Issue - meetings

[To consider the future Work Programme of the Committee.]

Members considered the future Work Programme of the Committee.

It was felt that the number of meetings should be reduced from the former Standards Committee's six meetings per municipal year to four meetings, as it was anticipated that the new arrangements for dealing with Member complaints would see less Committee activity.  Meetings could however still be added and/or cancelled as necessary, depending on business to be conducted.  This would accommodate any ad-hoc meetings required for consdering dispensations or conducting Member hearings.  As such, it was agreed that the meetings detailed in the proposed Work Programme for 19th September 2012, 23rd January 2013, June 2013 (date to be determined) and September 2013 (date to be determined) would be deleted from the calendar of meetings, with meetings taking place on a quarterly basis.

Officers advised that a report on the process for managing hearings would be referred to the 28th November 2012 meeting.  It was further agreed that the Member-Member and Member-Officer Protocols would be reviewed at the July 2013 meeting and would include input from the Leaders of the two largest Political Groups.

RESOLVED that, subject to the updates detailed in the preamble above, the Work Programme be approved.