Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 18 June 2013.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 18 June 2013 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Members and officers to declare any interests which they have in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting

No declarations of interest were made.

Members of the public are invited to put questions to the Chair of the Committee on any matters within the powers and duties of the Committee, subject to the exclusions set out in the Code of Practice (Questions must be submitted prior to the commencement of the meeting on the cards provided. These are available the meeting and at local libraries and information centres.  You can also submit via the Council’s website at www.stockport.gov.uk/publicquestions.

No public questions were submitted.

To report any urgent action taken under the Constitution since the last meeting of the Committee.

No urgent decisions were reported.

To consider a report of the Monitoring Officer.

The Monitoring Officer submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Committee to comment on a draft protocol, produced jointly by the Monitoring Officer and Greater Manchester Police, for the investigation of offences under the Localism Act 2011 in Stockport,

The Committee discussed the proposed roles assigned to this Committee, the Monitoring Officer and the Independent Person under the proposed Protocol.

The Committee expressed concern at the potential delay between a complaint being made to the Police and the decision being made as to whether to investigate the complaint further, particularly in the light of the probability of intensive media scrutiny of the process and the limited timeframe available in the lead-up to local elections when such complaints were more likely to be lodged.

It was suggested that the making of such complaints could be used in a malicious way and there needed to be provision for vexatious complaints to be assessed expeditiously.

RESOLVED – (1) That the Monitoring Officer be requested to write to Greater Manchester Police making them aware of this Committee’s concern at the potential time taken between a complaint being referred to the Police and them making an initial assessment on whether to carry out a full investigation.

(2) That the adoption of the Protocol be delegated to the Monitoring Officer in consultation with the Chair following a discussion taking place with Greater Manchester Police regarding an assurance that any complaints will be assessed quickly.

(3) That this Committee would wish to see all complaints referred to the Chief Inspector (Operations), as a single point of contact to make the initial assessment as to whether to carry out a full investigation.

(4) That the Monitoring Officer be requested to produce a guide for Councillors and Co-opted Members in relation to Disclosable Pecuniary Interests for consideration at the next meeting of this Committee.