Member Complaints - Pre-hearing Update
[To update the Committee on any pre-hearing matters in relation to the complaints made in 2009 and 2010 against the members of the Labour Group.]
Minutes:
The Committee considered a report which summarised the current position, in accordance with Standards for England's suggested pre-hearing process, for the final determination hearing into the complaints against the members of the Labour Group which was scheduled to take place on 22nd February 2011. The meeting was purely procedural and sought to identify any decisions or directions the Committee wished to make in order to ensure that all parties were sufficiently well prepared for the hearing.
Members heard that following a response received from the Subject Members' representative there were still outstanding actions in relation to the pre-hearing process which had not been completed and which were needed before the Committee was in a position to proceed to a hearing
RESOLVED:
(a) that the contents of the report be noted;
(b) that the Subject Members' representative, in conjunction with the Investigating Officer, be asked to provide further clarity on those areas within the Investigating Officer's report which are at dispute, the areas which might be agreed and which witnesses need to be called to give evidence at the hearing, and that this information be provided by Friday 11th February 2011 at the latest; and
(c) that should any further administrative and/or procedural matters arise as a consequence of the information received following the request at (b) above, that authority to decide on these be delegated to the Director of Finance and Resources in consultation with the Chair of the Standards Committee.