The Committee to elect the Chairman of the Standards Committee for the civic year 20011/12. The Chairman has to be one of the Independent members.

The Monitoring Officer Marie Rosenthal asked for nominations to elect a chairman for the committee 2011/2012.

District Councillor Paul Hiett nominated Independent member Tony Elkington, and  Independent member Richard Cockroft second the nomination.

The committee unanimously agreed to elect Independent member Tony Elkington as chairman.

The Committee to elect the Vice Chairman of the Standards Committee for the civic year 20011/12. The Vice Chairman has to be one of the Independent members.

The Monitoring officer asked for nominations to elect a Vice Chairman for the committee 2011/2010.

District Councillor Paul Hiett, nominated Independent member Richard Cockroft, for Vice Chairman and Independent member Alan Robertson second the nomination.

Six members of the committee agreed to elect Richard Cockroft as Vice Chairman and two members abstained.

Independent member Richard Cockroft took the chair in the chairman’s absence and thanked members for their confidence and asked that good wishes be sent to Tony Elkington.

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Independent members Tony Elkington, Mike Jones, and Parish Council representatives Ian Hendy, and Mary McGhee.

Because the committee quorum in relation to parish mattes required at least one of the parish representatives to be present it was suggested by the Monitoring Officer that the meeting continue to deal with the remaining items and postpone the parish items. To do this it would be necessary to resolve to suspend the council’s standing orders in relation to the quorum of the meeting for non-parish matters.

Independent member Alan Robertson moved to suspend standing orders on this basis and District Councillor Paul Hiett second the motion.  All members voted to carry on with the business except for one member. 

The Monitoring Officer Marie Rosenthal advised that item 8 of the agenda Dispensations would have to be suspended and suggested that the item be dealt with on another occasion.

To confirm the non-exempt minutes of the meeting held on 7 March 2011.

The minutes of the meeting held on the 7 March 2011 were confirmed and signed as a true record with a small change in relation to the word affective be amended to the effective in item 7.

To receive any declarations of interest in any matter to be discussed at the meeting.  Members and officers are requested to identify the nature of the interest and indicate whether it is personal or prejudicial.

District Councillor Val Hobman declared a personal interest on Item 11, District Councillor Maria Edey declared an prejudicial interest on item 12.

To consider questions from members of the public in accordance with the published protocol.  To submit a question contact Democratic Services on 01594 812621 or email democratic.services@fdean.gov.uk .  All questions must be submitted in writing at least two working days prior to the meeting.

There were no public questions for this meeting.

The Monitoring Officer to present report LD.352 Monitoring Officer’s Up-Date.

The Monitoring Officer Marie Rosenthal presented report LD.352 and updated the meeting on the following:

Independent member Alan Robertson commented that the committee had discussed the Protocol for Public Question Time and he recalled that it had been agreed that the licensing and planning wording would be taken out of the protocol.

The Monitoring Officer Marie Rosenthal confirmed this would be done.

The Localism Bill Update

The Monitoring Officer Marie Rosenthal advised that the Localism Bill was introduced to Parliament on 13 December 2010, and that if enacted the Code of Conduct would be abolished and a local code would be introduced. She advised that she would bring a detailed report to the next meeting in September 2011, when it would be clearer what the possible options would be for the council in the future.

Independent member Alan Robertson asked whether the Cabinet would be looking at the finance implications regarding running the Standards Committee.

District Councillor Paul Hiett believed that this matter should go to a Full Council meeting and was not a matter for the Cabinet to deal with, he also stated that this council needed a Standards Committee to uphold conduct as the public may think that councillors could get away with anything, and in his opinion parts of the Localism Bill had not be thought through.

The Monitoring Officer Marie Rosenthal informed the meeting that this was a significant and perhaps the committee should invite the Leader of the Council to a Standards meeting in the early part of 2012 to discuss the Localism Bill and the future of this council’s Standards Committee.

Independent member John Harvey enquired if the leaders of the political parties of this council could also be invited.

Complaints Handling

Independent member John Harvey commented that he was aware that he had mentioned sharing a standards committee with other authorities at previous meetings but still believed this could be a possibility and beneficial financially.

Councillor Paul Hiett agreed with the previous speaker, that sharing a standards committee with other authorities had been mentioned several times in the past, however, each time the committee had agreed to deal with this committee’s cases locally.

Independent member Richard Cockroft, said perhaps we could see how other authorities run their Standards Committees, but added that this committee had always favoured keeping cases local.

The Monitoring Officer Marie Rosenthal advised that when she produced her report at the next meeting it would include several options.

The Monitoring Officer Marie Rosenthal informed the meeting that a training event was in the process of being arranged for the 4July 2011 and that the session would include an in-depth look at the Code of Conduct.

The Monitoring Officer Marie Rosenthal referred to the Complaints and Handling table in the agenda and explained that there had been thirty nine complaints this year which was an increase from last year, ten of those complaints were referred to the Monitoring Officer for other action.  She also stated that Decision Notices were put  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

The Monitoring Officer to present report LD.353 regarding dispensation applications received from Ruspidge and Soudley Parish Council and Pauntley Parish Council.

The item has been deferred to the next meeting of the committee in September 2011.

TO CONSIDER, AND IF SO AGREED, TO RESOLVE that under section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in schedule 12A of the said act

RESOLVED that under section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in schedule 12A of the said act

To confirm the exempt minutes of the meeting held on 7 March 2011 (attached).

The exempt minutes of the meeting held on the 7 March 2011 was signed as a true record.

The Monitoring Officer to present LD.354 and update members on the current status of individual complaints to the committee.

The Monitoring Officer Marie Rosenthal, advised that she produces an update of cases by Register to each Standards Committee meeting, she explained that currently there were ten review cases outstanding and those would be dealt with by the following week, and currently there were no new cases.

The Monitoring Officer to present report LD.355 and to update the committee on the referrals.

The Monitoring Officer, Marie Rosenthal updated the committee with reference to complaint 2011/13.

RESOLVED that the report was noted.