Agenda

Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 17 November 2022, previously circulated.

Items which in the opinion of the Chair should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency.

In line with best practice the Committee has previously produced an Annual Report outlining the range of its activities and related developments during the year and identifying any issues for consideration or that might impact upon future arrangements. The draft Annual Report for 2022/23 submitted for endorsement and publication is attached. The publication, independently, of an Annual Report by this Committee complements and gives rigour to the Council’s Annual Governance Statement which it is required to publish separately on an annual basis.

Recommendation: that the Annual Report for 2020/21 be approved and published.

Report of the Director of Legal and Democratic Servcies (LDS/23/5) on co-opted members’ attendance at meetings of the Council, Cabinet and Committee meetings, monitoring compliance with the Council’s ethical governance framework, attached. 

Director of Legal and Democratic Services to report on complaints or allegations of a breach of the Council’s Members’ Code of Conduct received since the last meeting, if any.

The Committee on Standards in Public Life has undertaken a review of leadership across the public sector, as well as the private and third sectors.

The review focuses on case studies regarding how ethical standards are upheld within organisations and examples of best practice.

The Committee on Standards in Public Life published its Report in late January 2023 which can be viewed here - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-committee-on-standards-in-public-life-publishes-new-report-leading-in-practice

The report identifies 20 questions for leaders to help them reflect on whether there is more they can do to support their people to think about the Principles of Public Life and integrate them into all aspects of how their organisation operates.

This is for the information of Members.

Recommendation: that the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 1 and 2 of Schedule 12A of the Act namely, information relating to an individual and information likely to reveal the identity of an individual and in accordance with Section 36 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, by virtue of the fact that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Documentation enclosed and attached as follows:

Report of the Assistant Director of Legal Services

This report pack is from the Standards Committee held on 5 July 2022.
A full list of the documentation is listed in the pack.

·       E-mail from Monitoring Officer to Devon and Cornwall Police 23 December 2021

·       E-mail from Devon and Cornwall Police to Monitoring Officer 8 June 2022

·       E-mail from Monitoring Officer to CPS 15 June 2022

·       E-mail acknowledgement from CPS to Monitoring Officer 20 June 2022

·       E-mail from CPS to Monitoring Officer 13 July 2022

·       E-mail from CPS to Monitoring Officer 5 September 2022 together with secondary e-mail trail

·       Email from Subject Member to Members of the Assessment Sub Committee 30 June 2022

·       Email from Subject Member to Deputy Monitoring Officer, Chair, Chief Executive, Independent Person and Head of Democratic Services 1 November 2022

·       Email from Monitoring Officer to Subject Member 9 November 2022 together with secondary email trail

·       Email from Subject Member to Assistant Director of Legal Services 9 January 2023 providing comments on the draft report

·       Email from Subject Member to Assistant Director of Legal Services 31 January 2023 together with secondary email trail

·       Email from Independent Person to Monitoring Officer 8 June 2022 with secondary email trail

·       Email from Independent Person to Subject Member 30 November 2022

Attached are:

·       Final comments from Subject Member

·       Final Comments from Independent Person