Agenda and minutes

Your Committee received two versions of the Model Code of Conduct, one as issued by the Government and another which incorporated the Authority’s amendments.

It was noted that the Code would come into force on 3 May 2007 and that the Authority had until 1 October 2007 to adopt it.  The Committee had previously agreed to move towards the Authority’s customised version of the Code of Conduct, to which further minor amendments were agreed at the meeting. 

In addition, the Standards Board for England had recommended the adoption of the Ten General Principles as a reminder to Members and the public of the underlying principles of the Code.

Resolved to RECOMMEND:  (to Annual Council)

That Harrow’s revised Model Code of Conduct, together with the Ten General Principles of Conduct set out in Appendix 3 to the officer report, be adopted.

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 personal or prejudicial interests, arising from business to be transacted at this meeting, from:

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

(b)               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 (as amended).

RESOLVED:  That (1) in accordance with the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, the following agenda item be admitted late to the agenda by virtue of the special circumstances and grounds for urgency detailed below:-

(2)  all business be considered with the press and public present.

That the minutes of the meetings held on 26 March 2007 be deferred until the next ordinary meeting due to be held on 14 June 2007.

[Note:  The 26 March 2007 minutes are published on the Council's intranet and website].

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the Special meeting held on 1 March, and of the Ordinary meeting held on 26 March 2007 be deferred until the next ordinary meeting of the Committee.

Report of the Director of Legal and Governance Services.

(See Recommendation I).

Report of the Director of Legal and Governance Services.

The Committee received a report of the Director of Legal and Governance Services, which set out progress made since December 2006 in relation to the use of the Democratic Services Team’s modern.gov software for the administration of the Registration of Members’ Interests.

Concerns had been raised regarding the publication of Councillors’ personal details on the website and Members had sought comparative information from other boroughs for further guidance.  In addition, officers had been requested to write to all Members of Council on the proposal to publish the Register of Interests on the website and seek their views on this initiative. As requested, a survey of London Boroughs, seeking their views on the proposal to publish the Register, had been carried out, the results of which were set out in the report.

It was noted that out of a possible 72 responses from Members/Co-opted members/Independent Members, only twelve had been received, as set out in the appendix to the report.  The Committee felt that the number of responses was low and that Members ought to be given another opportunity to respond, as the matter of publishing personal data on the web was a sensitive issue.

Clearer definitions were sought on some of the terminology on the Register of Members’ Interest forms, such as the provision of Members’ home and employment contact details and/or daytime contact details. It was suggested that contact details of the Group Office could be used as an alternative.

RESOLVED:  That (1) officers write again to all Members of Council, Co?opted and Independent Members advising of the proposal to publish Register of Members’ Interests on the website and seeking their views on this initiative;

(2) should there be a variation in the tenor of the responses received to that reported, a further report be submitted to the Committee;

(3) should the tenor of the responses remain broadly similar, the proposal be implemented.