Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence.

There were no apologies for absence.

To authorise the Chair to sign the minutes of the previous meeting of the Committee held on 20 February 2020 as a correct record.

The Chair was authorised to sign the minutes of the meeting held on 12 February 2020 as a correct record.

To receive any declarations of interest from Members relating to items to be considered on the agenda.

No declarations were received.

To receive the report of the Head of Legal and Democratic Services.

The Committee received the report of the Head of Legal and Democratic Services (copy filed with signed minutes).

A.        General Standards Issues for County Councillors and Co-opted

Members

A1.      Code of Conduct Training

The Committee noted that the Mid-term mandatory Code of Conduct training, delayed from June 2020, due to Covid19, was undertaken via Teams in December 2020.  The Committee noted that one Member has to complete this training and this is being followed up.   

B.        Members attendance

The Committee noted that no councillors had attendance below 60% for the period 14 May 2020 to 12 May 2021.

C.        Referral of Councillors to the Public Services Ombudsman

C1.      County Council Referrals

The current position regarding matters with the Ombudsman is detailed below:

04/CC/2019    Ombudsman deciding whether or not to investigate

05/CC/2019    Not investigating

06/CC/2019    Concluded not investigating

08/CC/2019    Not investigating

09/CC/2019    Not investigating

10/CC/2019    Not investigating

11/CC/2019    Not investigating

01/CC/2020    Not investigating

02/CC/2020    Ombudsman investigating

03/CC/2020    Not investigating

04/CC/2020    Not investigating

05/CC/2020    Not investigating

06/CC/2020    Not investigating

Concerns were raised about the length of time it takes to investigate some of the complaints.  The Chair advised that it was an issue he would raise at the North Wales Standards Committees Forum meeting the next day.  The Deputy Monitoring Officer advised that the Ombudsman had reported that the number of complaints received had significantly increased since June 2020.  It was noted that the Ombudsman has at least 12 months to consider whether to investigate a complaint and if an investigation is undertaken a further 12 months can lapse.  It was acknowledged that the length of time placed all parties involved in a complaint in a difficult position.  

D         Dispensations

D1.    Applications- CountyCouncillors

The Chair welcomed County Councillor Vaughan to the meeting and  considered his application for dispensation for all councillors who are farmers.

Councillor Vaughan advised the Committe that his application arose as a result of a motion he had made to the Council meeting in November 2020.  The Committee were referred to the motion, which was as follows:

“The agricultural sector is of paramount importance to our economy and communities of Powys as indicated in this this map.  With 9.5 million sheep in Wales we have seen one of the main natural products, wool, having extremely low prices in recent times.

We have wool grading centres in Newtown and Brecon, and the sheep sector is of huge importance in Powys.  Wool is also a natural, environmentally friendly and fire retardant product.

In view of this, the Council proposes that the authority, as part of the Mid Wales Growth deal, looks at opportunities to add value to our agricultural products and specifically to work with the farming unions and the British Wool Marketing Board with a view of facilitating the establishment of the equivalent of WRONZ, Wool Research Organisation New Zealand in Mid Wales hence being a catalyst for innovative ideas, products and commercial spin offs using wool.” 

Councillor Vaughan commented that this is one example where, if a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.