Agenda and draft minutes

Committee members are advised that Councillors Gurung and Louwella Prenter have stood down as Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson respectively, therefore, it is necessary to elect a new Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson for the remainder of the 2024/2025 municipal year.

Councillor McDonald was elected Chairperson for the remainder of the municipal year.

Councillor Howcroft-Scott was elected Vice-Chairperson for the remainder of municipal year.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Howcroft-Scott, Kemp and Tejan.

To approve the record of the meeting held on 10 July 2024.

The record of the meeting held on 10 July 2024 was agreed by the Committee and signed by the Chairperson as correct.

The Chairperson will announce any late items which do not appear on the main agenda but which he/she has agreed should be considered by reason of special circumstances to be specified in the report. 

There were none.

Members are invited to disclose any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests or Other Significant Interests in accordance with the Member Code of Conduct. Guidance on this is set out in agenda item 4.

Disclosable pecuniary interests

There were none.

Other significant interests (OSIs)

There were none.

Other interests

There were none.

The report provides the Committee with an update on the review of the ethical framework.

Discussion:

The Head of Democratic Services introduced the report which updated the Committee on the review of the Council’s ethical framework.  At its meeting in February 2024 the Committee had agreed that a review be undertaken and that an informal member working group be set up to undertake the review. However, following a recent announcement by the Deputy Prime Minister that there would be a review of the standard regime for elected members it was sensible to instead pause the review until further information and detail was available from the national review. Group Leaders were supportive of this action and Members would be updated in due course.

In response to a question, assurance was provided that information relating to the review would be circulated to all Members, not just those of the Councillor Conduct Committee.

Decision:

The Committee noted the report and agreed that the review of the Council’s ethical framework be paused whilst the Government undertakes a review of the standard regime for elected Members.