Agenda and minutes

Further to the re-establishment of this Committee at Annual Council on 10 May 2007, the Committee is asked to appoint a Chairman for the Municipal Year 2007/08.

RESOLVED:  That the Right Reverend Peter Broadbent be appointed Chairman of the Standards Committee for the remainder of the Municipal Year 2007/2008.

To note the attendance at this meeting of any duly appointed Reserve Members.

Reserve Members may attend meetings:-

(i)                 to take the place of an ordinary Member for whom they are a reserve;

(ii)               where the ordinary Member will be absent for the whole of the meeting; and

(iii)             the meeting notes at the start of the meeting at the item ‘Reserves’ that the Reserve Member is or will be attending as a reserve;

(iv)              if a Reserve Member whose intention to attend has been noted arrives after the commencement of the meeting, then that Reserve Member can only act as a Member from the start of the next item of business on the agenda after his/her arrival.

RESOLVED:  To note the attendance at this meeting of the following duly appointed Reserve Member:-

To receive declarations of:

(a)               personal or prejudicial interests, and 

(b)               gifts or hospitality with an estimated value of at least £25.00 received within the last 3 years of the date of this meeting,

arising from business to be transacted at this meeting, from:

(i)                 all Members of the Committee, Sub Committee, Panel or Forum;

(ii)               all other Members present in any part of the room or chamber.

RESOLVED:  To note that there were no declarations of interests made by Members in relation to the business transacted at this meeting.

To consider whether any of the items listed on the agenda should be considered with the press and public excluded on the grounds that it is thought likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, that there would be disclosure of confidential information in breach of an obligation of confidence or of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

RESOLVED:  That all items be considered with the press and public present.

Further to the re-establishment of this Committee at Annual Council on 10 May 2007, the Committee is asked to appoint a Vice-Chairman for the Municipal Year 2007/08.

RESOLVED:  That the appointment of Vice-Chairman of the Standards Committee for the remainder of the Municipal Year 2007/2008 be deferred until the next meeting.

That the minutes of the Special meeting held on 1 March 2007, the Ordinary meeting held on 26 March 2007 and the Special meeting held on 23 April 2007 be agreed and signed as correct records.

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the Special meeting held on 1 March 2007, the Ordinary meeting held on 26 March 2007 and the Special meeting held on 23 April 2007, be taken as read and signed as correct records.

To receive questions (if any) from local residents or organisations under the provisions of Committee Procedure Rule 19 (Part 4B of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that no public questions were put at the meeting under the provisions of Committee Procedure Rule 19.

To receive petitions (if any) submitted by members of the public/Councillors under the provisions of Committee Procedure Rule 16 (Part 4B of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that no petitions were received at the meeting under the provisions of Committee Procedure Rule 16.

To receive deputations (if any) under the provisions of Committee Procedure Rule 17 (Part 4B of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that no deputations were received at the meeting under the provisions of Committee Procedure Rule 17.

Report of the Director of Legal and Governance Services.

The Director of Legal and Governance Services introduced the report which set out the requirement to establish and appoint Members to the Member Development Panel and Hearing Panel.

RESOLVED:  That (1) the Member Development Panel and Hearing Panel be established and that Members be appointed to those Panels for the Municipal Year 2007/08;

(2)  the Terms of Reference of the Committee and its Panels, as set out at Appendix 1 to these minutes, be noted;

(3)  the Councillor membership of the Committee’s Panels, as set out at Appendix 2 to these minutes, be confirmed;

(4)  the nomination for Chairman of the Member Development Panel be confirmed;

(5)  the Independent and Reserve membership to the Hearing Panel be agreed;

(6)  it be noted that one of the Independent Members would be the Chairman of the Hearing Panel.

Report of the Director of Legal and Governance Services.

The Director of Legal and Governance Services introduced the report which outlined the number of complaints made to the Standards Board for England and to the Monitoring Officer between August 2006 and August 2007.

RESOLVED:  That the report be noted.

17 December 2007 at 7.30 pm in Committee Room 6.

RESOLVED:  That the next Standards Committee meeting date of 17 December 2007 be noted.