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Agenda item

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 2020/21 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.

Minutes:

The Committee considered the draft of the Standards Committee Annual Report for 2020/21 prepared in line with best practice commenting on its work and developments during the year and on any issues for consideration or development in the future.

 

The Committee had met four times in 2020/21 with three ordinary meetings and a further meeting convened to consider a complaint and whether the matter warranted a full investigation. Co-opted Members attended a further 24 meetings of Council, Cabinet or Committees to observe and monitor compliance with the Council’s ethical governance framework. 10 of those meetings were held virtually.

 

The Report also referred to the number of complaints that had been received over the last 12 months, the nature of the allegations and the outcome of each of those.

 

The Committee in the previous year had considered the Report ‘Local Government Ethical Standards - A Review by the Committee in Public Life’ and had submitted a response to the Consultation. A number of the recommendations (26 in total) involved legislative change which would be a matter for Government to implement. A number of additional best practice suggestions were made (e.g. amending the code of conduct to require Councillors to comply with any formal standards investigation, agreeing to review the code of conduct annually, publishing the gifts and hospitality register and the writing of a public interest test for the complaints process) which were taken on board and adopted.  

 

The Annual Report also referred to the fourth Ethical Governance Survey which had been conducted between 27 August 2019 and 20th September 2019. The majority of responses to each question had been positive, particularly in relation to engagement with democracy and the local community.  The Committee previously welcomed the qualitative responses received which gave reassurance in terms of good standards of Governance.

 

The Report also referred to the proposed new LGA Model Code of Conduct and had submitted a response to the consultation. Whilst the Committee had supported many of the aims of the Code, it had also raised concerns over the lack of sanctions in the new proposals.

 

The New Code had been received in December but because additional guidance was anticipated, feedback had been obtained from the Committee (see Minute 101) and had agreed to propose a new Code for adoption for the new Council post Elections in May.

 

Looking ahead, the key issues for 2021 would be induction processes for the new Council and watching out for the guidance to accompany the new LGA Code of Conduct anticipated in the Spring 2021, in order to prepare a revised Code for presentation to the Committee and Council.

 

 

The Committee acknowledged that the publication, independently, of an Annual Report by the Committee complemented and gave rigour to the Council’s Annual Governance Statement which it was required to publish on an annual basis. 

 

The Committee placed on record their thanks for the work of the co-opted members for attending meetings in their monitoring capacity and providing feedback to the Council.

 

RESOLVED that the Annual Report for 2020/21 be approved, published on the Council’s website and promoted via Inside Devon.

 

Supporting documents:


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