Agenda item

This report seeks approval to introduce a mandatory regime for all Members of the Court of Common Council and Co-opted Members in respect of the registration of gifts and hospitality.  In order to replicate all of the provisions of the existing voluntary scheme for registration of gifts and hospitality in a mandatory scheme, including the registration of gifts and hospitality within 28 days of receipt, it is necessary to amend the Code of Conduct, as set out in Appendix 1. 

Following consideration by the Committee, a revised Code of Conduct will be presented to the Court of Common Council for approval in January 2014.

The Committee considered a joint report of the Town Clerk and the Comptroller & City Solicitor relative to the introduction of a mandatory regime for all Members of the Court of Common Council and Co-opted Members in respect of the registration of gifts and hospitality.  At its previous meeting on 13th September 2013, the Committee had agreed that as the voluntary regime for registering gifts and hospitality (to the value of £250 and above, or cumulative gifts and hospitality to the value of £500 and above from a single source over a 12 month period) was not resulting in appropriate registrations being made, a mandatory regime should be introduced.  In order to replicate all of the provisions of the existing voluntary scheme for registration of gifts and hospitality in a mandatory scheme, including the registration of gifts and hospitality within 28 days of receipt, amendments to the Code of Conduct were required, as set out at Appendix 1 of the report before Members.

The Committee was also asked to note the amended DCLG “guide for Councillors” regarding openness and transparency and its revised “illustrative Code of Conduct” on which the City Corporation’s Code of Conduct was largely based.

A number of revisions were proposed in respect of the revised Code of Conduct, principally in respect of including reference to professional memberships, removing inconsistencies in the document and ensuring that the document appropriately reflected the City of London Corporation’s arrangements.  It was agreed that an updated version of the document, incorporating those suggestions put forward by Members, be submitted for further consideration by the Committee at its meeting on 31^st January 2014.  The Committee further agreed that, given the differing views that were likely to be generated by the introduction of a mandatory gifts and hospitality regime in the future, the matter should first be raised informally amongst Members.  The Chief Commoner would therefore be asked to raise the matter at the informal meeting of the Court of Common Council, which was scheduled to take place on 13^th February 2014. 

RESOLVED: - That –

(i)         the proposed Code of Conduct be further revised to incorporate the comments of the   

           Standards Committee and submitted to the next meeting on 31st January 2014 for 

           further consideration;

(ii)        the Standards Committee note the amended DCLG “guide for councillors”; and

(iii)       the Chief Commoner be asked by the Chairman of the Standards Committee to

raise the matter of a revised Code of Conduct, incorporating a mandatory registration regime for gifts and hospitality (one-off gifts and hospitality to the value of £250 or more, and cumulative gifts and hospitality to the value of £500 or more from a single donor in a financial year), at the next informal meeting of the Court of Common Council on 13^th February 2014.