Agenda and minutes

*SC 9             

Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs K Ball, W G Cann OBE (as lead Hub Committee Member), P Kimber J B Moody and C R Musgrave.

Meeting held on 20 October 2015     

*SC 10

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 20 October 2015 were confirmed and signed by the Chairman as a true and correct record.

Report of the Monitoring Officer

* SC 11          

The Monitoring Officer presented a report on the review of procedures for dealing with Standards complaints to Members.

Answering questions raised by Members, the Monitoring Officer confirmed that:

-       In accordance with the Localism Act, it was for each town or parish council to adopt their own Code of Conduct and that they did not have to adopt the West Devon Borough Council version;

-       Six months after a Councillor ceased to be a Member, the signed paper copies of their register of interest form would be destroyed.  In addition, the electronic version on the Council website would be removed as soon as was practically possible;

-       the Chairman & Vice Chairman of the Committee would be notified of any complaint received and the outcome.

It was then RESOLVED that the Committee agree the amendments to the ‘Dealings with Standards Complaints’ (as outlined at Appendix A of the presented agenda report) together with further amendments to:

1.    Page 16 of the attached Policy under ‘Assessment by the Monitoring Officer’ to add that the Chairman and Vice-Chairman be notified of receipt of a Code of Conduct complaint and the assessment stage outcome; and

2.    Clarification to page 26 of the Policy in respect of what happens to complaints when a Councillor ceases to be a Councillor and a member of another authority