Agenda and minutes

At this point, members are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interests they may have in the business on this agenda.

Members were invited to declare at this point in the meeting any personal or prejudicial interests they might have in the business on the agenda.  No interests were declared.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting of the Standards Committee held on 23 January 2009.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the Standards Committee meeting held on 23 January 2009 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

At this point in the meeting, members of the public who have registered their wish to speak, regarding an item on the agenda or an issue within the remit of the Standards Committee, may do so.  The deadline for registering is 10 am on Thursday 12 March 2009.

It was reported that there had been no registrations to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

To review the work plan for the Standards Committee for the 2008/09 municipal year.  A copy of the latest approved work plan is attached.

Members reviewed the work plan for the Standards Committee for the current Municipal Year.

With reference to the training session on declarations of interest, which had been delivered to Standards Committee in advance of this meeting, it was noted that a date would be arranged with Member Services to deliver a similar session to all Members, as revised in accordance with the feedback received after today’s session.¹

With reference to the item on reviewing the profile and operation of the Standards Committee within the Council, the Monitoring Officer reported that he had met with the Council’s Audit and Risk Manager with a view to arranging for a wider range of relevant issues to be reported to the Committee in due course.  Such matters might include, for example, the Council’s performance in relation to the management of complaints and the promotion of ethical governance as part of the new Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) regime.

RESOLVED: That the information provided be noted and that the Standards Committee’s Annual Report to Council be added to the work plan for consideration at the next meeting.²

REASON:      In the interests of organising the business of the Committee and to ensure that the Annual Report is agreed before submission to Full Council.

To receive a verbal update from the Monitoring Officer on progress with the review of the Council’s Member / Officer Protocol.

Members received a verbal update from the Monitoring Officer on progress with the review of the City of York Council’s Member / Officer Protocol.

It was reported that the draft Protocol had now been amended and circulated for consultation to Group Leaders, Group Secretaries, Directors, and Trades Unions, as agreed at the last meeting.

RESOLVED:            That the update be noted.

With the permission of the Chair, the Monitoring Officer reported under this item the outcome of the recent meeting of the Assessments Sub Committee, held on 4 March to consider complaints against four Members of City of York Council.

Decision notices in relation to these complaints would shortly be published on the Council’s website.

RESOLVED: That the information provided by the Monitoring Officer be noted.