Issue - meetings

To finalise arrangements for regular liaison meetings between the Leader and Chair of the Council and the Chair and Vice Chair of the Standards Committee.

(a)       That the agreement of the Leader and Chair of Council to six monthly liaison meetings be welcomed; and

(b)       That the key issues set out in the report form the agenda for such meetings and the first meeting consider the future membership and frequency of meetings.

The Monitoring Officer presented a report on the outcome of the Committee’s resolution on 2 September 2019 for the Council to voluntarily adopt a number of best practice recommendations made by the ‘Committee on Standards in Public Life’.  The report related to the specific recommendation for the Standards Committee Chair and Vice-Chair to meet regularly with senior figures within the Council to provide an opportunity for informal discussion on the Committee’s work programme and to raise any concerns about procedures, protocols or Member behaviour.

Following agreement by the Leader and Chair of the Council, a preliminary meeting had been arranged with the Committee Chair and Vice-Chair for 18 November, with the aim for subsequent meetings to be held every six months.

Councillor Johnson’s suggestion that the second meeting take place before the date of the Annual General Meeting 2020 was noted.

When asked by Councillor Heesom about including Group Leaders, the Monitoring Officer suggested that the first meeting include consideration on the membership of the group and frequency of meetings.  This was welcomed by Councillor Heesom.  The Monitoring Officer also clarified that those on the membership would not need to declare personal interests as this was an internal group of the Council.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the agreement of the Leader and Chair of Council to six monthly liaison meetings be welcomed; and

(b)       That the key issues set out in the report form the agenda for such meetings and the first meeting consider the future membership and frequency of meetings.