Agenda and minutes

To elect a Chair of the Committee until the next Annual Council meeting

RESOLVED – That Stephen Clarke be elected as Chair of the Standards Committee for the period until the next Annual Council Meeting.

To appoint a Vice-Chair of the Committee until the next Annual Council meeting.

RESOLVED – That Keiran McMahon be appointed Vice Chair of the Standards Committee for the period until the next Annual Council Meeting.

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 19 November 2013.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 19 November 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. You can also submit via the Council’s website at www.stockport.gov.uk/publicquestions.

Members of the public were invited to submit questions to the Chair of the Committee on any matters within its powers and duties, subject to the exclusions set out in the Code of Practice.

One question was submitted asking whether Grice was eligible to serve as a Councillor.

The Monitoring Officer reported that the question was outside the remit of the Standards Committee as the Returning Officer was responsible for determining whether a candidate met the qualifications required to serve as a Councillor.

RESOLVED – That the Returning Officer be requested to respond to the questioner and a copy of his response be circulated to members of this Committee.

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

No urgent decisions were reported.

To consider a guide prepared to assist:-

·         an elected Councillor of Stockport Council

·         a Co-opted Member of Stockport Council sitting on the Standards Committee or the Children & Young People’s Scrutiny Committee

·        a voting member of the Health & Wellbeing Board

in relation to requirements placed on the above under The Localism Act 2011 in relation to the Code of Conduct for its members and Register of Members’Interests.

The Standards Committee are invited to comment on the guide.

Officer contact Craig Ainsworth on telephone number 0161 474 3204 or alternatively email craig.ainsworth@stockport.gov.uk

The Monitoring Officer reminded the Committee that at its meeting on 3 September 2013, the Committee had suggested that a guide be produced to assist Councillors and Co-opted Members in relation to Disclosable Pecuniary Interests. A copy of a draft guide (copies of which had been circulated) was submitted by the Standards Committee to comment on.

It was also reported that the Monitoring Officer and Democratic Services Manager had offered to attend Group Meetings to provide advice in relation to the completion of the Register of Members Interests Form an when members should declare an interest at meetings.

The following comments were made:

·         The guidance could provide further examples of what interests needed to be included under which sections on the Register of Members Interests Form e.g. Members of Joint Authorities.

·         In relation to Disclosable Pecuniary Interests, under the section relating to “Land” further examples be provided in relation to what may constitute “Land” and reference should be made to “Sensitive Interests”

·         Under the heading “What does having a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest stop me doing?” after the second bullet point replace “or” with “and”.

·         In relation to Disclosable Pecuniary Interests, under the section relating to “Securities”, it would be helpful to explain what is meant by “Securities” and that it may be difficult to know whether the body has a place of business or land in the Borough so it would probably be best to declare all shares above £25,000.

·         It would be helpful to provide example of what would be defined as a “Civil Partner” and a Glossary be provided at the start of the document.

·         The last section of the Guide under the heading “Remember” should be at the start of the document as these principles should inform members thinking in relation to whether to declare an interest either of the Register of Members Interests Form or at a meeting.

RESOLVED – (1) That subject to the above comments, the Guide be endorsed.

(2) That Members be reminded of the importance of reviewing their Register of Members Interests Form on a regular basis and that Groups be encouraged to take up the offer for the Monitoring Officer and Democratic Services Manager to attend Group Meetings to provide advice in relation to the completion of the Register of Members Interests Form an when members should declare an interest at meetings.