Issue - meetings
Clear Up Project Final Report
Meeting: 29/06/2017 - Standards Advisory Committee (Item 4)
4 Clear Up Project Final Report PDF 91 KB
Additional documents:
- Appendix 1 - Part 1 - Report of Clear Up Board - Final, item 4 PDF 217 KB
- Appendix 1 - Part 2 - Annex A, item 4 PDF 272 KB
- Appendix 2 - Part 1 - Clear Up Project Responses and notes of actions to..., item 4 PDF 51 KB
- Appendix 2 - Part 2 - Monitoring Officer Response to Clear Up Project An.., item 4 PDF 224 KB
Minutes:
The project originated during the time that Commissioners were directed to the Council by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. The project aimed to investigate and answer 66 concerns that had been raised with Commissioners but which were outside of their remit. Therefore in collaboration with them, the Council devised an independent process to review such complaints involving independent reviewers. The findings of the project were presented to the Committee for consideration and would also be reported to Cabinet and Full Council. All matters raised would be responded to and an update made to Overview and Scrutiny Committee quarterly.
The Committee noted the following matters:
- There were Member behaviour issues at Full Council meetings. Support for the speaker was needed to control the behaviour of some Members.
- A number of the concerns were partially upheld and many were related to processes, therefore it was felt that there was insufficient assurance that things were being done properly. The onus was on two or three key officers.
- There have been some FOI requests but no enquiries from the Press.
Responding to Members questions, the following information was provided:
- One matter had been reported in the London Evening Standard and a broadsheet newspaper.
- There had been a Freedom of Information request and this was responded to. Should any further such requests be made, these would be responded to in the appropriate manner.
- The starting time frame of projects to be reviewed was not chosen from political motives but was a date that had been determined by Commissioners.
- Some cases were subject to Police investigations. It was not appropriate to report on these until Police matters had been concluded.
- A Member to Member protocol was included as part of the Constitution review and would address some ethical matters brought to light by the clean-up project. It was intended that the previous work done by SoLACE would be completed by developing this protocol. Members were also informed that there had been constructive dialogue at a recent Constitution Review Working Group.
- The Member – Officer Protocol recently had been reviewed and updated.
- The timescales reported in relations to actions were reasonable as officers would implement the recommendations.
The Committee asked:
- That the Member – Officer Protocol be brought to a future meeting for inspection.
- That a list of other matters raised by the public and how they are being dealt with be brought to the next meeting.
- That officers respond in writing to the written matters raised by Co-opted member Ms Browne.
RESOLVED
- That the report and discussion be noted
- That the actions requested above be undertaken by the relevant responsible officers.