Agenda item - Standards Update

Report of the Monitoring Officer (copy attached).

1)            That Members note the report.

30.1      The Committee considered a report of the Monitoring Officer that updated Members on the complaints received regarding Members and other Standards related activity.

30.2      Councillor Cobb asked why a specific councillor was named in the report and not in the other cases.

30.3      The Head of Legal & Democratic Services stated that there was no specific reason and was simply an oversight.

30.4      Councillor Druitt asked if disabled accessibility to Brighton Town Hall was not a legal issue.

30.5      The Head of Legal & Democratic Services clarified that this was a legal issue and the council were looking closely at the matter in relation to the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). Alternatives and adjustments to Brighton Town Hall were also being pursued and the council were actively discussing the matter with the interested parties to find a solution.

30.6      Councillor Taylor commented that his group had raised the matter of accessibility to Brighton Town Hall a number of times and he was pleased progress was being made. Councillor Taylor asked if further clarification could be made on the nature of the ‘derisory comments’ claimed to have been made at the Full Council meeting on 16 July 2015.

30.7      The Head of Legal & Democratic Services stated that an investigation of the council webcast had found that no derisory comments had been made and the exchange was not based on the subject matter.

30.8      Councillor Robins stated that he recalled the incident in question and whilst he agreed the comments made could not be interpreted as derisory, he felt that the respective political groups should reiterate the importance of civil perception to their Members.

30.9      RESOLVED- That Members note the report.