Agenda item

(a)       That the Committee schedules its principal meetings every other month with reserved dates in the intervening months in case it needs to determine any requests for dispensation; and

(b)       That the Forward Work Programme at Appendix 2 be approved.

The Monitoring Officer introduced the report and explained that the Standards Committee regularly tended to receive reports on a cyclical basis which enabled it to complete scheduled work over a period of time, or allowing it to build up and maintain its knowledge.  That work fell into the following categories:

·         Promoting compliance with the Code;

·         Reviewing codes, protocols and processes;

·         Information about the operation of the ethical process; and

·         Decisions on the effective running of the Committee itself.

Those reports could be scheduled so that the work programme gave due attention and weight to each aspect of the Committee’s functions during the course of a year.  Structuring the work programme also gave an opportunity to re-examine the frequency of meetings which was unusually high within Mid and North Wales.

The table outlined in Appendix 1 showed the items considered by the Committee at each of its meetings since June 2017.  In addition to the items listed, every meeting considered dispensations and the Forward Work Programme.  It was possible to categorise the work as follows:

1.    Promoting compliance with the code e.g. deciding dispensations, the annual meeting with Town and Community Councils, the liaison meetings with the Chair and Leader of the Council, planning training for Councillors etc.;

2.    Reviewing codes, protocols and processes e.g. the rolling review of the codes/protocols within the Constitution, visits to Town and Community Councils meetings etc.;

3.    Information about the operation of the ethical process e.g. the overview of ethical complaints, the annual report from the PSOW/APW and the PSOW case book etc.; and

4.    Decisions on the effective running of the Committee itself e.g. managing recruitment to the Committee, briefing/de-briefing for the NMWW Standards Forum, agreeing the Forward Work Programme etc.

Using those categories of work it was possible to compile a Forward Work Programme that addressed the Committee’s full terms of reference in six principal meetings through the year.  At each meeting the Committee could consider 2/3 items of work.  Additionally it could also consider dispensation requests and any reports relating to the running of the Committee which, by their nature, tended to be quicker to write and consider.  Meetings could be scheduled every two months, with a slot reserved in the intervening months in case of requests for dispensation.  A suggested Forward Work Programme based on that approach was attached at Appendix 2 for consideration.

A discussion took place and all members supported the approach as suggested.  In response to a question from Julia Hughes, the Monitoring Officer confirmed the items on the Forward Work Programme could be moved around.

                        Following a question on the logistics of a meeting with Town and Community Councils in November, the Monitoring Officer said either a briefing session would be offered before the meeting, or a training session could be arranged on the use of webex.  Members then discussed the Zoom platform which they understood was used by many Town and Community Councils.  The Monitoring Officer said if Zoom was the application of choice then that could be used.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the Committee schedules its principal meetings every other month with reserved dates in the intervening months in case it needs to determine any requests for dispensation; and

(b)       That the Forward Work Programme at Appendix 2 be approved.