Subject:

Review of the Code of Conduct for Members and Related Documents – Extract from the proceedings of the Audit & Standards Committee meeting held on the 29 June 2021

Date of Meeting:

15 July 2021

Report of:

Executive Lead Officer for Strategy, Governance & Law    

Contact Officer:

Name:

John Peel

Tel:

01273 291058

 

E-mail:

john.peel@brighton-hove.gov.uk

Wards Affected:

All

 

            For general release

 

 

Action Required of Council:

To consider the report and the recommendation from the Audit & Standards Committee.

Recommendation:

That the full Council formally approve a revised Code of Conduct for Members as outlined in para 4.1 of the report and Appendix 1.

 

 

Brighton & Hove City Council

 

AUDIT & STANDARDS Committee

 

4.00pm29 June 2021

 

Council Chamber, Hove Town Hall

 

MINUTES

 

Present:   Councillors Yates (Chair) Hugh-Jones (Group Spokesperson) and Meadows (Group Spokesperson)

 

Independent Members present: Helen Aston

 

 

PART ONE

 

                

11          Review of the Code of Conduct for Members

 

11.1      The Committee considered a report of the Executive Lead, Strategy, Governance & Law that updated this Committee on the work of the cross party Member Working Group appointed to review the Council’s Code of Conduct for Members and related arrangements, and to sought Committee approval to Full Council for revised versions of the Code of Conduct for Members and the other key documents indicated below. 

 

11.2      The following Officer correction was made to the recommendations as shown in bold italics and where struckthrough:

 

2.1          That the Audit & Standards Committee recommends to Full Council that it formally approve a revised Code of Conduct for Members as outlined in para 4.1 and attached here as Appendix 1.

2.2          That the Audit & Standards Committee review and approve the documents appended to this Report as Appendices 2 & 3, which incorporate:

·         The Code of Conduct for Members

·         Guidance on Correspondence

·         The Procedure for Dealing with Allegations of Misconduct by Members

 

11.3      In response to requests from Members for Standards training, the Senior Lawyer clarified that scheduling efforts were underway to find a suitable date as well as a refresher session that alerted Members to the proposed changes.

 

11.4      In response to queries from Members, the Executive Lead Officer, Strategy Lead Officer clarified that, subject to approval, the revised Code of Conduct for Members would be submitted to Full Council for approval. Further, Full Council would be notified in the event a Standards Panel found a substantial breach of the Code of Conduct by Members.

 

11.5      The Executive Lead Officer noted that that the number of Member complaints over the past two years was significantly more than could be managed by the Authority and part of the revisions to the Code of Conduct were designed to enable officers in liaison with the Independent Persons to resolve complaints and early and as quickly as possible.

 

11.6      RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND:

 

1)            That the Audit & Standards Committee recommends to Full Council that it formally approve a revised Code of Conduct for Members as outlined in para 4.1 and attached here as Appendix 1.

 

RESOLVED:

 

2)            That the Audit & Standards Committee approve the documents appended to this Report as Appendices 2 & 3, which incorporate:

 

-       Guidance on Correspondence

-       The Procedure for Dealing with Allegations of Misconduct by Members