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Standards Committee - 29 May 2008

Location: Penn Chamber, Three Rivers House

NOTICE AND AGENDA

For a meeting to be held in the Penn Chamber, Three Rivers House, Rickmansworth on Thursday, 29 May 2008 at 10.00am.

Members of the Committee:-

Independent Members: Valerie Kleanthous (Chairman), Michael Baker (Vice-Chairman), Nigel Gates, Brian Sainsbury and Malcolm Sniders.

Councillors: To be appointed.

Parish Councils’ representatives: Parish Councillors John Gell (Sarratt Parish Council) and Michael Morton (Abbots Langley Parish Council).

Steven Halls, Chief Executive
20 May 2008

The Committee welcomes contributions from members of the public to its discussion on agenda items. Contributions will be limited to one person speaking for and one against each item for not more than three minutes. Details of the procedure and the list for registering the wish to speak will be available for a short period before the meeting.

1.	ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN

	To elect a Chairman for 2008/09 from among the Independent Members.

2.	APPOINTMENT OF VICE-CHAIRMAN

3.	APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

4.	MEMBERSHIP

	To note that Councillor Michael Morton has been nominated as the second Parish Council representative on the Standards Committee and to welcome him as a member of the Committee.

5.	MINUTES

	To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 13 February 2008 (copy enclosed for Members of the Committee). 08 02 13 ST mins DOWNLOAD

6.	NOTICE OF OTHER BUSINESS

	Items of other business notified under Council Procedure Rule 31 to be announced, together with the special circumstances which justify their consideration as a matter of urgency. The Chairman to rule on the admission of such items.

7.	DECLARATION OF INTEREST

	To receive any declarations of interest.

8.	THE STANDARDS COMMITTEE (ENGLAND) REGULATIONS 2008

	To receive the Regulations, which cover membership of Standards Committees and arrangements for dealing with allegations of misconduct.

	The Regulations may be accessed at: www.hmso.gov.uk/StatutoryInstruments/2008 08 05 29 ST i - (08) standards cttee regs DOWNLOAD

9.	THE ROLE AND MAKE-UP OF STANDARDS COMMITTEES

	To receive Guidance from the Standards Board on the role and make-up of Standards Committees.

	The Guidance may be accessed and downloaded from the Standards Board website at: www.standardsboard.gov.uk/Guidance/Standardscommittees 08 05 29 ST i - (09) role and make-up of stds cttees DOWNLOAD

10.	NEW ARRANGEMENTS FOR ASSESSING COMPLAINTS

	(1)	To receive information from the Standards Board set out in Bulletin 38 on the new arrangements for assessing complaints following the publication of the Standards Committee (England) Regulations 2008, featuring a summary of the Regulations, advice on dealing with complaints from the public, an update on the new reporting system and details of the Standards Board’s press toolkit.

		The Bulletin may be accessed and downloaded from the Standards Board website www.standardsboard.gov.uk/Publications/TheBulletin

	(2)	To receive:

		(a) Local Assessment of Complaints Guidance; published by the Standards Board for England: 08 05 29 ST i - (10a) bulletin 38 DOWNLOAD

		(b) Three Rivers District Council Public Notice ‘Complaints about Councillors, Complaints Form and Guidance Notes, adapted from the Standards Board’s Local Assessment Toolkit.

		The Guidance and Toolkit may be accessed and downloaded from the Standards Board website at www.standardsboard.gov.uk/Guidance/Standardscommittees/Guidanceandtoolkit/ 08 05 29 ST i - (10b) local assessment - guidance DOWNLOAD 08 05 29 ST i - (10c) public notice (website) DOWNLOAD 08 05 29 ST i - (10d) 3 rivers complaint form DOWNLOAD 08 05 29 ST i - (10e) complaint form - guidance notes DOWNLOAD

	(3)	To consider and approve the arrangements for operating and publicising the new arrangements set out in the above documents.

11.	LOCAL ASSESSMENT – TRAINING EXERCISE

	To receive and examine case studies supplied by the Standards Board for England illustrating the operation of the new arrangements.

	(See documents circulated separately). A copy has been placed in the Members’ Room. If you wish to receive a personal copy, please contact the Democratic Services Team on 01923 727249 , e-mail chris.fagan@threerivers.gov.uk

	These documents may be accessed and downloaded from the Standards Board website www.standardsboard.gov.uk/Resources/Trainingmaterials/trainingexerciseforassessingnewcomplaints

12.	WORK PROGRAMME

	To note the Committee’s programme of work for the remainder of the Local Government Year. 08 05 29 ST i - (12) work prog DOWNLOAD

13.	OTHER BUSINESS - if approved under item 6 above.

14.	EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC

	If any confidential business is approved under Item 6, it will also be necessary to specify the class of exempt or confidential information in the additional item(s) and a resolution to be passed in the following terms:-

	“that under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined under Paragraphs 1 to 7 of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act. It has been decided by the Council that in all the circumstances, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.”

	(Note: If other confidential business is approved under item 6, it will also be necessary to specify the class of exempt or confidential information in the additional items).

1.	OTHER BUSINESS - if approved under item 6.