Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources.

The Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources (Councillor Malcolm Allan) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing recommendations from the Standards Committee that the Council adopt the LGA Voluntary Code of Conduct subject to the retention of a ‘local code’ in relation to the continued requirement for councillors to disclose personal and prejudicial interests.

RESOLVED – (1) That the proposed Members’ Code of Conduct be approved and adopted.

(2) That authority be delegated to the Monitoring Officer to make the consequential amendments to the Constitution without having to return to a further Council Meeting for such agreement.

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources.

As a consequence of the Committee on Standards in Public Life Report issued in January 2019 the LGA drafted a new Voluntary Code of Conduct for Councillors.   The LGA issued a draft Voluntary Code of Conduct on 17 August 2020 for consultation.   A “final” version was issued on 23 December 2020.  However, after further feedback from various Local Authorities seeking clarification on the section on interests and identifying some omissions a revised final version was published on 21 September 2021.

The council’s Standards Committee recommended on 3 March 2022 that the LGA Voluntary Code of Conduct be adopted by the council but with the inclusion of our local code in relation to the continued requirement for councillors to disclose personal and prejudicial interests (as was adopted by the council when that was removed from the previous national recommended code following the Localism Act 2011).

The Cabinet is requested to recommend that the Council Meeting adopt the proposed Code of Conduct with authority to be provided to the Monitoring Officer to make the consequential amendments to the Constitution without having to return to a further Council Meeting for such agreement.

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

The Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources (Councillor Malcolm Allan) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing a recommendations from the Standards Committee that the Council adopt the LGA Voluntary Code of Conduct subject to the retention of a ‘local code’ in relation to the continued requirement for councillors to disclose personal and prejudicial interests.

RESOLVED – That the Council Meeting be recommended to adopt the proposed Code of Conduct with authority to be provided to the Monitoring Officer to make the consequential amendments to the Constitution without having to return to a further Council Meeting for such agreement.

To consider a report of the Strategic Head of Service & Monitoring Officer

(Legal and Democratic Governance).

The report provides details relating to the LGA voluntary model code of conduct for members to adopt.

The Scrutiny Committee is asked to commend to the Council Meeting that the LGA voluntary model code of conduct for Members be adopted by agreement at a future Council Meeting with authority to be provided to the Monitoring Officer to make the consequential amendments to the Constitution without having to return to a further Council Meeting for such agreement.

Officer contact: Vicki Bates, 0161 474 3219, vicki.bates@stockport.gov.uk

The Strategic Head of Service & Monitoring Officer (Legal and Democratic Governance) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing details relating to the LGA voluntary model code of conduct for

members to adopt.

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

It was commented that the report had been previously considered by  Corporate Governance, the Constitutional Working Party and the Standards Committee.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.