Agenda and minutes

To note the following membership and terms of reference as approved by Council on 17 May 2023

Members: 9 Councillors (4:3:1 Ind Gp, 1 LD)  (Only one member of the Committee can be a member of the Cabinet).

3 Parish Council (non voting) representatives  Councillors C. Barrett, D. Bewley, A. Varley

Independent Persons – A. Beswick, Mrs K. Milner, S. Openshaw

Quorum - 4

Chair: Mr J. Jackson

Vice Chair: B. Flux

Terms of Reference

(1)    Promoting and maintaining high standards of conduct by Members, town and parish councillors, co-opted members and church and parent governor representatives.

(2)    Assisting the Members, town and parish councillors, co-opted members and church and parent governor representatives to observe the Members’ Code of Conduct.

(3)    Advising the Council on the adoption or revision of the Members’ Code of Conduct.

(4)    Monitoring the operation of the Members’ Code of Conduct.

(5)    Advising, training or arranging to train Members, town and parish councillors, co-opted members and church and parent governor representatives on matters relating to the Members’ Code of Conduct.

(6)    Granting dispensations to Members, town and parish councillors, co-opted members, church and parent governor representatives from requirements relating to Disclosable Pecuniary Interests set out in the Members’ Code of Conduct.

(7)    Assessing and reviewing complaints about councillors and conducting determinations’ hearings.

(8)    Granting exemptions for politically restricted posts. 

(9)   Such other roles as may be given by the Council.

The Membership and Terms of Reference were noted.

Apologies were received from Councillor D. Towns and Independent Persons K. Milner and S. Openshaw.

Minutes of the meeting of the 21 April 2023, as circulated, to be confirmed as a true record, and signed by the Chairman.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Standards Committee held on Friday, 21 April 2023, as circulated, be confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chair.

To Update Members on work to address the recommendations of the Independent Desktop Review presented to the Standards Committee on 21 April 2023.  The appendix will follow.

Members were updated on work to address the recommendations of the Independent Desktop Review presented to the Standards Committee on 21 April 2023.

It was reported that a Monitoring Officer Toolkit would be brought to the next meeting of the Standards Committee and would include a flow chart showing the process and a list of the criteria to be applied sequentially used to ensure that matters that required investigation were investigated.  It was also intended that complaints would be dealt with more quickly in future.  The Deputy Monitoring Officers would be trained to enable them to carry out assessment of complaints.

RESOLVED that

(1)    the action plan be noted.

(2)    the Monitoring Officer Toolkit be submitted to the next meeting of the Standards Committee for endorsement.

To receive a report on the progress with complaints received by the authority under the new arrangements adopted by the authority for dealing with standards allegations under the Localism Act 2011.  Two appendices are to follow.

Members received a report on the progress with complaints received by the authority under the new arrangements adopted by the authority for dealing with standards allegations under the Localism Act 2011. 

It was reported that the number of complaints being received had started to decline and this was a good picture for Northumberland County Council.  Further consideration would be given as to how this information was presented in future to enable identification of trends.

It was not possible to control the number of complaints relating to Parish Councils.  It was suggested that consideration be given to producing a six monthly newsletter which would be sent to Members and Parish Councils highlighting issues they may wish to think about going forward.  Members were interested in seeing examples of such newsletters from other Local Authorities.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

Following a number of concerns raised by Members in relation to the requirements relating to the publication (on the Council’s website) of Members addresses on the Declaration of Interests Register, this report considers the current position following consultation of all Members of the Council.

Following a number of concerns raised by Members in relation to the requirements relating to the publication (on the Council’s website) of Members addresses on the Declaration of Interests Register, this report considered the current position following consultation of all Members of the Council.

It was reported that it was not possible to give a blanket dispensation to Members to allow the removal of their home address from the public Declaration of Interests Register.  However, Members could request this dispensation from the Director of Law and Governance on an individual basis.

RESOLVED that Members note the position as set out in the report.

The next scheduled meeting is to be held on Thursday, 12 October 2023 at 2.00 p.m. at County Hall, Morpeth.

12 October 2023

11 January 2024

11 April 2024

The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 12 October 2023 at 2.00 pm.