Agenda and minutes

No declaration of interest received.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 13 March, 2013.  (Enclosure ‘A’)

The minutes of the meeting held on 13 March, 2013 were confirmed, subject to the following :-

Item 2 9.-  Item should read All Wales Standards Conference.

Item 2 10. – Proposed Changes to the Constitution/Protocols – Changes (Reference 5.3.17 is now 5.3.1 within the Constitution)

ARISING THEREON

Item 5 – Complaints Management Project – Audit Review Policy

It was noted that the Audit Manager be invited to the Standards Committee on the 12^th December, 2013 in order to agree the Terms of Reference of the Audit Review.

Leader and Group Leaders Meeting with the Chair of the Standards Committee

It was agreed that a meeting be arranged with the Leader and Group Leaders together with the Chair of the Standards Committee.

3A  Areport by the Customer Care Officer in the form of an up-dated matrix for County Councillors is provided for the Committee’s attention.  For information and any questions. (Enclosure ‘B’)

3B  Areport by the Customer Care Officer in the form of an up-dated matrix for Town and Community Councils is provided for the Committee’s attention.  For information and any questions.  (Enclosure ‘C’)

3A Submitted, for information – a report by the Customer Care Officer in the form of an updated matrix for County Councillors.

RESOLVED to note the report for information.

ACTION : An update on any further developments from the Customer Care Officer at the next Standards Committee.

3B Submitted, for information – a report by the Customer Care Officer in the form of an updated matrix for Town and Community Councils. The Head of Function (Legal and Administration)/Monitoring Officer gave a detailed report on the response of the Ombudsman in respect of the complaint by 5 Members of a Community Council against a fellow Councillor.

The Head of Function (Legal and Administration)/Monitoring Officer stated that she was concerned that only 13 out of the 40 Town/Community Councils on Anglesey have responded to the request by the Chair of the Standards Committee, copies of the Declarations of Acceptance of Office following the election held in May 2013 and copies of their current Code.

RESOLVED

·         to note the report for information;

·         that the Town/Community Councils be approached, as a matter of urgency, informing them of the importance of receipt of the Declarations of Acceptance of Office and the Code of Conduct.

ACTION : An update on any further developments from the Customer Care Officer at the next Standards Committee.

Summary report by the Customer Care Officer.  (Enclosure ‘CH’)

Submitted and noted – the findings of the Adjudication Panel for Wales from 1^st April 2011 to 29^th May, 2013.

RESOLVED to note the report.

ACTION : None

Verbal report by the Chair of the Standards Committee.  (Enclosure ‘D’)

The Chair of the Standards Committee gave a verbal report on the above.

Members of the Standards Committee requested that relevant papers available at the Conference be forwarded to them for information.

RESOLVED to note the verbal presentation by the Chair.

ACTION : That the relevant papers available at the Conference to be forwarded to the Members of the Standards Committee.

Verbal report by the Chair of the Standards Committee.  (Enclosure ‘DD’)

The Chair of the Standards Committee gave a verbal report on the above.

RESOLVED to note the verbal presentation by the Chair.

ACTION : None

Verbal report from the Chair of the Standards Committee.  (Enclosure ‘E’)

The Chair of the Standards Committee gave a verbal report on the Standards Committee Annual Report 2012/2013 and Work Programme for 2013/2014 which was approved by the County Council on 23 May, 2013.

RESOLVED to note the report.

ACTION : None

8A     Social Media Protocol  (Enclosure ‘F’)

8B     Planning Procedure Rules (Enclosure ‘FF’)

8C    Self Regulation Protocol (Enclosure ‘G’)

8CH New DBS Policy  (Enclosure ‘NG’)

Submitted and noted – the changes to the Constitution as resolved by the County Council on 23 May, 2013 and following recommendations from the Standards Committee :-

8A Social Media Protocol

8B Planning Procedure Rules

8C Self Regulation Protocol

8CH New DBS Policy - It was noted that the DBS Policy will be attached to the Human Resources documentation on the Councils website.

RESOLVED to note the above changes to the Constitution.

ACTION : That the New DBS Policy be attached to the Human Resources documentation.

Report from the Head of Democratic Services.  (Enclosure ‘H’)

Submitted – a report by the Interim Head of Democratic Services in relation to the above.

The Head of Function (Legal and Administration)/Monitoring Officer reported that a grant of £40,000 has been allocated to all Local Authorities to assist with broadcasting and remote attendance plus an extra £500 for each Community Council to support the establishment of Community Council

websites. The grant allocation needs to be spent during 2013/14.

At present audio recordings of proceedings at the Planning and Orders Committee are posted to the Council website but this has not been extended to other Committees. With regard to webcasting of meetings, and the grant allocation, this will be reported to the Democratic Services Committee as

part of its current work programme. There are various issues, technical and non-technical, that need to be addressed in order to take full advantage of webcasting meetings and future requirements in relation to remote access.

The Local Democracy Bill includes a requirement for all Community Councils to develop websites. There is an expectation for the Councils to collaborate with One Voice Wales to discuss how the grant provision element for Community Council websites should be co-ordinated and further guidance from One Voice Wales is awaited.

RESOLVED to note the report.

ACTION : That an update report from the Head of Democratic Services be submitted to the Standards Committee on the 12^th December, 2013.

(Papur ‘I’)

The Head of Function (Legal and Administration)/Monitoring Officer reported that 27 out of the 30 Elected Members has attended the mandatory training on the ethical framework. Those who did not attend were all returning Members.

RESOLVED to request the Head of Function (Legal and Administration)/Monitoring to write to the 3 Members who have not attended the training on the ethical framework and remind them

of the Constitutional requirement.

ACTION : As resolved.

To consider the following :-

“Under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, to exclude the press and public from the meeting for the following item(s) on the grounds that it may involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 12, Part I of Schedule 12A of the said Act and the attached Public Interest Test.”

RESOLVED to adopt the following :-

“Under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, to exclude the press and public from the meeting for the following item on the grounds that it may involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 12, Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the said Act and the attached Public Interest Test.”

(Papur ‘L’)

The minutes of the Hearing and decision of the 7^th March, 2013 were confirmed.

The Head of Function (Legal and Administration)/Monitoring Officer reported that the decision of the Hearing will appear in the local press and on the Council’s website when the appeal period has come to an end.

RESOLVED to note the report.