Issue - meetings

To consider a report from the Monitoring Officer.

The Monitoring Officer introduced the report which had been written prior to publication of the Act and added that a note outlining the provisions would be circulated to committee members.

Details of the highlights of the Act were summarised and the committee were asked to consider how to take these issues forward.  It was suggested that this could be achieved through a Task and Finish Group and the membership was agreed as follows;

Town and Parish Council Co-opted Members

Mr John Scragg

Miss Pam Turner

Independent Co-opted Members

Mr Gerry Robson OBE

Mr Michael Cronin

Mr Philip Gill MBE JP

Wiltshire Councillor

 Mr Julian Johnson

Members considered the recommendation made in the report and

Resolved:

1.     To require the Monitoring Officer to draft a local Code of Conduct for Wiltshire Council that meets the anticipated statutory requirements for local codes, and to bring the draft to the next Standards Committee meeting for consideration.  The draft should have regard to previous work and consultation that has taken place in anticipation of the need to introduce a local Code;

2.     To require the Monitoring Officer to draft a person specification and job description for the role of independent person and bring it to the next meeting for consideration;

3.     To require the Monitoring Officer to draft a report on the proposed composition of and terms of reference for a new Standards Committee  and the steps to be taken to dissolve the  current Standards Committee for Wiltshire Council  and bring it to the next meeting for consideration;

4.     To require the Monitoring Officer to consult with parish councils about the implementation of local codes and the desirability, in principle, of adopting a single code of conduct for all of the councils within the area of Wiltshire Council and to provide a briefing note to town and parish councils on this issue;

5.     To require the Monitoring Officer to identify resources required to meet the provisions of the Bill as those affect the standards regime in Wiltshire Council;

6.     To require the Monitoring Officer to prepare a draft procedure for the receipt, assessment, investigation and determination of complaints under a local code of conduct and permitted sanctions and bring the draft to the next meeting for consideration.  The draft should have regard to previous work and consultation that has been carried out in anticipation of a local code;

7.     To require the Monitoring Officer to bring a further report on the standards provisions of the Localism Bill to this committee after the Bill has received Royal Assent.

8.     To require the Monitoring Officer to consider training for Town, Parish and Wiltshire Council Councillors.

9.     To agree to set up a Task and Finish Group to consider the implications of the Localism Act.