Annual Report to Council and highlighted some of the Committee’s significant achievements in 2009/10: completing the initial assessment of allegations in an average of just over ten working days compared to the national indicator of twenty working days; being named as a finalist in the Local Government Chronicle’s Standards and Ethics award; conducting training sessions on the day of each committee meeting; and the Committee’s additional work with parish councils through the Standards Committee Newsletter and establishment of the Parish Liaison Working Group.

Referring to the recent announcement in the Queen’s Speech of the Government’s plans to “abolish the Standards Board regime”, Mrs English noted that there were no further details yet available, but that the Standards Committee would be fully involved in any consultation.  She added her personal view that, as a member of the public, she welcomed retention of some system to address allegations of member misconduct.

Council RECEIVED the Standards Committee’s Annual Report to Council.  

The second annual Standards Committee report to Council will be presented on 27 May 2010 at the Annual General Meeting of the Council.  Standards Committee members are asked for any comments on the attached draft report and to delegate authority for its finalisation to the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Deputy Monitoring Officer, with electronic copies to be sent to all Standards Committee members.

Subject to inclusion of the amendments made at the meeting, the Standards Committee AGREED to delegate authority for finalisation of the Second Annual Standards Committee Report to Council to the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Deputy Monitoring Officer, with electronic copies to be sent to all Standards Committee members.

The Standards Committee considered the draft second annual report to Council and asked for inclusion of the on-going overview of the whistleblowing policy and that comparison of the policy to those in place at neighbouring authorities confirmed that it was fit for purpose.

Subject to inclusion of the amendments made at the meeting, the Standards Committee AGREED to delegate authority for finalisation of the Second Annual Standards Committee Report to Council to the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Deputy Monitoring Officer, with electronic copies to be sent to all Standards Committee members.