Agenda and draft minutes

(if any)

Apologies for absence were received from Mr Nicholas Weber.

The Chair will consider the admission of any late items of urgent business.

There was no such business.

A member with a personal interest in a matter who attends a meeting of the authority at which the matter is considered must disclose to that meeting the existence and nature of that interest at the commencement of that consideration, or when the interest becomes apparent.

A member with a personal interest in a matter also has a prejudicial interest in that matter if the interest is one which a member of the public with knowledge of the relevant facts would reasonably regard as so significant that it is likely to prejudice the member's judgment of the public interest.

There were no such declarations.

To confirm and sign the minutes of the meetings of the Standards Committee held on 26^th June 2006.

Matters arising:

Members agreed the following alterations to the minutes of the meeting of 26 June 2006:

-          That the attendance list should be modified to read as follows:

MEMBERS: Councillors Egan, Khan, Kober, Lister, Williams, Winskill

INDEPENDENT MEMBERS: Ms I Francis (Chair), Mr R Lovegrove, Ms C Sykes

APOLOGIES: Mr N Weber (Vice Chair), Councillors Edge, Mughal

-          Minute STC006: that ‘Doctor’ be deleted and be replaced with ‘Dr.’

-          Minute STC010: that we delete Resolution 2: “That the fee given for next year’s Mayor Making be more approximate than the £14.65 average given for this year.

-          Minute STC010: that we delete the apostrophe in the minute title, making Standard’s read ‘Standards’

-          That the second resolution of minute STC010 be deleted.  After discussion, Members agreed to ask the Monitoring Officer to seek clarification on the provision of advice under the Code of Conduct.

RESOLVED:

1.      That the minutes of the Standards Committee meeting held on 26 June 2006 be confirmed and signed as an accurate record, subject to the amendments specified above.

2.      That the Monitoring Officer seek guidance from other Local Authorities and the Standards Board for England on the provision of advice, both generally and for the cost of Council corporate events, under the Code of Conduct.

The Chair was pleased to announce to the committee that the Standards Committee report up to Council was noted at the Full Council meeting of 17 July 2006.

To consider any referrals received from the Standards Board for England.

The Monitoring Officer had received no referrals from the Standards Board for England.

To inform the Standards Committee of the outcome of the Ethical Governance Audit carried out by the Audit Commission.  (Report of the Head of Legal Services and Monitoring Officer).

The committee received this report to inform it of the outcome of the Ethical Governance Audit carried out by the Audit Commission, and the draft action plan for implementation. 

It was noted that there had been significant improvements in the Council’s arrangements for promoting Ethical Governance over the previous 2 years, and that the recommendations contained within the report were in many cases a continuation of work already underway.

Members noted that those individuals named on the Action Plan were aware of their responsibilities, and that progress was being made.  The Council’s Senior Management Team was to act as a project board to drive the plan forward, although the Standards Committee retained overall responsibility for it.

Members noted that the report’s call for the Standards Committee report to Annual Council to have a wider ethical remit, and sought clarification as to this recommendation’s effect on the status of the committee.  Concerns were also raised over the vague nature of some of the recommendations within in the report.  The Monitoring Officer agreed to seek clarification from the Audit Commission, and also investigate examples of implementation from other Councils.

In terms of recommendation 9, dealing with Member development, the committee noted that it was currently the responsibility of Members to ask for any specific training they felt they needed.

It was noted that a report on implementation was to go to a decision-making body in the coming months, and that the committee should receive a report on progress at the next meeting.

RESOLVED:

1.         That the report be noted.

2.         That the Monitoring Officer ask for clarification on Council action with regards to the decisions from the Audit Commission, and also investigate examples of work by other Councils.

3.         That the committee receive a report on the progress of the action plan at its next meeting in December.

To discuss and agree necessary and required training on the ‘Code of Conduct’ and general standards issues, for Standards Committee members.

Further to discussion at the previous meeting, Members agreed that the next component of their training was to be a mock hearing.

RESOLVED:

1. That the Monitoring Officer begin preparations for holding a Mock Hearing for Members, prior to the December meeting of this committee.

2. That this hearing take place on an evening.

i) Standards Committee Website

It was noted that the up to date Register of Gifts and Hospitality was available on the Council’s website at http://www.haringey.gov.uk/index/council/how_the_council_works/standardscommittee.htm .  The Register was updated each time a new entry was received.

To appoint a delegate from Standards Committee to The Standards Board for England ‘Fifth Annual Assembly of Standards Committees’, to be held on 16-17 October 2005, at the International Conference Centre, Birmingham.

Members were requested to appoint a delegate to the Standards Board for England ‘Fifth Annual Assembly of Standards Committees’, to be held on 16-17 October 2006 at The International Conference Centre, Birmingham.

RESOLVED:

1.        That those Members not present be e-mailed and invited to attend the Conference.

To consider any items of business admitted under item 2 above.

There were no such business.

Monday 4^th December 2006

Monday 5^th March 2007

Future meetings of the committee were due to be held at the following dates and times:

-          4 December 2006, 7:30pm

-          5 March 2007, 7:30pm