Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Monitoring Officer.

The report updates the Standards Committee on the current position regarding the LGA’s Model Code of Conduct for Councillors, the guidance that has bee issued to support the Model in order to assist the Standards Committee in deciding whether it wishes to recommend the adoption of the LGA Model Code to the Council.

Standards Committee is requested to consider whether to recommend to the Constitution Working Party that the new Model of Conduct be adopted.

Officer Contact: Vicki Bates on 0161 474 3219 or email: vicki.bates@stockport.gov.uk

The Strategic Head of Service and Monitoring Officer submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) which updated the Standards Committee on the current position regarding the LGA’s Model Code of Conduct for Councillors, the guidance that has been issued to support the Model in order to assist the Standards Committee in deciding whether it wishes to recommend the adoption of the LGA Model Code to the Council.

The following comments were made/issues raised:

·         The Monitoring Officer confirmed that an additional table would be added into the Interests section of the report to further clarify the situation.

·         The Monitoring Officer sought clarification as to whether Standards Committee would like to retain what was previously called the Local Code in relation to interests where personal and prejudicial interests would be retained.

·         The Monitoring Officer highlighted that this remains a voluntary code.

·         Members considered that the LGA Model Code of Conduct was an improvement on what was already there and as such should be adopted.

·         Members raised the issue of training and reviews.  The Monitoring Officer suggested a briefing of the document at the scrutiny stage of the governance process.  If the document is adopted, training would then be undertaken and it was agreed that Members of the Standards Committee would be able to take part in this training.

RESOLVED – That Standards Committee recommend to the Constitution Working Party that the new Model of Conduct be adopted.