Agenda item

To submit for confirmation, the draft minutes of the Standards Committee held on 8 March 2017.

The draft minutes of the Standards Committee held on 8th March, 2017 were confirmed as correct.

Matters arising from the minutes –

Item 3 - Update of Members’ Online Registers

•  No substantive response has been received from the Council’s Welsh Language Officer but the Head of Democratic Services confirmed that there is no financial support available to update the Modern.Gov system’s online Register of Interests form, to ensure equal functionality for members in both Welsh and English.

•  The Head of Democratic Services said that a request for this requirement will be included in the specification when the contract is renewed.

RESOLVED that the Standards Committee accepts the way forward suggested by the Head of Democratic Services and confirmed that they do not recommend submitting a bid for the estimated 10k required to achieve the required functionality.

Action: Nothing further for the Standards Committee.

Item 3 - Conduct Complaints to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales

In response to a request for an update every three months on complaints investigated by the Ombudsman, the Monitoring Officer reported that a complaints matrix was circulated to Members on 11th July, 2017, together with the annual update.

Action: Standards Committee confirmed they were happy with the new arrangement and format adopted and await further reports every quarter.

Item 4 - Adjudication Panel for Wales Decisions

The Monitoring Officer reported that a copy of the report was circulated to County Council Members and Clerks of Town/Community Councils on 9th March, 2017.

Action: Completed.  Nothing further.

Item 5 - Update on the Ombudsman’s Attendance at the North Wales Standards Committee Forum

•  The Monitoring Officer confirmed that, following a request from the Standards Committee, training on the Local Resolution Protocol was included on the Forum’s agenda on 10th April, 2017. 

•  The Monitoring Officer of Denbighshire County Council wrote to One Voice Wales on the 9th March 2017 for an update on the consultation on the Local Resolution Protocol.

One Voice Wales responded that the consultation period had ended, and only the Ombudsman had been consulted on the Protocol.

•  A copy of responses from the last Forum meeting, when the Ombudsman was present, was circulated to all Members of the County Council on 28th March, 2017. 

•  It was noted that the next forum meeting will be held in Wrexham in November, 2017. No specific date has been confirmed.

Action: None

Item 6 - Update on the Adoption of the Amended Statutory Code of Conduct

The Monitoring Officer reported that all three Community Councils who had not, apparently, adopted the amended statutory Code of Conduct have now responded as follows:-

•  Rhoscolyn Community Council confirmed on 18th April, 2017 that it had adopted the Code, and forwarded a copy of the minutes as requested;

•  Llangristiolus and Bodorgan Community Councils have confirmed that they have adopted the Code, but have not forwarded a copy of the minutes.

Action: Monitoring Officer to write to the Clerks at Llangristiolus and Bodorgan Community Councils reminding them of the outstanding request.

Item 8 - Update on the Town/Community Councils’ Register of Interests

The Monitoring Officer confirmed that she wrote to all Town/Community Councils following a review of their registers, highlighting the need to publish the Register of Interests online.

Action:  The Monitoring Officer to write to all Town/Community Councils in March 2018 to ascertain which Councils are now complying.

Item - 9 Town/Community Council - Websites

The Monitoring Officer confirmed that she wrote to One Voice Wales on the 9th March, 2017, asking whether or not there is a plan to assist Town/ Community Councils in setting up their website. It was noted that no written response has been received to date.

Action: Monitoring Officer to chase up a reply.

Item 11 - Management Structure

The Monitoring Officer reported that the ‘Management Structure’ has been published online. It was noted that the Members of the Standards Committee have received copies of the document, which was also made available to staff and Members from 24th March, 2017.  It was further noted that the Management Structure will be reviewed in 12 months.

Action: Monitoring Officer to review March 2018

Item 12 - Briefing Note to Town/Community Council Members on the Requirements for Disclosing and Registering Personal Interests

The Monitoring Officer confirmed that all steps listed in relation to the Briefing Note, and amended Code of Conduct, were completed on 22nd March, 2017.

Action: None