MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE STANDARDS COMMITTEE HELD AT COUNTY HALL, NEWPORT, ISLE OF WIGHT ON TUESDAY 11 FEBRUARY 2003 COMMENCING AT 9.30 AM

 

Present :

 

Mr B Claxton (Chairman), Mrs T M Butchers, Mr M J Cunningham, Mrs J Harding, Mr D Russell, Mr I Ward

 

Also present:   Mr R Mew, Mr A Mundy

 

 


18.             MINUTES

 

RESOLVED :

 

            THAT the Minutes of the meeting held on 26 November 2002 be confirmed and signed by the Chairman.

 

19.             MR DAVID HANSFORD AND HIS HONOUR JOHN WROATH

 

The Chairman reported that Mr David Hansford had resigned from the Committee.

 

RESOLVED :

 

THAT the Committee record their appreciation to His Honour John Wroath and Mr David Hansford for the work and commitment that they had given to the Standards Committee during their terms of office.

 

20.             ANNUAL REPORT OF THE STANDARDS COMMITTEE

 

The Committee considered the draft of the first Annual Report of the Standards Committee. It was noted that the draft would need to be amended to reflect the recent resignation of Mr David Hansford. The final version of the report would be sent to all members of the Council.

 

RESOLVED :

 

THAT the draft Annual Report of the Standards Committee be approved as a final version subject to the text being amended to reflect the recent resignation of Mr David Hansford.

 

21.             INDEMNITY OF ELECTED MEMBERS

 

The Committee considered a report from the Monitoring Officer setting out a number of issues with regards to the limit of indemnity provided to Members.

 

During the debate the following issues were raised for further consideration:

 

·        Members needed to receive training on roles, liabilities and responsibilities that accrue when they represent the Council on outside bodies.

 

·        Officers needed to know a lot more detail about the workings of the various outside bodies.

 

·        The Ethical Audit needed to consider these issues.

 

·        The current insurance arrangements for libel and slander for Members being restricted to 90% needed to be re-considered.

 

·        Insurance cover for Members and Officers should be the same.

 

·        There needed to be a balance struck between increased cost of any insurance/indemnity and ensuring Members can operate effectively.

 

·        Current guidance on Members being on outside bodies needs to be revised in the light of the current Codes of Conduct – particularly with regard to conflicts of interest.

 

·        If a complaint was submitted against a Member and it was subsequently established that there had been no infringement of the Code of Conduct the Member concerned should not be unreasonably “out of pocket”.

 

It was suggested that all the above points should be considered by the Officers and that a further detailed report on this, in conjunction with the proposed Ethical Audit, should be considered by a special meeting of the Committee.

 

RESOLVED :

 

THAT officers consider the above points and undertake further work to present a range of options on targeting indemnity to Members and that this be presented to a further meeting of the Committee in late Spring/early Summer.

 

22.             COUNCILLORS “JOB PROFILES”

 

The Committee considered the outcome of the consultation exercise with Members on the proposed Councillors “Job Profiles” and Members Attendance Record Procedure.

 

The Committee supported the suggested amendments as detailed in Appendix A to the report with some amendments as set out below.

 

RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL :

 

THAT the Members Attendance Record Procedure and Councillors “Job Profiles” as agreed at the last meeting of the Committee and by the Sub Committee be implemented with the following amendments:

 

1.      Addition in the Standards Committee Job Profile that the Isle of Wight Council Members have to have served at least one full term.

 

2.      That “Other Attendances” at Committee meetings and Task Groups of the Council be recorded separately to those meetings that the Members were specifically invited to attend.

 

3.      That a system be established to enable members to complete the Members Attendance Record on a frequent basis.

 

4.      That the following be added to “All Members Duties” – Members are expected to work diligently on areas of corporate responsibility and specific Committee responsibility together with the local community responsibilities.

 

5.      The revisions suggested to the various Job Profiles as set out in Appendix 1 to the report (attached to these minutes as Appendix 1) be approved subject to the following amendments ion the “Select Committee Members” job profile:

 

a.      Addition of the words “and Vice Chairman” in the second line.

b.      Addition of the words “quality and efficiency” after “improve” in the forth line under “Role”.

c.      The inclusion of the words “and of the Executive” in the first sentence of paragraph 2 under “Duties”.

 

23.             CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW

 

(At 11.30 Councillor Butchers declared a Personal interest in this item as a Deputy on the Development Control Committee).

 

The Committee received the report of the Monitoring Officer on the proposed review of the Constitution and the role that the Committee could have in review of the Code of Practice for Councillors and Officers dealing with Planning Matters.  The Committee felt that to assist them in this process it would be useful if they were invited to attend (as observers) the Development Control training day on this issue on 27 March 2003.

 

RESOLVED :

 

THAT the Committee consider a revised draft Code of Practice for Councillors and Officers dealing with Planning Matters in due course and that the Monitoring Officer explore the possibility of Members of the Committee being invited as observers to the Development Control training day on 27 March 2003.

 

24.             AN ETHICAL AUDIT FOR THE ISLE OF WIGHT COUNCIL

 

The Committee noted that it had not been possible to arrange for a meeting of the Task Group to consider a revised methodology for an ethical audit however this would be carried out in April in conjunction with the review of indemnity for members as detailed in Minute 21 above.

 

RESOLVED :

 

THAT the position be noted.

 

25.             PROPOSED WORK PROGRAMME CALENDAR YEAR 2003 ONWARDS

 

The Committee considered its work programme for 2003 onwards and agreed some changes as reflected below.

 

During the consideration of this item it was agreed that the Independent Members would be sent a list of contacts for Town and Parish Councils so that they could observe meetings of these Councils if they wished.

 

RESOLVED :

 

THAT the dates of future meetings and the work programme of the Committee be as follows:

 

Meeting

Agenda Item

Extra meeting sometime in April/May 2003

·        Ethical Audit – consider revised methodology

·        Indemnity issues

Tuesday 17 June 2003 at 9.30 am

·        Co-option of new Member

·        Role of Monitoring Officer in handling a complaint

·        Roles of Members and training needs (possibly subject to delay pending ethical audit report)

·        Revised Draft Code of Conduct for Councillors and Officers dealing with Planning Matters.

Tuesday 21 October 2003 at 9.30 am

·        Co-option of new Members

·        Work programme for calendar year 2004.

·        Methodology for review of ethics and probity in Parish/Town Council context

January 2004

·        Report on review of ethics and probity in Parish/Town Council context.

Standing items

·        Report on Standards Board activity including guidance; statistics; analysis; case reports.

·        The Committee’s Work Programme

Other meetings as necessary

·        Allegations referred by the Standards Board for England and Wales for local determination.

·        Requests for dispensations.

·        Urgent ethical and probity issues as they arise.

 

 

 

 

CHAIRMAN