Issue - meetings
Register of Members' Gifts and Hospitality
Meeting: 25/04/2019 - Standards Advisory Committee (Item 3)
3 Register of Members' Gifts and Hospitality PDF 235 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
The Head of Democratic Services introduced the report which provided an update on declarations of gifts and hospitality in the period 1 October 2018 to 31 March 2019. The Committee was informed that, since the previous report, performance had improved in that a greater number of declarations had been registered in the required timescales These improvements were attributed to Member Ethics and Probity training delivered earlier in the year.
The Committee discussed the data and raised the following matters:
- Members felt that registrations of gifts and hospitality, including those declined, continued to be under declared and that there were late declarations. They recommended that this should be pursued as part of the ongoing Ethics and Probity training for Members.
- Declarations of gifts and hospitality should be reported quarterly in line with best practice recommended by CSPL.
- Noting that reminders to register declarations were sent via the Members’ Bulletin, a Member enquired if data on the ‘open rate’ could be provided. The request was noted and it was suggested that a report on how the bulletin may be more effectively utilised be brought to a future meeting. The Committee supported this proposal.
- Members enquired about the monitoring arrangements for employees’ declarations. They were informed that this matter was reported through the Audit Committee.
RESOLVED
1. That the content of the report be noted.
2. That the feedback and recommendations of the Committee be taken forward as indicated in the minute to this item.
ACTION BY:M Mannion, Head of Democratic Services