Issue - meetings

RESOLVED: 

(a)      That the threshold above which gifts and hospitality etc must be registered remains at £10.00; and

(b)      That the IRPW be asked to consider if it would set a common value which could be applied by all local authorities across Wales

The Chief Officer (Governance) presented the report to approve the changes to the Code of Conduct for Councillors that had been recommended by the Standards Committee as part of the rolling review of the Constitution.  He provided background information and referred to the main considerations as detailed in the report.  Members were asked to consider whether the value above which gifts and hospitality etc must be registered should be increased from £10.00 to £25.00

Councillor Richard Jones expressed the view that the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales (IRPW) should set the monetary value above which gifts and hospitality should be registered and said this would achieve consistency across local authorities in Wales.

Councillor David Coggins-Cogan held the view that any gift should be declared regardless of the value and proposed that the recommendation in the report be amended to reflect that the value be zero.  The proposal was seconded by Councillor Bernie Attridge. 

Concerns were expressed by Members that reducing the value to zero would generate a significant increase in officers’ workload as this wound require all small gifts, citing as an example a drink of tea/coffee offered by a resident with a value of less than £1.00, to be identified and registered.

In view of the comments and points raised by Members Councillor David Coggins-Cogan withdrew his proposal. 

Councillor Arnold Woolley proposed that the threshold above which gifts and hospitality had to be registered be retained at the current level of £10.00.  The proposal was seconded by Councillor David Healey.

Councillor Richard Jones reiterated his view that the IRPW should give guidance to local authorities in Wales on the threshold above which gifts and hospitality should be registered and proposed that this be included as an amendment to the proposal put forward by Councillor Woolley.  This was duly seconded.  The amendment was accepted by Councillor Woolley and Councillor Healey.

When put to the vote the following recommendations were carried:

RESOLVED: 

(a)      That the threshold above which gifts and hospitality etc must be registered remains at £10.00; and

(b)      That the IRPW be asked to consider if it would set a common value which could be applied by all local authorities across Wales