Decision details

12.1   The Committee received a report from the Director of Law and Assurance (copy appended to the signed minutes) which advised of the Committee for Standards in Public Life’s recently published report on Local Government Ethical Standards.

12.2   The report was introduced by Charles Gauntlett, Senior Advisor, Democratic Services. He reminded the Committee that it had responded to the consultation on the matter in March 2018 and reported that many of the recommendations in the report were in line with the consultation response made on behalf of the County Council. He advised that a number of areas of best practice were set out in the report, which councils were invited to measure themselves against.

12.3   The Committee noted the recommendations from the Committee for Standards in Public Life to the Government, which would require a change in the law. It noted that the County Council was compliant with many areas of identified best practice and considered the five areas where the County Council was not totally compliant. In line with best practice area 2, the Committee asked that an explicit agreement to following the code of conduct should be signed by members and asked for a draft to be submitted to the next meeting. It also asked that reporting on joint committees should be explicit on the County Council’s website, in line with best practice area 14.

12.4   Resolved –

(1)     That the report on Local Government Ethical Standards be noted.

(2)     That, in line with best practice 2, an explicit agreement to following the code of conduct should be signed by members and that a draft should be submitted to the Committee in June 2019.

(3)     That reporting on joint committees should be reviewed to ensure that it is explicit on the County Council’s website and that the findings should be reported to the Committee in June 2019.