Agenda item - Review of Code of Conduct for Members

Extract from the proceedings of the Audit & Standards Committee meeting held on the 18^th November 2014, together with a Report of the Monitoring Officer (copies attached).

54.1      Councillor Hamilton introduced the report and stated that a cross-party Working Group had reviewed the code of conduct for Members and he drew councillors’ attention to the change to the declarations of interests procedure and recommended that the revised code of conduct be approved.

54.2      Councillor Hawtree noted the information and asked if clarification could be given in relation to paragraph 2.4 and what was meant by sensitive information.

54.3      Councillor Duncan stated that the revised code was an improvement but questioned the need for the code of conduct as he believed that councillors should be accountable to the law of the land rather than have a set of rules imposed on them that were not needed.

54.4      Councillor A. Norman commended the report and thanked the Monitoring Officer and Oliver Dixon in Legal Services for their work and advice to the Working Group.  She believed that it was an improvement and noted that the Independent Member of the Audit & Standards Committee supported the revised code.  She hoped that all Members would take the code on board.

54.5      Councillor Simson referred to paragraph 45.4 of the draft minutes and stated that she wished to clarify that she had suggested that where there had been a disclosure of information in the past, the excuse had been used that it had been in the public interest.  She believed that if information was classified as confidential then it should remain confidential.

54.6      Councillor Hamilton noted the comments and stated that the revised scheme was an improvement and he believed that all Members should adhere to the 7 Principles of Public Life.  In regard to sensitive information, he suggested that councillors contact the Monitoring Officer to discuss any concerns and actions that could be taken and he hoped that the recommendations would be supported.

54.7      The Mayor noted that the recommendations of the Audit & Standards Committee had been moved and put them to the vote.

54.8      RESOLVED:

(1)          That the draft revised Code of Conduct for Members referred by Audit & Standards Committee for implementation with immediate effect be approved; and

(2)          That the Monitoring Officer be granted delegated authority to take appropriate measures to implement the revised Code and to assist existing and new Members with understanding and applying its content.