Issue - meetings

Liaison on Ethical Issues with the Council

Meeting: 03/02/2020 - Standards Committee (Item 58)

58 Liaison on Ethical Issues with the Council pdf icon PDF 78 KB

To receive feedback from the meeting between the Chair and Leader of Council with the Chair and Vice Chair of the Committee.

Decision:

(a)          That Independent Members observe Full Council and Committee meetings;

 

(b)          That the Democratic Services Team Leader (Committees) arranges a rota of visits with Independent Members; and

 

(c)          That future ethical liaison meetings should include Group Leaders.

 

Minutes:

The Monitoring Officer introduced a report to provide feedback from the meeting between the Chair and Leader of the Council with the Chair and Vice Chair of the Standards Committee in November 2019.  He reported that all parties felt that the meeting had been productive and had agreed that the Independent Members should visit full Council and Committee meetings to observe in the same way as they had attended Town and Community Council meetings; and that such meetings should, in future, include Group Leaders.

 

It had been agreed at the meeting that Independent Members would visit County Council meetings in the same way as they had visted town and community councils.  The Monitoring Officer explained that the Council had six Overview & Scrutiny Committees,  Audit Committee, Planning Committee and Licensing Committee.  It also met periodically as full Council where all members attended and had a number of employment committees which meet when required.  The Monitoring Officer advised that as with visits by Independent Members to Town and Community Councils it was important that the exercise was undertaken in the correct way and the Chair of each meeting should be informed that an Independent Member would be visiting their meeting.  Independent Members would not participate in meetings but would observe and provide feedback to the Standards Committee. 

 

Councillor Paul Johnson expressed a concern around conflict of interest if  Members were asked to consider feedback from observation of meetings of the Council in which they had participated.  The  Chair commented that Independent Members attending meetings of the Council and Committees would be able to provide feedback on their experience which would reflect that of a member of the public in attendance.  The Monitorng Officer explained that the purpose of the visits by Independent Members was to observe for example whether Councillors were following the Code of Conduct, the Flintshire Standards, Member/Officer Protocol, and at Planning Committee the Planning Protocol.  He commented that individuals attending the meetings would not be identified in the feedback.

 

Ken Molyneux suggested that, as with visits to Town and Community Councils, a list of the requirements be provided to assist Independent Members to undertake this task. 

 

The Monitoring Officer advised that the  Democratic Services Team Leader (Committees) would be asked to arrange a rota of visits with Independent Members. 

 

Councillor Paul Johnson proposed that two Independent Members be required to undertake visits to meetings of the full County Council.  This was seconded by Ken Molyneux and agreed by the Committee.  The Committee also agreed that future ethical liaison meetings should include Group Leaders.

 

The recommendations were moved by Councillor Patrick Heesom and seconded by Councillor Arnold Woolley

 

RESOLVED:

 

 

(a)          That Independent Members observe Full Council and Committee meetings;

 

(b)          That the Democratic Services Team Leader (Committees) arranges a rota of visits with Independent Members; and

 

(c)          That future ethical liaison meetings should include Group Leaders.