Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor  J A Hale.

In accordance with the provisions of the Code of Conduct adopted by the City and County of Swansea, no interests were declared.

To approve the Minutes of the Standards Committee held on 17 April 2015 as a correct record.

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Standards Committee held on 17 April 2015 be accepted as a correct record.

1)         Minute 57 “Community / Town Councils Standards Sub Committee             Merger with Standards Committee”

The Head of Legal, Democratic Services and Procurement confirmed that the legislation covering membership of the Standards Committee is The Standards Committees (Wales) Regulations 2001.  The Standards Committee (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2006 provide that the term of office of a member of a local authority standards committee who is a community committee member shall be no more than 4 years or until the ordinary election of the Community Council, whichever is the shorter. The Regulations also provide for the reappointment of the community committee member for one further consecutive term provided that Community Council and Community Council association in the area are consulted prior to re-appointment.

There is therefore clear provision under the 2006 legislation for the appointment of a community committee member to any merged Standards Committee for the above term and re-appointment if appropriate after the relevant consultation. Full Council is required to make the appointment.

The Head of Democratic Services provided an update in relation to the Merger of the Standards Committee and Community Council Standards Sub Committee.

All responses from the Community / Town Councils had been favourable.  A report would be submitted to Council on 25 June 2015 setting out the results of the consultation and a proposal for the future.

The Head of Democratic Services submitted a report in order to set out a clear protocol for the members of the Standards Committee to follow when they attend other Council Body Meetings as Observers.

The main points of the protocol were set out in paragraph 3.1 of the report.

RESOLVED that the Protocol be adopted with the following amendments:

1)         Add “and Monitoring Officer / Deputy Monitoring Officer” after the    words Head of Democratic Services (HDS)” in point (vi).

2)         The Monitoring Officer to clarify the position of members of Standards        Committee in terms of exclusion (The Monitoring Officer indicated that           he did not envisage him advising a change to the Protocol (point viii).

The Head of Democratic Services presented a report to review Councillor Training and to consider ways of improving Councillor attendance at training events.

NOTED that the Standards Committee had been invited to attend the next Democratic Services Committee scheduled for 16 June 2015, where discussions would take place as to how the Standards Committee could assist in the process.  It was also noted that the Monitoring Officer was presenting an update on the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales guidance to the Code of Conduct to Council on 23 July 2015.

RESOLVED that the Workplan 2015-2016 be noted.