Meeting Details

Members are reminded that they should declare any personal and/or prejudicial interests at this point and that they should leave the meeting room before any item, in which they have a prejudicial interest, is discussed.

Members are asked to agree the minutes of the last meeting of the Standards Committee, held on 1 March 2010, and that they be signed as a correct record.

To receive any questions, statements or petitions, of which notice has been received, from members of the public.

The Deputy Monitoring Officer will brief Members of the Committee on the Government’s intention to abolish the Standards Board regime and the implications of that decision. Agenda item only.

At the last meeting of the Standards Committee Members agreed that the recruitment process for two additional Non-Elected, Independent Members commence. Accordingly, officers prepared an information pack and placed an advertisement (as required by legislation) in the local press. There were five expressions of interest and three applications were received. The intention was to hold interviews prior to the July meeting of the Fire Authority with a view to taking a recommendation regarding appointment to that meeting for consideration. In the meantime, however, the Government has announced its intention to 'abolish the Standards Board regime'. Under the circumstances the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Authority have instructed officers to discontinue the recruitment process, until such time as the Government’s intentions are known. The three applicants have been notified of this development. Agenda item only.

This report provides the Committee with proposed amendments to a number of procedures in relation to the processing and investigation of complaints that a Member of the Authority has failed to comply with the Code of Conduct.

Attached, marked 8, is the latest Bulletin no. 47, issued by Standards for England in late February / early March. As previously agreed by the Committee, the Bulletin is now brought to Members for discussion. It should be noted that some of the information, particularly that relating to the Annual Assembly (which has now been cancelled), is now out-of-date.