Agenda and draft minutes

To appoint a member to chair the meeting.

Resolved:   That Councillor Runciman be appointed as Chair of the meeting.

To receive and note apologies for absence.

There were no apologies. The Independent Person was unable to attend the meeting but her views were sought and considered by members.

At this point in the meeting, Members and co-opted members are asked to declare any disclosable pecuniary interest, or other registerable interest, they might have in respect of business on this agenda, if they have not already done so in advance on the Register of Interests. The disclosure must include the nature of the interest.

An interest must also be disclosed in the meeting when it becomes apparent to the member during the meeting.

[Please see attached sheet for further guidance for Members].

Members were asked to declare at this point in the meeting any disclosable pecuniary interests or other registerable interests they might have in respect of business on the agenda, if they had not already done so in advance on the Register of Interests. None were declared.

To consider excluding the public and press from the meeting during consideration of the private reports at Agenda Items 4, 5 and 6, on the grounds that they contain information relating to individuals and information likely to reveal the identity of individuals. This information is classed as exempt under Private Document Pack paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 12A to Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006.

Note: the private reports referred to above follow the public report on each item in the agenda papers.

Resolved:   That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the private report at Agenda Item 5 (Code of Conduct Complaint received in respect of a City of York Councillor), on the grounds that it contained information relating to individuals and information likely to reveal the identity of individuals, which is classed as exempt under paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 12A to Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006.

[Note: following the above resolution, the Deputy Monitoring Officer confirmed that she had nothing further to add in respect of the public reports in the agenda papers, and the remainder of the meeting took place in private session.]

To consider a complaint of breach of the Code of Conduct received in respect of a City of York Councillor and determine next steps.

Members considered a report which set out a Code of Conduct complaint received in respect of a City of York Councillor.  Details of the complaint were presented in the private report referred to above.

Members were asked to decide whether to:

A.   rule that the complaint is out of scope, or

B.   rule that the complaint is in scope and choose either to:

                          i)          take no further action

                        ii)          seek to resolve the matter informally, or

                       iii)          refer the matter for investigation.

Having considered all the information provided, and the advice of the Independent Person at the meeting, it was

Resolved:   That Option B(ii) be approved.

Reason:      The assessment sub-committee concluded that the matters complained of were capable of constituting breaches of the Member Code of Conduct and the complaint was consequently in scope.

The sub-committee concluded that inappropriate language had been used, but that this was symptomatic of a wider issue within current political discourse. It was decided that an advisory note be issued to all political groups and to the independent member.