Agenda item

Adroddiad Cyfreithiwr y Sir

To receive the report of the Solicitor to the Council.

Minutes:

The Committee received the report of the Solicitor to the Council (copy filed with signed minutes).

 

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

 

A1       Code of Conduct Training

 

All Members and Co-opted Members have undertaken Code of Conduct training.

 

A2       Mandatory Training

 

Treasury Management is a mandatory training session.  Members have had two opportunities to attend this training and there are thirteen members who have yet to undergo this training.  A further session has been arranged for 20th July 2018.

 

 

Resolved that:

Reason for recommendation:

The Chair write to the 13 Members advising they are required to attend the Mandatory Treasury Management Development Session on 20th July 2018.

To ensure compliance with the Council’s policy regarding Mandatory Training.

 

B         Referral of Councillors to Public Services Ombudsman

 

B1       County Councillor Referrals

 

02/CC/2017    Ombudsman investigating.

01/CC/2018    Ombudsman investigating

02/CC/2018    Ombudsman investigating

03/CC/2018    Complaint received – not investigating

04/CC/2018    Ombudsman deciding whether or not to investigate

05/CC/2018    Ombudsman investigating

06/CC/2018    Complaint received – not investigating

07/CC/2018    Complaint received – not investigating

08/CC/2018    Ombudsman deciding whether or not to investigate

 

C         Dispensations

 

C1       Applications - County Councillors

 

            No applications for dispensation had been received from County Councillors.

 

D         Delegation for urgent matters

 

There are only three meetings a year of the Standards Committee in the diary.  Extraordinary meetings of Standards Committee may be called where urgent matters are required to be decided Members considered delegating authority to the Chair and Vice-Chair of Standards Committee together with the Monitoring Officer to take a holding decision pending confirmation of the position at the next Standards Committee.  Decisions such as this will be limited to non-controversial applications for dispensation and it was stressed that if it was deemed necessary for a meeting to call this would happen. 

 

RESOLVED THAT:

REASON FOR RESOLUTION:

Committee delegate non-controversial applications for dispensation to the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Standards Committee in consultation with the Monitoring Officer to grant a temporary dispensation subject to confirmation at Standards Committee for a trial period of one year

 

To allow applications for dispensation to be decided in a timely manner but confirmed at a meeting of the Standards Committee.

 

E         Late Payment of Expenses

 

A claim for payment of expenses was submitted by Councillor Karen Laurie-Parry for mileage expenses (submitted on 15th April 2018 for October, November and December 2017).

 

The Committee approved this application (which was the first one for mileage made by this Member) and thanked the Member for the detailed explanation she had provided.

 

RESOLVED THAT:

REASON FOR DECISION

i)             the payment of the late claim submitted by Cllr Karen Laurie-Parry for mileage be paid for the period October, November and December 2017

To reimburse expenses incurred by Cllr K Laurie-Parry.

 

F          Ombudsman’s Casebook

 

The Ombudsman had published Code of Conduct Casebooks for the following period:

 

·         October - December 2017

·         January – March 2018

 

A copy of these Casebooks were attached at Appendix A.

 

G         Annual Report from Adjudication Panel for Wales

 

The Adjudication Panel for Wales (APW) had published its Annual Report for 2016/17 which can be accessed from the APW website.

 

H         Adjudication Panel for Wales decision report

 

In February 2018 the Adjudication Panel for Wales published a decision report in respect of Dr Stuart Anderson former Councillor for Conwy County Borough Council.  The Adjudication Panel for Wales had received the matter as a referral from the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales and, having dealt with the matter at a Case Tribunal on 9th and 10th of January 2018.  The outcome of the Tribunal was to disqualify Dr Anderson from being or becoming a Member of a relevant authority for a period of 18 months.

 

I           Sanctions Guidance

 

The Committee noted that the Adjudication Panel for Wales had published Sanctions Guidance setting out the approach to be taken in case, appeal and interim tribunals by the Adjudication Panel of Wales. 

 

J          Standards Conference

 

The Standards Conference will be co-hosted by Ceredigion County Council and Powys County Council on 14th September 2018.  Members would be contacted for expressions of interest in attending the conference.

 

K         Meeting Dates

 

            To note dates of future meetings as follows:

 

Friday 14th September 2018 – Standards Conference Aberystwyth University

 

Wednesday 3rd October 2018 – Standards Committee

 

Supporting documents: