Agenda item

(Copy herewith)

The Borough Secretary & Monitoring Officer submitted the report as set out in the agenda. The report outlined the role of the Standards Committee. The Committee were referred to Appendix 1 of the report which included the Terms of Reference of the Standards Committee extracted from the Council’s Constitution.

In response to a question from Councillor Parekh regarding the frequency with which standards were breached, the Borough Secretary & Monitoring Officer confirmed that while there was a significant volume of complaints, many were filtered out in the earlier stages of the process, not being progressed to an investigation.  The Borough Secretary and Monitoring Officer noted that he was the Monitoring Officer for the Parish Councils and that although some complaint issues related to Borough Councillors, much of the complaints volume related to Parish Council issues.

The Borough Secretary and Monitoring Officer commented that although under the Localism Act 2011 there was no longer a requirement for a statutory Standards Committee, the Council still needed to have  arrangements in place to maintain high standards of conduct and to resolve complaints. He commented that when the Council had implemented the changes required by the Localism Act 2011, it had kept the complaints process for dealing with standards complaints close to the former statutory process.  The Monitoring Officer noted that while it is very important that the process for dealing with standards complaints remains robust, it does need to be simplified and made leaner.  It was therefore recommended that the Committee establish a Working Group to consider the Code of Conduct and the Arrangements for dealing with breaches to make recommendations for revision, reporting back to the Standards Committee, which in turn would make recommendations to Full Council.

In response to questions from the Committee regarding the association between the Standards Committee and the Parish Councils, the Borough Secretary & Monitoring Officer confirmed all complaint issues would initially be directed to him where a decision would be made as to how to deal with the complaint, that is, whether it required any further action, was suitable for alternative resolution or whether it was necessary to move to investigation and establish if a breach of the Code had occurred. 

In response to questions from the Committee regarding the role of the Committee in the complaints process, the Borough Secretary and Monitoring Officer confirmed that a Hearings Panel of the Standards Committee could be convened to make determinations in cases where a complaint had been investigated and there was evidence of failure to comply with the Code.

In response to questions from the Committee, the Borough Secretary & Monitoring Officer confirmed that any complaints which raised issues of a criminal nature would be referred to the police.

RESOLVED:

  2.1 That the summary contained in this Report, of the role of the Standards Committee be noted.

2.2 That a Working Group be established to consider the Northampton Borough Council Members' Code of Conduct and the Arrangements for dealing with allegations of breaches of the Northampton Borough Council Members' Code of Conduct and of Condes of Conduct adopted by Parish Councils to formulate recommendations to Full Council regarding the revision of these documents and procedures;

2.3 That Councillor Marriot, Councillor Oldham & Councillor Parekh of the Standards Committee be nominated to sit on the Working Group referred to in paragraph 2.2.