Agenda and draft minutes

A report of the Monitoring Officer.

The Sub-Committee considered a report of the Monitoring Officer presenting the findings of an investigation into a complaint authorised by the Assessment Sub-Committee on 16^th December 2015.

The Chairman highlighted that Mr Sleigh had now been replaced by Mr Lodge on the Sub-Committee. He explained that Mr Sleigh was currently serving as Deputy Chairman of the City’s Property Investment Board to which all of the witnesses in this case reported. He therefore felt that it was inappropriate for him to continue to consider this complaint.

The Monitoring Officer introduced his report and provided the Sub-Committee with a brief overview of his investigations. He outlined the difficult interplay of issues in this case given that the complainant had made a related ‘whistle-blowing’ complaint and was currently suspended from work as the subject of a staff disciplinary case. He emphasised that this Sub-Committee should be very clear on its boundaries and the fact that their role was to decide whether or not there was any misconduct on the side of Deputy Chapman only.

The Monitoring Officer commented on the disparities between the style of the complainant’s statement and the other statements and informed the Sub-Committee that the complainant had been offered assistance to refine his statement but had refused this assistance.

After presenting his report, the Monitoring Officer and Mr Edward Wood (Comptroller and City Solicitor’s Department) withdrew from the meeting.

The Assistant City Solicitor commented that Member influence was a very tricky issue but that it was for this Sub-Committee to ‘set the bar’ here in terms of what they felt was proper and appropriate. The Sub-Committee were aware that any decisions taken on this matter were likely to set a precedent on this matter.

In terms of policy, the Chairman highlighted that, should this matter proceed to a full

There were no additional, urgent items of business for consideration.