Agenda and minutes

Standards Committee (this Committee has now been combined wit the Audit, Standrds and Governance Committee and no longer meets) - Thursday 14th December 2006 6.00 p.m.

Venue: The Council House, Burcot Lane, Bromsgrove. View directions

Contact: John Wright

Items
No.	Item
1.	Apologies View the background to item 1. View the decision for item 1. No apologies for absence were received. Minutes: No apologies for absence were submitted.
2.	Declarations of interest View the background to item 2. No apologies for absence were submitted. Minutes: No declarations of interest were made.
3.	Minutes of the last meeting PDF 76 KB View the background to item 3. The Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on ?????? 2006 were submitted. RESOLVEDthat the Minutes be approved and confirmed as a correct record. Minutes: The Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 20thSeptember 2006 were submitted. RESOLVED: that the Minutes be approved and confirmed as a correct record.
4.	Decisions of the Adjudication Panel PDF 91 KB View the background to item 4. DECISIONS OF THE ADJUDICATION PANEL The Committee considered the decisions which had recently been taken by the Adjudication Panel on a range of cases where Councillors had breached the Code of Conduct. The report detailed the decisions taken by the Panel in each case. RESOLVED that the report be noted. Minutes: The Committee considered the decisions which had recently been taken by the Adjudication Panel on a range of cases where Councillors had breached the Code of Conduct. The report detailed the decisions taken by the Panel in each case. RESOLVED: that the report be noted.
5.	Local Government White Paper PDF 75 KB View the background to item 5. Additional documents: white paper extract , item 5. PDF 72 KB Minutes: The Committee was informed of proposals contained in the government white paper, entitled “Strong and Prosperous Communities”, for changes to the current standards regime. The principal changes were a more locally-based standards regime with “filtering” of complaints being carried out by Monitoring Officers rather than the Standards Board for England; a more strategic role for the Standards Board; a clearer, simpler and more proportionate code of conduct for members; and a new code of conduct for employees. RESOLVED: that the report be noted.
6.	High Court Decision regarding the Code of Conduct PDF 91 KB View the background to item 6. Additional documents: livingstone court , item 6. PDF 1 MB Minutes: The Committee considered details of the outcome of the decision of the High Court in the case of Ken Livingstone V The Adjudication Panel for England. The Court held that where a councillor did something in an entirely private capacity, where his conduct has nothing to do with his position as a councillor, he will not be covered by the Code and no action can be taken against that councillor under the Code. RESOLVED: that the report be noted.
7.	Local investigation of Complaint to the Standards Board PDF 71 KB View the background to item 7. Minutes: The Committee was informed that the investigation had taken longer to complete than had been anticipated and as a consequence the report was not be available for consideration at this meeting. RESOLVED: that consideration of this matter be deferred until the next meeting of the Committee.