Issue - meetings

The Town Clerk submits a report detailing the finalised procedure for dealing with complaints against Councillors and giving initial information regarding the nature of complaints which are likely to be dealt with locally or nationally.  The Committee is asked to note the report.

The Town Clerk submitted a report outlining an updated procedure for dealing with complaints against Councillors following discussions at the last meeting.  The report also gave some initial information about the nature of complaints likely to be dealt with locally or nationally.

The Committee asked questions about the range of sanctions that would be available to the Standards Committee and what action could be taken against a Member who continually committed minor breaches.  It was noted that detailed guidance was still awaited from Central Government on the question of sanctions.  Currently, the Standards Committee’s only sanctions were publicity and censure, whilst at a national level, if complaints were referred to the National Standards Board, sanctions could be imposed.

The following comments were made on the procedure:-

-           7 (1) and (2) should include provision for reasons to be given in writing.

-           8, add in after ‘The Town Clerk’, ‘will keep a record of and…’

-           9 required grammatic correction

-           13, clarify that both parties would be able to see the paperwork and include provision to ensure that the document had been received.

Clarification was also sought by the Committee on Section 58 of the Local Government Act 2000 on the definitition of ‘person’.

RESOLVED:

(1)that the above amendments be made to the procedure for dealing with complaints against Councillors; and

(2)that the information (statutory and otherwise) concerning the likely framework for handling of complaints against Councillors, be ntoed.