Agenda item

The Service Director (Democratic Services) submits a report appraising Members of the Regulations and the required actions to ensure compliance.  Details of the Statutory Instrument and Standards Bulletin are given with the report.  The Committee is recommended to note the Regulations and governance arrangements, endorse the exploration of inter-authority training, a public information and publicity programme and comment on, and endorse the proposals within the report.

The Service Director (Democratic Services) submitted a report appraising Committee Members of the Regulations and the required actions to ensure compliance. Details of the Statutory Instrument and Standards Bulletin were given with the report.

The Service Director (Democratic Services) commented that main effect of the new regulations was to give local Standards Committees real power to take action with regard to standards issues. He noted that the main change to the operation of the Committee would be the creation of two sub-committees. One of these sub-committees would consider complaints against Councillors initially and the other would review the decisions of the first sub-committee, should it be required.

Members of the Committee considered in detail the procedure that would take place where the sub-committees were convened. It was noted that it was positive to give the public, where they had a complaint, the reassurance of a review process. It was however felt that further guidance on the procedure was necessary to clear up any concerns with regard to councillors being able to represent themselves at review sub-committees. It was felt generally that the procedures for complaints against councillors needed to be tight to prevent ongoing vexatious complaints. It was suggested that a flow chart would be useful.

Members of the Committee considered the training that would be needed in relation to the new regulations, in particular any ideas to ensure that the message became well known. It was agreed to contact all Councillors by a letter in the first instance, saying what was now in place, but stating that it was work in progress. When the procedures were firmed up in six months time it was proposed to hold workshops and give presentations to all political group meetings.

Further discussion centred on publicising the new arrangements for public information. The regulations required that these new powers be publicised widely. It was intended to approach the Leicester Mercury with a proposal for a question and answer article detailing the new regulations. Committee Members felt that the fact that this affected all Councils should be promoted. It should also be made clear that it was a system for sensible, legitimate complaints. A further suggestion was made, to put a full-page article in the Link magazine which looked notably different, so as to stand out.

It was agreed that all members who were to be involved in the consideration of complaints be trained before taking part. Further discussion would take place as part of an agenda item at the next meeting.

A wider comment was made about member training, it was requested that recognition should be given to prior knowledge and only update training be provided as appropriate.

RESOLVED:

(1)that further guidance be produced on the complaints procedure, including the development of a flow chart;

(2)that a letter be sent to all Councillors outlining details of the new regulations and more detailed workshops and presentations at group meetings take place in six months time;

(3)that publicity on the regulations take place in the form of a Leicester Mercury article and a Link Magazine article; and

(4)that all members who are to be involved in the consideration of Standards Committee complaints undertake training.