Agenda and minutes
Venue: Committee Room One - Town Hall, Mulberry Place, 5 Clove Crescent, London, E14 2BG. View directions
Contact: Elizabeth Dowuona, Democratic Services, Tel: 020 7364 4207 E-mail: elizabeth.dowuona@towerhamlets.gov.uk
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DECLARATIONS OF DISCLOSABLE PECUNIARY INTEREST PDF 64 KB To note any declarations of interest made by Members, including those restricting Members from voting on the questions detailed in Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act, 1992. See attached note from the Interim Monitoring Officer. Minutes: There were no declarations of interest. |
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MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING PDF 230 KB To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Standards (Advisory) Committee held on
Minutes: That the minutes of the meeting held on 21 October 2014 be approved as a correct record of proceedings.
Matters Arising
Item 2
1. Minutes of 8 September 2014 - Declaration of Interests
It was noted that Co-opted Independent SAC Members had received the aforesaid registration of interest forms, which they were all required to complete to register their interests.
2. Item 3.1 Code of Conduct for Members – Complaints and Investigation Monitoring
It was agreed that Legal and Democratic Services would organise a training session for all Members as soon as possible to train all SAC members at the start of the Municipal Year thereby increasing the pool of members available to sit on the sub-committees
Item 3.2 Covert Investigation Under The Regulation Of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
It was noted that the action “that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee be recommended to request a brief report providing information/ figures relating to surveillance without RIPA authorisation on public land and Council land” was still outstanding.
Item 3.4 Complaints And Information Governance Annual Report 2013/ 2014
The action that “That elected SAC members consult their political groups and consider individually what they considered to be the important functions of an elected Member and the outcome be presented to the next SAC meeting to inform a review of Member timesheets and the capturing of relevant information on the Authority’s website was outstanding.
It was agreed that the Monitoring Officer send a note out to all Political Group Leaders regarding the information requested with a copy to all Standards Advisory Committee Members.
Action by: Meic Sullivan-Gould (Interim Monitoring Officer, LPG)
Item 3.4 Complaints And Information Governance Annual Report 2013/ 2014
That the action “That Officers be requested to take account of SAC member comments/ suggestions to improve the existing website and inform future development priorities” was outstanding. |
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REPORTS FOR CONSIDERATION |
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CODE OF CONDUCT FOR MEMBERS - COMPLAINTS AND INVESTIGATION MONITORING PDF 103 KB To consider the report of the Interim Monitoring Officer
Minutes: Meic Sullivan-Gould (Interim Monitoring Officer) introduced and highlighted key points in the report, which outlined the Council’s arrangements for dealing with complaints of breach of the Code of Conduct for Members. The arrangements required that the Monitoring Officer submit quarterly reports (or less frequently if there were no complaints to report) to the Standards Advisory Committee on the number and nature of complaints received and action taken.
The arrangements, revised by full Council on 18 September 2013 also included a required that in cases where the Monitoring Officer had extended the time period of investigations into complaints from two months to three months the Monitoring Officer report on the reasons for the delay to the Advisory Committee
The Committee noted that there had been no new complaints and that all outstanding complaints were awaiting the convening of an Investigation and Disciplinary Sub-Committee. It was noted that attempts to secure an acceptable date for an Investigation and Disciplinary Sub-Committee had to date failed in November and December 2014.
There was a lengthy discussion where Members expressed various concerns. The following points were noted:
· That with reference to Complaint References IDSC/01/2013 and IDSC/07/2013 listed in the report, the reasons for the delay were not reported to the Advisory Committee and it was important for this to be done in future. · That it was disappointing to note the reasons for the delays in the backlog of cases requiring consideration at the Investigation & Disciplinary Sub-Committee stage and that this indicated that Members of SAC were failing in their duty to ensure a speedy outcome. On complaints by not placing a high priority on those meetings.
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CODE OF CONDUCT FOR MEMBERS - INVESTIGATORY CASEWORK PDF 94 KB To consider the report of the Interim Monitoring Officer
Minutes: Meic Sullivan-Gould, Interim Monitoring Officer, reported thatthere were currently no outstanding investigations relating to complaints that had been referred for investigation under the Council’s arrangements for dealing with complaints of breach of the Code of Conduct for Members.
However, there are four outstanding complaints where investigations had been completed but the outcome of the investigation had not been considered by an Investigation and Disciplinary Sub-Committee.
