Standards Committee - 6 November 2009

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.  Please note that in the event of registering your interest to speak on an agenda item but not taking up that right because the item is deferred, you will automatically be given the right to speak on that item at the next meeting of the Committee.  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 the remainder of the current Local Government Year.

2.

APPOINTMENT OF VICE-CHAIRMAN

To appoint a Vice-Chairman for the remainder of the current Local Government Year.

3.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

4.

MINUTES

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meetings held on 3 July 2009 (copies enclosed for Members of the Committee).

09 07 03 ST mins DOWNLOAD

Matters Arising

5.

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.

6.

DECLARATION OF INTEREST

To receive any declarations of interest.

7.

PARISH CLERKS

To consider matters raised by the Clerks of Parish Councils who have been invited to the meeting.

8.

CROXLEY GREEN PARISH COUNCIL - MENTORING

To receive an oral report by the Clerk of Croxley Green Parish Council on Peer Mentoring Sessions held at the Council.

9.

ABBOTS LANGLEY PARISH COUNCIL

To consider invitation to attend Parish Council meetings.

09 11 06 ST i - (09) letter from abbots langley pc DOWNLOAD

10.

APPOINTMENT OF SUB-COMMITTEES

To appoint Standards Sub-Committees to carry out an initial assessment of a complaint received and a review if requested.

09 11 06 ST i - (10) appt of sub-cttees DOWNLOAD

11.

STANDARDS FORUM

To inform the Committee that Standards for England has just launched the Standards Forum, an online password-protected platform for monitoring officers and members of standards committees to share ideas and experiences of the local standards framework. It aims to provide an online community where users can:

• Network and communicate directly with each other
• Ask questions and share experiences
• Share best practice
• Recommend investigators
• Share independent committee members
• Experiment with joint-working
• Members are asked if they wish to have access to the Forum.
  
  

12.

STANDARDS COMMITTEE BULLETIN 45

To note the Standards Board for England’s Bulletin 45.

09 11 06 ST i - (12) bulletin 45 DOWNLOAD

13.

STANDARDS BOARD – ANNUAL ASSEMBLY

Report on the Annual Assembly held in Birmingham.

09 11 06 ST i - (13) stnds board - annual assembly DOWNLOAD

09 11 06 ST i - (13-app 1) state of the nation speech DOWNLOAD

09 11 06 ST i - (13-app 2) focus on code changes DOWNLOAD

14.

MONITORING OFFICER PROTOCOL

To note changes to this protocol following consideration at the last meeting of the Committee( to follow).

15.

INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF STANDARDS COMPLAINTS ASSESSMENT AND REVIEW CRITERIA

To note the changes to this criteria following consideration at the last meeting of the Committee (to follow).

16.

TRAINING VIDEO ON ASSESSMENTS

A training video from Standards England on assessments will be shown to the Committee.

17.

WORK PROGRAMME

To agree the Committee’s work programme.

09 11 06 ST i - (17) work prog DOWNLOAD

18.

OTHER BUSINESS - if approved under item 3.

19.

EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC

If any confidential business is approved under Item 3, 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 3, 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 3.