Issue - meetings

This report provides Members with an update on complaints regarding alleged breaches of the Code of Conduct against councillors received or concluded since the last meeting in July 2021.

The Committee is responsible for maintaining high standards of conduct by Members of BCP Council and the Town and Parish Councils, monitoring the operation of the Code of Conduct, and considering the outcome of commissioned independent investigations.

The report also brings to the attention of Standards Committee, a number of complaints made under the Code of Conduct for Councillors as set out in Part 6 of the BCP Council Constitution. In line with the provisions of Part 6 Appendix C of the Constitution, the Chair, in consultation with the members of the Committee, the Independent Persons and the Monitoring Officer has followed an informal resolution process for each of these complaints. This has not resulted in the successful conclusion of the complaints. This report asks the Committee to consider the next steps including a  potential report to Council about the role and status of Standards at BCP Council.

The Head of Democratic Services presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'B' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

The Committee was responsible for maintaining high standards of conduct by members of BCP Council and the Town and Parish Councils, monitoring the operation of the Code of Conduct and considering the outcome of commissioned independent investigations.

The Committee was provided with its regular update report regarding alleged breaches by Councillors of the Code of Conduct as received or concluded since the last meeting of the Committee in July 2021 and it was explained that these allegations related to breaches under the old Code.

The report also brought to the attention of the Standards Committee, a number of complaints made under the Code of Conduct for Councillors as set out in Part 6 of the BCP Council Constitution. In line with the provisions of Part 6 Appendix C of the Constitution, the Chair, in consultation with the members of the Committee, the Independent Persons and the Monitoring Officer had followed an informal resolution process for each of these complaints.

Consideration was given to an analysis of the nature of the allegations and, in each case, their status or outcome decision was presented. It was confirmed that, as part of the process, Group Leaders were made aware of the position relating to their individual Groups and there was support for encouraging Group Leaders to take a role in supporting the implementation of the Standards Committee decisions.

There was a discussion about the role of the Committee in enforcing individual decisions in those cases particularly where there was non-compliance with a specific decision of the Chairman. Further analysis showed a number of cases which the Committee considered to have been unresolved for an unacceptable period of time and which could therefore have the effect of undermining the role, effectiveness and credibility of the Standards Committee. Consideration was given to the variety of options available to the Committee to address this and there was support for providing a report about non-compliance directly to the full Council to include, on a confidential basis, an appendix of the names of the particular Councillors concerned.

RESOLVED that

(a) the outcome of concluded complaints and the progress of those still outstanding be noted;

(b) in relation to the unresolved complaints identified, a report of the position on non-compliance be submitted to the full Council accompanied by a confidential appendix identifying the individual Councillors involved.

(Voting: Unanimous)