Issue - meetings

To receive a report by Grace Evans, Head of Legal Services.

The Director of Legal and Democratic Services and Monitoring Officer introduced the item and explained that the Audit &Governance committee had a wider responsibility than just audit as Dorset Council didn’t have a Standards Committee.

The Head of Legal Services presented the report on the Councillor Code of Conduct and Complaint Process. 

There were three recommendations.

1. Adopt the amendment to the Councillor Code of Conduct for Dorset Council, Table 2: Other Registrable Interests: “(d) Membership of other pressure groups, the Freemasons or other influential bodies of which you are a member.”

2. Invite Dorset’s Town and Parish Councils to consider adopting recommendation 1 above as an amendment to their Councillor Code of Conduct.

 3. Adopt the proposed new arrangements for dealing with Code of Conduct complaints against Councillors.

Feedback had been taken into account from staff, Independent Persons involved in complaints and members of the hearing sub-committees.

Key changes in 1.4 of the report were addressed.  Key officers involved had seen and commented on the proposals. 

The Director of Legal and Democratic Services and Monitoring Officer gave feedback on three positive responses that had been received from the consultation with Independent Persons

Cllr Flower referred to the importance of member ownership and the importance of understanding what committee were being asked to consider. He wanted the opportunity to scrutinise the report in further detail. 

Cllr Flower proposed, Cllr Parry seconded:

DECISION:  To set up a task and finish group through the Chair to scrutinise in further detail and fully understand the Code of Conduct and complaint process. 

And bring back to the Audit & Governance Committee as expediently as possible.