Issue - meetings

(Report of the Monitoring Officer)  To propose amendments to the terms of reference of the Standards Committee and Monitoring Officer as contained in the Council’s Constitution.

The Chair advised the Committee that the reasons for urgency in considering the report had been stated at Item 3 earlier in the proceedings.

In a brief introduction of the report  Mr Suddaby advised the Committee that further to the previous discussion at Item 11 of the report, the report before the Committee detailed the necessary changes to the terms of reference of the Standards Committee and Monitoring Officer in the Constitution as a result of regulations and provisions in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 which largely related to the new role of the Standards Committee in processing complaints.

Mr Suddaby also commented that as previously detailed,  the 2007 Act also transferred, from the national “independent adjudicator” to each local Standards Committee, the functions of considering applications from officers for exemption from political restrictions and giving directions to include any post on the list of politically restricted posts. Political restrictions apply to all posts at or above SCP 44. Any officer at this level could apply to the Head of Personnel for a certificate that their post does not involve giving regular advice to Member bodies or speaking regularly to the media on behalf of the Council. The Standards Committee will then consider the applications. This change is being recommended now in advance of Regulations, expected soon, that will implement the new system.

Mr Suddaby further advised that it was good practice that the Constitution accurately reflected new statutory responsibilities that Council bodies or statutory officers had as soon as possible following their assumption. Mr Suddaby also referred to Appendices 1 and 2 attached which showed the proposed amendments to the relevant parts of the Constitution and were themselves self-explanatory.

Following clarification by the Committee in relation to the exemption definitions for politically restricted posts the Chair MOVED  and it was:

RESOLVED

i.                    that the amended terms of reference of the Standards Committee as detailed in the appendices 1 and 2 attached to the report be agreed; and

ii.                  that the Monitoring Officer be instructed to report the changes detailed in (i) above to the next Full Council meeting for adoption.