RESOLVED –
That Members of the Advisory Committee resolve to participate as soon as possible in meetings of the Investigation & Disciplinary Sub-Committee so that all outstanding complaints were dealt with in accordance with the procedural requirements of the Council’s arrangements for dealing with complaints of breach of the Code of Conduct for Members.
Action by: All Members and Deputy Members of the Standards Advisory Committee |
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ANY OTHER BUSINESS WHICH THE CHAIR CONSIDERS URGENT To consider any other unrestricted business that the Chair considers to be urgent.
Minutes: There was none. |
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EXCLUSION OF THE PRESS AND PUBLIC In view of the contents of the remaining items on the agenda the Committee is recommended to adopt the following motion:
“That, under the provisions of Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting for the consideration of the Section Two business on the grounds that it contains information defined as Exempt in Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972.”
NOTE: EXEMPT/CONFIDENTIAL SECTION (Pink Papers)
The exempt committee papers in the agenda will contain information, which is commercially, legally or personally sensitive and should not be divulged to third parties. If you do not wish to retain these papers after the meeting, please hand them to the Committee Officer present.
Minutes: RESOLVED:
That under the provisions of Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting for the consideration of the Section Two business on the grounds that it contains information defined as Exempt in Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972.
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EXEMPT/CONFIDENTIAL REPORTS FOR CONSIDERATION |
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CODE OF CONDUCT FOR MEMBERS - COMPLAINT REFERENCES IDSC/01/2013 and IDSC/07/2013 To consider the report of the Interim Monitoring Officer
Minutes: Councillor Joshua Peck left the room at this point in the meeting.
Meic Sullivan-Gould, Interim Monitoring Officer, in accordance with the Council’s code of conduct on the arrangements for dealing with complaints of breach of the Code of Conduct for Members, reported on two related complaints made by Councillor Joshua Peck about the alleged conduct of Councillor Alibor Choudhury. The complaints were investigated by an independent investigator who concluded that Councillor Choudhury failed to comply with the Council’s Code of Conduct for Members.
The Committee noted that having considered the outcome of the investigation, Councillor Peck had indicated that he did not wish to pursue his complaints further.
Members discussed asked a number of questions including the need for the publication of the outcome of the investigation, the views of the respondent on the outcome of the investigations, the appropriate sanctions which should be applied, in particular, the breach of the code of the Council’s Code of Conduct the Council in bringing the Council and/or the office of a Councillor into disrepute.
The Interim Monitoring Officer in response made the following points:
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MEMBERS ATTENDANCE I. Non-Attendance; and II. Appointment of Co-opted Members to the Standards Advisory Committee Minutes: The Committee noted the reasons for urgency and agreed to its consideration at this meeting in order to ensure that there was no delay in the consideration of the proposals.
David Knight, Democratic Services Officer, presented the report which updated the Committee on the non-attendance of Barry Lowe at its four formal meetings during the 2013/14 Municipal Year, the meetings held on 8 September and 21 October, 2014 in the 2014/15 Municipal Year. It was noted that apologies for absence were not sent by Mr Lowe for the aforesaid meetings.
The Chair expressed satisfaction that the appropriate next steps to address Mr Lowe’s non-attendance, had been taken and had failed and that the next steps was for the Committee to draw the attention of full Council to Mr Lowe’s non-attendance with a recommend that he be replaced on the Committee.
The Committee took the view that in addition to the vacancy created by the formal resignation of Mr Denzil Johnson (Co-opted Member), as reported to the Committee on 21st October 2014, the vacancy created by the removal of Mr Lowe from SAC membership due to non-attendance should be addressed as soon as possible.
Following discussion, the Committee agreed that a recruitment exercise commenced immediately and that an advertisement be published for both vacancies.
RESOLVED-
(i) Notes the information as set out in the report in relation to non-attendance of Barry Lowe at formal meetings of the Standards Advisory Committee;
(ii) Draws the attention of Full Council to Mr Lowe’s non-attendance and recommends that he be replaced on the Committee; and
(iii) the vacancy created by the formal resignation of Mr Denzil Johnson (Co-opted Member), as reported to the Committee on 21st October 2014, the vacancy created by the removal of Mr Lowe from SAC membership due to non-attendance be filled.
ACTION BY: David Knight (Principal Committee Officer, Democratic Services, LPG) Meic Sullivan-Gould (Interim Monitoring Officer, LPG) John Williams (Service Head Democratic Services, LPG
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ANY OTHER EXEMPT/CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS THAT THE CHAIR CONSIDERS URGENT To consider any other exempt/ confidential business that the Chair considers to be urgent.
Minutes: There were none.
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