Quorum: 3 Meets: 4 times per year Has executive powers
No business shall be transacted at a meeting of the Committee unless at least one independent member is present, provided that if an independent member is present and declares an interest in an item the meeting shall not be inquorate, subject to the minimum of three members being present.
At least one parish member must be present at any meeting when matters relating to parish councils or the members of parish councils are being considered.
Sub-Committees/
Panels: The Standards Committee shall be empowered to
appoint such member of sub-committees/panels from its
membership as it considers necessary to discharge any
of its duties. Each sub-committee/panel shall comprise
three members. When it is necessary to convene a
meeting of a sub-committee the Head of Customer,
Legal & Member Services shall convene any one of the
sub-committees/panels according to the availability of
members.
Composition:
- 4 District Council members appointed annually by the Council subject to no political group being allocated more than 2 seats (agreed by Council 28.5.03). Appointments are not in accordance with political group regulations.
- 3 Parish Council members appointed for a four year term - from nominations received from parish councils within the district.
- 3 Independent people appointed by officers for a four year period, following public advertisement in the press.
- Appointments are not made in accordance with political group regulations.
- There can be no more than one Cabinet member on the Committee. The Leader and Deputy Leader cannot be members of the Committee. A Cabinet member cannot be appointed Chairman of the Committee.
Substitution : There will be no substitution of members.
Chairman: The Chairman of the Standards Committee and of any sub-
committee/panel shall be selected from amongst the Committee's
independent members.
Terms of Reference:
(a) promoting and maintaining high standards of conduct by councillors and co-opted members;
(b) assisting the councillors and co-opted members to observe the Members' Code of Conduct;
(c) advising the Council on the adoption or revision of the Members' Code of Conduct;
(d) monitoring the operation of the Members' Code of Conduct;
(e) advising, training or arranging to train councillors on matters relating to the Members' Code of Conduct;
(f) granting dispensations to councillors and co-opted members from requirements relating to interests set out in the Members' Code of Conduct;
(g) Consider allegations that a member or co-opted member (or former member or co-opted member) of the Authority has failed, or may have failed, to comply with the Authority's Code of Conduct and make initial assessments in accordance with Section 57A(2) - (4) of the Local Government Act 2000 (as amended);
(h) Consider requests for a review of a decisoin under Section 57B of the Local Government Act 2000 (as amended) where the Committee had decided that no action should be taken in respect of an allegation and to make an assessment in accordance with Section 57A(2) - (4) of the Local Government Act 2000 (as amended);
(i) dealing with any reports from a case tribunal or interim case tribunal, and any report from the Monitoring Officer or investigating officer on any matter which is referred by an ethical standards officer (appointed by the Standards Board for England) to the Monitoring Officer. The Standards Committee will determine cases, and appropriate penalties, in accordance with the procedures; approved by the Standards Committee and laid down by the relevant statutes and regulations;
(j) the exercise of (a) to (g) above in relation to the parish councils in its area and the members of those parish councils;
(k) receiving reports on matters arising form the Council's Whistleblowing Policy;
(l) considering breaches of protocols including Officer/Member Relations, Publicity and Good Practice in Planning; and
(m) advising the Council on the adoption and revision of protocols and monitoring the operation of such protocols.
(n) granting and supervision of exemption from political restrictions of posts within the Council's establishment.
All codes and protocols are set out in Part 5 of this Constitution.
