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    • Agenda and minutes

    Standards Community Sub-Committee - Wednesday, 25th October, 2023 2.00 pm

    • Attendance details
    • Agenda frontsheet PDF 81 KB
    • Agenda reports pack PDF 311 KB
    • Printed minutes PDF 64 KB

    Venue: Hybrid meeting - Zoom - County Hall. View directions

    Contact: Carol Johnson  01597 826206

    Media

    Items
    No. Item

    1.

    Apologies

    To receive apologies for absence.

    Minutes:

    Apologies for absence were received from Mr J Goolden [Independent Member] and County Councillor I McIntosh.

    2.

    Minutes pdf icon PDF 86 KB

    To authorise the Chair to sign the minutes of the previous meeting of the Committee held on the following date as a correct

    Minutes:

    The Chair was authorised to sign the minutes of the meeting held on 21 June 2023 as a correct record.

     

    It was noted that Newtown Town Council had signed up to the Civility and Respect Pledge referred to at the last meeting by One Voice Wales.

     

    3.

    Declarations of Interest

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

    Minutes:

    There were no declarations of interest.

     

    4.

    Report of the Head of Legal and Monitoring Officer pdf icon PDF 106 KB

    To receive the report of the Head of Legal and Monitoring Officer.

    Minutes:

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

     

    A         Referral of Councillors to Public Services Ombudsman

     

    A1.      Town and Community Councillor Referrals

     

    The current position regarding matters with the Ombudsman is detailed below. It was noted that in the report 03/22 gave only one date and no other details.  Officers agreed to look into this and the table below  shows the correct details.

     

    The abbreviations used in the headings are as follows:

    MO – Monitoring Officer

    OW – Ombudsman Wales

    Stds – Standards Community Sub-Committee

    APW - Adjudication Panel for Wales

     

    Ref

    Date OW notified MO of complaint

    Date OW advised investigating or not investigating

    Date OW’s decision

    Date considered by Stds

    Date considered by APW

    11/21

    20/12/21

    01/02/22

    investigating

    Referred to APW

    N/A

    Hearing 04/07/23 -Former councillor Donald Jenkins - disqualified for 15 months

    03/22

    26/09/22 investigating

    N/A

    N/A

    N/A

    01/23

     

    26/06/23 not investigating

    N/A

    N/A

    N/A

    02/23

     

    14/08/23 not investigating

    N/A

    N/A

    N/A

     

    B.        Dispensations

     

    B1.      Applications - Town and Community Councillors

     

    No applications for dispensation had been received from Town or Community Councillors.

     

    C.        Ombudsman Wales – Our Findings

    The Community Sub-Committee noted that details of cases are available in Ombudsman Wales - Our Findings. The Sub-Committee was advised that at a recent meeting of the Monitoring Officers in Wales, the Ombudsman’s office was asked to consider re-instating the “ Casebook”,  which was considered to be more helpful.

     

    D.        Adjudication Panel for Wales

     

                Details of cases considered by the APW are available on its website.

     

    E.        Meeting Dates

     

                Meetings in 2024 would take place on the following dates at 2pm: 

    7 February

    12 June

    30 October

     

    It was noted that meetings are scheduled for Wednesdays and in response to a question the Chair agreed that the Council diary would be reviewed to see if an alternative day could be found.