Agenda and minutes

Resolved that Jill Burgess be elected Chair for the Municipal Year 2020-2021.

Jill Burgess, Chair Presided

Resolved that Mike Lewis (Co-Opted Member) be elected Vice Chair for the Municipal Year 2020-2021.

www.swansea.gov.uk/disclosuresofinterests

In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the City & County of Swansea and following advice from the Monitoring Officer, no interests were declared.

To approve & sign the Minutes of the previous meeting(s) as a correct record.

Resolved that the Minutes of the Special Standards Committee held on 31 July 2020 be approved and signed as a correct record.

The Monitoring Officer presented a “For Information” report to update the Standards Committee on the Annual Report of the Public Service Ombudsman for Wales 2019/20.

In particular, she outlined the statistics in paragraph 2 and stated that Appendix B – the Annual letter 2019/20 addressed to the Leader had been forwarded to Cabinet for their attention.

Resolved that the Public Service Ombudsman for Wales Annual Report and Letter for 2019/2020 be noted.

The Monitoring Officer presented the Standards Committee Annual Report 2019-2020 which outlines the work undertaken by the Standards Committee during 2019-2020.

The report would be presented to Council by the Chair of Standards Committee in January 2021.

Resolved that the report proceed to Council in January 2021.

The Monitoring Officer presented a “For Information” report to update the Standards Committee on legislation relating to Standards Committee as part of the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Bill.

The relevant information for the Standards Committee was outlined in paragraph 2 of the report.

She stated that our Standards Committee already undertook annual meetings with political Group Leaders, Chairs of Committees and the Chief Executive, as well as it producing an Annual Report.  Therefore, it was felt that Swansea was in a strong position in order to meet the requirements of the Bill. 

Discussions would commence in early 2021 in order to amend the questions for Group Leaders to ensure that the responses received would be appropriate for the format of future Annual Reporting, as outlined by Welsh Government. 

The Monitoring Officer would forward the Guidance from Welsh Government as soon as it was received.

Resolved that the report be noted.

The Monitoring Officer presented a report to outline the themes / issues raised during the Meetings with Political Group Leaders, Chairs of Committee and Chief Executive.

Resolved that the report be noted.

The Monitoring Officer presented a “For Information” report to update the Standards Committee on the Ombudsman’s Code of Conduct Casebook.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, only one Code of Conduct Casebook had been published since the last meeting. 

In reference to the first case outlined in the Casebook i.e. “It is an offence under s106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 for a member to vote on setting the rate of council tax when they are themselves in arrears”, the Monitoring Officer assured the Committee that processes were in place in Swansea to ensure that Councillors did not breach the Code of Conduct in respect of this rule.

Resolved that the report be noted.

The Monitoring Officer presented a “For Information” report to update the Committee on decisions by the PSOW in relation to allegations that Local Authority and Community and Town Councillors had breached the Code of Conduct.

Resolved that the update be noted.

The Monitoring Officer stated that in addition to revising the questions for Group Leaders, Chairs of Committees and Chief Executive, the Standards Committee would need to consider a report updating the Procedure for Hearings for the Standards Committee should any cases be referred to them by the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales.

Both of these items would need to be considered by the Standards Committee early in 2021.

Resolved that the Work Plan for 2020-2021 include:

1)            Revision of questions for Group Leaders, Chairs of Committees and Chief Executive;

2)            Standards Committee – Procedure for Hearings.