Shrewsbury & Atcham
Borough Council

PRESENT: Councillor Parkhurst (Chairman)

Councillors Adams and Evans

Mrs J. Buckley, Mrs. E. Francis and Mr. F.W. Leath

Officers in attendance: Assistant Chief Executive (Monitoring Officer), Assistant Solicitor (Deputy Monitoring Officer) and Head of Finance

MINUTES: 10th November 2005 – confirmed.

APOLOGY FOR ABSENCE – Councillor Armstrong

The following member declared his personal and prejudicial interest in the item shown below:

Councillor Evans Minute 09/06 – Outcome of Complaints to the Standards Board for England – Personal and Prejudicial interest as the member against whom the allegation of a failure to comply with the Code of Conduct had been made.

The Chairman welcomed back to the Committee Mrs. B. Carlyle who had recently been reappointed as one of the Parish Council representatives on the Standards Committee. He indicated that the Committee would welcome her valued contribution at this and future meetings.

The Chairman indicated that he had agreed that an additional meeting of the Standards Committee would be held on Tuesday 21st March 2006 at 6.30 p.m. in order to consider, amongst other things, the annual audit letter which would shortly be issued by the District Auditor.

02/06 ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE LOCAL CODE OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Consideration was given to a report by the Head of Finance in relation to the Annual Review of the Local Code of Corporate Governance.

RESOLVED:

That the summary Internal Audit report by the Head of Finance on the Annual Review of the Local Code of Corporate Governance for 2004/2005 be noted.

Consideration was given to a report by the Head of Finance in relation to the Annual Review of Risk Management.

RESOLVED:

That the Internal Audit report by the Head of Finance on the Annual Review of Risk Management for 2004 and 2005 be noted.

04/06 REGISTER OF GIFTS AND HOSPITALITY - MONITORING

Consideration was given to a report by the Assistant Chief Executive (Monitoring Officer) in relation to monitoring of the Register of Gifts and Hospitality.

RESOLVED:

(a) That the report on the monitoring of the Register of Gifts and Hospitality by the Assistant Chief Executive (Monitoring Officer) be noted.

(b) That members and staff be reminded every year of the need to declare gifts and hospitality.

Consideration was given to a report by the Assistant Chief Executive (Monitoring Officer) in relation to the Register of Members’ Interests.

RESOLVED:

That the report on the monitoring of the Register of Members’ Interests by the Assistant Chief Executive (Monitoring Officer) be noted.

The Assistant Chief Executive (Monitoring Officer) reported that a request had been received by the Group Leaders to consider the implementation of a resources protocol. He indicated that it had become apparent that the major resource which would be the subject of such a protocol related to ICT facilities for which arrangements were currently in place.

RESOLVED:

That the verbal report by the Assistant Chief Executive (Monitoring Officer) be noted and that the resources protocol be removed from the Committee’s work programme.

The Assistant Chief Executive (Monitoring Officer) reported that the Ethical Tool Kit produced by the IDE&A had been used to develop a gap analysis showing where the Council complied with the ethical framework introduced by the Local Government Act 2000 and where it did not. He reported that preparatory work on that gap analysis was ongoing.

RESOLVED:

That consideration of the ethical audit be deferred to the next meeting of the Committee.

08/06 STANDARDS OF CONDUCT IN ENGLISH LOCAL GOVERNMENT – THE FUTURE

Consideration was given to a report by the Assistant Chief Executive (Monitoring Officer) in relation to the future of standards of conduct in Local Government.

RESOLVED:

That the report by the Assistant Chief Executive (Monitoring Officer) on the future of standards of conduct in English Local Government be noted.

09/06 OUTCOME OF COMPLAINTS TO THE STANDARDS BOARD FOR ENGLAND

Consideration was given to the decision of the Standards Board for England to not investigate an allegation which had been made that Councillor Evans had failed to comply with the Code of Conduct.

RESOLVED:

That the decision of the Standards Board for England to not investigate an allegation made against Councillor Evans be noted.

The Assistant Chief Executive (Monitoring Officer) referred to an additional decision which had been received confirming that The Standards Board for England would not investigate an allegation which had been made that ex-Councillor Wakefield, a former member of Great Ness and Little Ness Parish Council, had failed to comply with the Code of Conduct.

The notification from the Principal Referral Case Manager on behalf of the Standards Board for England in respect of the allegation against ex-Councillor Wakefield was circulated at the meeting.

RESOLVED:

That the decision of the Standards Board for England to not investigate an allegation made against ex-Councillor Wakefield, a former member of Great Ness and Little Ness Parish Council, be noted.

6.30 p.m. – 8.00 p.m.