Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Val Evans.

There were no declarations of interest made. 

[To agree the minutes of the previous meeting, held on 11 July 2016]

That the minutes of the previous meeting held on the 11 July 2016 be agreed as a correct record

There were no matter arising from the previous minutes.

To pass the following resolution:

That in accordance with section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business as it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information falling within paragraph 1 of schedule 12A to the act relating to any individual.

Resolved:

That, in accordance with section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business as they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information falling within paragraph 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act relating to any individual.

[To consider the Monitoring Officer’s report regarding two individual Councillors]

Councillor Elias Mattu asked Kevin O’Keefe, Director of Governance, to provide an overview of the investigation report. He noted that the intention had been for the report to be tabled at the meeting.

Kevin O’Keefe explained that the Monitoring Officer receives and considers complaints about any potential breach in the Councillor code of conduct. He advised that, when it appears that a possible breach may have occurred, it was initially the Monitoring Officer’s responsibility to investigate the substantive allegations.

Kevin O’Keefe explained that he had received an complaint about two Councillors and the discharge of their duties as a Councillor.

Kevin O’Keefe explained that the role of the Standards Committee at its meeting was to determine whether the Councillors conduct might amount to a breach of the Councillors’ code of conduct, if proven. He emphasised that the Committee did not need to agree whether a breach had occurred at this stage, that decision to be made at a future meeting of the Standards Committee, which would consider the allegations in detail (if that were the agreed pathway).

Resolved:

That the Standards Committee should meet to consider whether the Councillors had breached the code of conduct.