Issue - meetings
Standards Advisory Committee - Membership, Terms of Reference and Programme of Meetings 2012 -13
Meeting: 14/01/2014 - Standards Advisory Committee (Item 3)
3 Code of Conduct for Members - Complaints and Investigation Monitoring PDF 98 KB
To note the monitoring information contained in the report.
Minutes:
The Interim Monitoring Officer presented the report. He highlighted the key points in the monitoring information for this quarter. In response, Members commented on the timescale for some of the ongoing investigations and sought assurances on the process. In particular cases, IDSC/01/2013 that had been ongoing for 6 months and IDSC/07/2013. The Committee were advised of the progress with these investigations that were near completion.
Members also questioned progress with the two year long investigation (ASC/01/2012). Members were advised that the matter had been subject to an external investigation and that the Monitoring Officer had recently received the Counsels opinion on the case. Members were reassured that this investigation should be completed in advance of the May Elections in the event of any changes at that Election.
Members were also advised of the complexities and legal issues surrounding some of the investigations.
In view of the above, Members sought more information on the deadlines for completing the investigations. This needed to be made clearer in the reports. In response, the Monitoring Officer offered to provide information on this in the report. For example, he suggested that the report could specify the deadline, and the reasons for any extensions.
The Committee also noted the number of complaints from Councillors (7 out of the 9 cases) and the possible reasons for this such as greater awareness of the complaints process.
Members also commented on the perceived decline in complaints from Councillors and the possible reasons for this. Accordingly, a Member considered it helpful to carryout an analysis of complaints over a period of time to identify areas for action (possible after the May Elections).
The Chair also saw merit in collating benchmarking information on complaints under the new standards regime. The Chair considered that it might prove quite helpful to undertake such an exercise in the future.
Overall, the Committee were satisfied with the format of the information in the report.
Resolved
That the complaints and investigation monitoring information contained in the report be noted.
Action by:
Mark Norman (Interim Monitoring Officer)