Agenda item

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee received a report of the Town Clerk setting out updates on a number of outstanding actions.

Code of Conduct

The Chairman requested that the Town Clerk check what progress had been made around ease of access to the Code of Conduct and related documents on the City’s website with PRED following a resolution from this Committee on the matter back in June 2018. He went on to express concern at the fact that he had not seen any improvement on this to date. He questioned why, for example, the Code was not listed within the CoL website index for ease of access and requested a response from PRED as soon as possible as to when this would be rectified.

Other Members shared this concern, with many stating that they only way they had been able to find the Code of Conduct previously had been via a google search.

Annual reminder to Members on updating registered interests

The Chairman reported that, regrettably, this matter had progressed slower than he had hoped. He reported that, following confirmation from the Comptroller and City Solicitor as to which Committees/Sub Committees were subject to the Code of Conduct, he had recently received and approved draft letters to be sent to all those Co-opted Members with registers of interest still outstanding. These letters would also be sent to the Chairmen of the relevant bodies on which these Co-opted Members currently served within the next few days.

The Chairman went on to clarify that the Comptroller and City Solicitor had confirmed the class of Co-opted Member to whom the criminal sanctions in the Localism Act 2011 applied.  None of those who had failed to respond to date would fall within the category where a failure to register a disclosable pecuniary interest constituted a criminal offence. A failure to register applicable interests would still, however, be a breach of the Code of Conduct.

In response to questions, the Chairman stated that there could be several options available in the event of a continued failure to register interests. This might include considering whether their reappointment to their respective body was suitable going forward for example.

Dispensations Guidance for Chairmen

The Chairman reported that a memo to all Committee chairmen had been drafted regarding the importance of timely applications for dispensations which was due to be circulated imminently.

A Member suggested that this memo also be sent to Chairmen of all Sub/Consultative Committees.

The Chairman agreed with the suggestion and asked that the memo also be sent to all Members of the Standards Committee for information.

RECEIVED.