Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from County Councillors S McNicholas and K Roberts-Jones who were on other Council business.

To authorise the Chair to sign the minutes of the previous meeting(s) of the Committee held on the following dates(s) as a correct record.

The Chair was authorised to sign the minutes of the meeting held on 21 January 2022 as a correct record.

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

Mrs J Evans declared a prejudicial interest in Item 4 - Section C – Dispensations as she owned land which could potentially be afforested and would leave the meeting for the item.

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 one member whose mandatory Code of Conduct training had been outstanding, had now been completed.

B.        Referral of Councillors to the Public Services Ombudsman

B1.      County Council Referrals

The current position regarding matters with the Ombudsman is as follows: 

02/CC/2020    Ombudsman investigating

01/CC/2021    Ombudsman deciding whether or not to investigate

03/CC/2021    It was noted that since the Agenda had been published, the Ombudsman had advised that no action would be taken following investigation

04/CC/2021    Ombudsman investigating

Mrs J Evans having declared an interest left the meeting for the next item.

C.           Dispensations

C1.    Applications- CountyCouncillors

The Chair welcomed County Councillor E Vaughan to the meeting.  He thanked the Committee for the opportunity to speak about his application for a dispensation.  He advised that the latest information from officers showed that 75% of councillors had some link to farming and the agriculture industry.  He advised that if a dispensation was not available a lot of knowledge and experience would not be available to other councillors when farming and agriculture industry issues are debated.  Councillor Vaughan advised he was applying for a dispensation to allow these councillors to participate in debates but not vote on any issue and stated that Carmarthenshire County Council and other councils were following the same model.

The Committee members noted that it would be important for the Council to hear from those with knowledge and experience of farming and the agriculture industry before the Council made decisions on issues relating to these.  The committee supported the application.

In response to comments the Head of Legal and Democratic Services advised that if the dispensation was granted, whenever an issue covered by the dispensation was included on an agenda, councillors would need to state they were using the dispensation when they were asked to declare any interests.  In addition, he advised that the reliance by councillors on the dispensation would also be reiterated prior to the item being discussed. 

It was moved and duly seconded to approve the dispensation.