Present:-

Councillors Channon (Chairman), Colthorpe, Gribble, Hill and Moulding

Mr Hodgins, Mrs Mayes, Mrs Saltmarsh and Mr Vincent

Apologies:-

Alderman Sir Simon Day and Councillors Chugg and Connett

*20 Minutes

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 3 November 2014 be signed as a correct record.

*21 Membership

The Chairman reported the appointment of Mr Hodgins, Mr Sullivan and Alderman Sir Simon Day to this Committee as independent co-opted members and welcomed Messrs Hodgins and Mr Sullivan to their first meeting of the Committee in that capacity.

*22 Corporate Feedback Monitoring Report

The Committee considered the Report of the Head of Business Strategy and Support Services (BSS/15/3) on compliments, representations and complaints received and handled by the Council in 2014/15 outlining movements, variations and comparisons within and between service areas over the course of the year.

Members noted that, overall, fewer complaints had been received in 2014/15 than in the previous year and there had also been a welcome increase in the number of compliments received.

Members also noted that the Local Government Ombudsman s Annual Letter and Annual Report had been published shortly before this meeting and a detailed analysis of those documents would be undertaken and submitted to the next meeting of the Committee.

It was MOVED by Councillor Channon, SECONDED by Councillor Gribble, and

RESOLVED that the Report be noted.

*23 Ethical Governance

(a) Monitoring

The Committee received the report of the County Solicitor (CS/15/16 - text only | pdf CS/15/16) summarising the feedback from Co-opted Members of this Committee on their attendance at meetings of the Council, Cabinet and Committees since the previous meeting, to monitor compliance by Members and Officers with the Council s ethical governance framework.

The Committee were pleased to note that there had been no areas of significant concern or any indication of actions or behaviours that might be felt to have resulted in a potential breach of the Code.

(b) Learning Development/Refresher Event

The County Solicitor outlined the proposed content of the learning and development event for Members of the Council to be held on 23 July 2015 at 11.00am which would, inter alia, look at a number of governance issues including members interests and safeguarding. All Members of the Committee were, of course, eligible to attend this event.

The Committee welcomed the suggestion that Members attendance at training and learning/development events should be published in the same way as attendance at meetings of the Council, Cabinet and Committees and reported to Procedures Committee bi-annually.

*24 Local Determination of Complaints: Case Handling Information

The County Solicitor reported that, since the last meeting, two complaints concerning alleged breaches of the Members Code of Conduct had been received relating to a councillors involvement with and conduct relating to a highways scheme considered by a HATOC and a Cabinet Members alleged lack of transparency during a consultation exercise.

Following an initial assessment of each complaint and consultation with an Independent Person appointed by the Council it had been agreed that no further action should be taken on the complaints on the basis that either there had been no material breach of the code to warrant further investigation or that the allegations would not be a breach of the Code of Conduct and, accordingly, could not therefore be investigated.

*DENOTES DELEGATED MATTER WITH POWER TO ACT

The meeting started at 2.15pm and finished at 3.18pm.

The Minutes of this Committee are published on the County Council s Website at:-