Agenda item

A joint report of the Town Clerk and the Comptroller & City Solicitor in respect of amendments to the Members’ Code of Conduct (disclosable interests and the introduction of a mandatory registration regime for gifts and hospitality).

Following a brief introduction by the Comptroller and City Solicitor in respect of the current Members’ Code of Conduct, the Committee considered a joint report of the Town Clerk and the Comptroller and City Solicitor regarding proposed amendments to the Members’ Code of Conduct (disclosable interests) and the introduction of a mandatory registration regime for gifts and hospitality.

Following consideration of a report at its meeting on 31^st January 2014 in respect of amendments to the Members’ Code of Conduct (disclosable interests) and the introduction of a mandatory registration regime for gifts and hospitality, the Committee’s amendments were submitted to the Policy and Resources Committee for information, due to that Committee’s responsibility for monitoring the Corporation’s overall governance arrangements.  Members were advised that a number of queries were raised at the meeting of the Policy and Resources Committee, including whether the threshold for gifts and hospitality was too high, and it was suggested that the issue of declaring membership of a charity should be better defined to ensure that the Members’ declaration requirements were relevant.

With reference to the Code of Conduct, as set out on pages 23 and 24 of the report, it was agreed that the notification of any disclosable interest should be sent to the Town Clerk (on behalf of the Monitoring Officer) and that the Code should be revised accordingly.  Following a query regarding sensitive interests, it was agreed that the Code should, in the second paragraph, detail how a sensitive issue needs to be confirmed by the Monitoring Officer to allow non-disclosure and should therefore be discussed with him/her. 

With regards to the inclusion of “charities or bodies directed to charitable purpose” as a disclosable interest, and acknowledging the Policy and Resources Committee’s view that the Code should not be too onerous in relation to simple membership of charities or bodies directed to charitable purpose, it was agreed that the Code should be amended as follows: “Charities or bodies directed to charitable purpose where you hold a position of general control or management.”

In respect of the introduction of a mandatory registration regime for gifts and hospitality, the Committee agreed that, as per its previous deliberations, a mandatory regime was required given the circumstances at the City of London Corporation and the extent of gifts and hospitality offered to Members.  With regards to the threshold for registration, the Committee acknowledged that the £250 threshold (or £500 cumulative value) was high in comparison to other local authorities but agreed that the threshold was appropriate.  It was noted however that where Members wished to register gifts and hospitality below the threshold, their declarations form would be updated.

To ensure that the revised wording of the Members’ Code of Conduct could be submitted to the Court of Common Council without unnecessary delay and the annual reminder to update forms (with accompanying guidance to Members and Co-opted Members) circulated ahead of the recess, it was agreed that delegated authority be granted to the Town Clerk, in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Standards Committee, to agree the final wording of the Members’ Code of Conduct. 

RESOLVED:- That –

(i) the Members’ Code of Conduct be revised to include (i) amended wording concerning charities or bodies directed to charitable purpose; (ii) additional wording that notification of any disclosable interest should be sent to the Town Clerk (on behalf of the Monitoring Officer); and (iii) additional information regarding how a sensitive issue needs to be confirmed by the Monitoring Officer to allow non-disclosure; and

(ii) delegated authority be granted to the Town Clerk, in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Standards Committee, to agree the final wording of the Members’ Code of Conduct.