Issue - meetings

To receive the report of the Monitoring Officer

The Monitoring Officer introduced the report which outlined the main changes to the standards regime.

He explained the impact of the proposed regime, especially how it affected town and parish councils, and drew attention to an e-mail which had been received from Tisbury Parish Council.

It was suggested in the report that the Constitution Focus Group be asked to look at the Bill and come up with some suggestions on the way forward for Wiltshire Council should the proposals be adopted,   Members of the Standards Committee would be welcome to attend the Focus Group meetings.

It was also agreed that a workshop should be arranged for all Committee members and that issues and comments arising from the workshop be forwarded to the Focus Group to assist their deliberations.

It was requested that, prior to the workshop, all assessments carried out by Wiltshire Council were broken down into categories to assist the members to identify key issues.

The composition of the committee was discussed in detail and it was agreed that the proposals of a committee of 15 members were acceptable but that this should be achieved by natural wastage.

Resolved

1.    To request the Constitution Focus Group to look at the Localism Bill and develop a way forward for Wiltshire Council should the Bill be adopted.

2.    To arrange a workshop for all members of the committee.

3.    That the reduction in membership of the committee to 15 members be achieved through natural wastage.