Issue - meetings

To seek the Committee’s views on issues to be raised at the forthcoming meetings of the Mid and North Wales Standards Forum and biennial meeting with the Chair and Leader of Council.

That an item on the suggested topics for discussion with the Chair and Leader of the Council be considered at the March meeting, following feedback from Independent Members attending formal committee meetings.

The Monitoring Officer presented a report to seek the Committee’s views on issues to be raised at forthcoming meetings of the Mid and North Wales Standards Forum and the biennial meeting between the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Standards Committee with the Chair and Leader of the Council (which had been deferred due to the emergency situation).

In preparation for the latter meeting, the Committee was asked to consider suggestions to put to Group Leaders which would help the Committee to fulfil its role and meet requirements of the new legislation.  During discussion, it was agreed that the suggestions would be better informed once Independent Members had taken the opportunity to observe formal meetings (as discussed earlier on the agenda) and reported back on their findings at the March meeting.

In welcoming this, Phillipa Earlam suggested attendance at training could be one of the issues to raise.  Councillor Johnson said that the Committee itself could explore this issue at a future meeting.

As requested by Julia Hughes, it was agreed that the meeting with the Chair and Leader of the Council would take place first to seek their views prior to the meeting with Group Leaders.  The Monitoring Officer would make the necessary arrangements.

It was noted that the next meeting of the Standards Forum was scheduled to be held in October, to be hosted by Powys County Council.

RESOLVED:

That an item on the suggested topics for discussion with the Chair and Leader of the Council be considered at the March meeting, following feedback from Independent Members attending formal committee meetings.