Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations made.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 14 March 2019 be approved as a correct record.

The Executive Director (People) and Monitoring Officer gave a presentation to councillors that provided an overview of the work of the Committee.  This included the requirements of the Localism Act 2011, the composition and role of the Committee, the Council’s Ethical Framework and the Committee work programme.

RESOLVED:

That the presentation be noted.

The report informed Members of the best practice recommendations made by the Committee on Standards in Public Life after their recent review into ethical standards in local government and requested authority to adopt the recommendations into the Council’s local ethical framework where appropriate.

Discussion took place with regards to the criteria used by the Northern Ireland Public Service Ombudsman for the assessment of complaints (Appendix 2 of the report), specifically the six month threshold for the investigation of complaints.  It was agreed that it would be prudent to adapt this criteria to read that the Council would not, ordinarily, investigate complaints that occurred more than 6 months ago.

Members of the Committee were also advised that it would be useful to arrange for  an external review of the Council’s standards governance arrangements.

RESOLVED:

1.     That the contents of the report be noted and that the adoption of the best practice recommendations into the Council’s ethical standards framework where appropriate be approved.      

2.     To RECOMMEND to Council that the revised Code of Conduct be approved as attached at Appendix 3 of the report.

3.     That the initial assessment criteria attached at Appendix 2 of the report be adopted for use under the Council’s Arrangements for dealing with Standards Complaints under the Localism Act 2011, subject to complaints not ordinarily being investigated where they occurred more than six months ago.

4.     That an external review of the Council’s standards governance arrangements take place.

The Committee considered a report that proposed that general dispensations be granted to all councillors, under Section 33 (2) of the Localism Act 2011, in respect of the circumstances outlined in paragraphs 6.4 and 6.7 of the report, for a period of four years.

RESOLVED:

That general dispensations be granted to all councillors, under Section 33 (2) of the Localism Act 2011, in respect of the circumstances outlined in paragraphs 6.4 and 6.7 of the report, for a period of four years.

To resolve that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business as there may be disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972

RESOLVED:

That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business as there may be disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

RESOLVED:

That the exempt minutes of the meeting held on 14 March 2019 be approved as a correct record.

The Committee considered a report regarding standards complaints received by the Monitoring Officer since the previous meeting.