Issue - meetings

Members were asked to consider the proposed Standards and Personnel

Appeals Committee Work Plan for the next municipal year and consider the

inclusion of any additional items as required.

The Director of Legal and Governance (and Monitoring Officer) advised that the Work Plan included standard items which were considered by the Committee annually but also included additional, one-off, items that required particular consideration as the need arose:

Quarterly Complaint Update

Standard Item.

Report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life

This item would be worked on in the next couple of months through an Informal Working Group with a detailed report being submitted to Committee in September 2021.

The new Members’ Code of Conduct, a hybrid version of the Council’s last version and the Local Government Association’s new Member Code, had now been approved by Council and a review of the Council’s process for handling Code of Conduct Standards Complaints was due to commence imminently.

Members Training Policy and Programme

A report was due to be considered later on the agenda.

Politically Restricted Posts

Approval was sought to review and update the list of politically restricted posts following an agreed consultation.

Use of Resources Policy

A previously drafted (but not finalised) Policy was due to be revisited in October 2021 in light of the revised Code of Conduct.

Review of the Nottinghamshire Authorities Protocol with Nottinghamshire Police

Having been delayed due to the pandemic, the Protocol which dealt with the

reporting of potential breaches of the Code of Conduct relating to Disclosable

Pecuniary Interests was due to be reviewed in December 2021.

Whistleblowing Policy

Standard Item.

Annual Review of the Workplan

Standard Item.

Constitution Review

Standard Item.

Members took the opportunity to debate the proposed Workplan as follows:

• acknowledgement that very few Members received gifts or hospitality over £50 but in any event were all au fait and committed to the reporting process

• the ongoing lobbying of Government regarding the cessation of temporary Covid-19 legislation regarding virtual meetings and the operational difficulties being experienced by local authorities to conduct Council and Committee meetings face to face as the pandemic continued

• examples of when a Member may breach the Code of Conduct relating to Disclosable Pecuniary Interests and how the Police handle any complaints of such nature

• the usefulness of the Informal Working Groups and how they enable work to be expedited in an efficient and timely manner. 

RESOLVED

that the Standards and Personnel Appeals Committee Work Plan for 2021/22,

as appended to the report, be approved.