Agenda item
REPORT OF THE STANDARDS ADVISORY COMMITTEE: PROPOSED REVISIONS TO THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR DEALING WITH COMPLAINTS
The recommendations of the Standards Advisory Committee (meeting held on 18th June 2013) for amendments to the procedure for dealing with any alleged breach of the Code of Conduct are set out in the attached report.
Decision:
The Council considered the report of the Standards (Advisory) Committee proposing revisions to the arrangements for dealing with complaints.
Councillor Rachel Saunders moved, and Councillor Rajib Ahmed seconded, the following amendment to the recommendations in the report:-
“To add to the recommendations:
- That at each of its meetings, a report be presented to the Standards Committee listing all complaints which have exceeded the two month period since referral for investigation and that this report include details of the length of time elapsed since referral and the reasons for the delay to a resolution. This report would include all complaints which exceeded the two month period since the Committee last met as well as those previously reported to the Committee which remain unresolved in excess of the two month period.
- In cases where the Monitoring Officer exercises their power to extend the time period of investigations into complaints from 2 months to 3 months, a report on the reasons for this is presented to the Standards Committee for noting.
- Also in cases where the Monitoring Officer exercises their power to extend the time period of investigations into complaints from 2 months to 3 months a letter is to be sent to the complainant and the subject or subjects of the investigation notifying them of the extension and the reasons for this.
Following debate, the amendment was put to the vote and was agreed.
The substantive recommendations, as amended, were then put to the vote and were agreed.
DECISION
1. That the proposed revisions to arrangements for dealing with complaints about Member conduct set out at Section 4 of the report (attached as Appendix A to the Standards Advisory Committee’s report to the Council) be approved subject to (a) below:-
(a) Extension of the timescale for completion of an investigation, once a complaint is referred for investigation, from the current 1 month to 2 months, with the existing provision for a further 1 month extension by the Monitoring Officer under the provisions of paragraph 8 of the current arrangements to remain, providing for a total maximum period of 3 months.
2. That at each of its meetings, a report be presented to the Standards Committee listing all complaints which have exceeded the two month period since referral for investigation and that this report include details of the length of time elapsed since referral and the reasons for the delay to a resolution. This report would include all complaints which exceeded the two month period since the Committee last met as well as those previously reported to the Committee which remain unresolved in excess of the two month period.
3. In cases where the Monitoring Officer exercises their power to extend the time period of investigations into complaints from 2 months to 3 months, a report on the reasons for this is presented to the Standards Committee for noting.
4. Also in cases where the Monitoring Officer exercises their power to extend the time period of investigations into complaints from 2 months to 3 months a letter is to be sent to the complainant and the subject or subjects of the investigation notifying them of the extension and the reasons for this.
(Action by: Mark Norman, Interim Monitoring Officer)
Minutes:
The Council considered the report of the Standards (Advisory) Committee proposing revisions to the arrangements for dealing with complaints.
Councillor Rachel Saunders moved, and Councillor Rajib Ahmed seconded, the following amendment to the recommendations in the report:-
“To add to the recommendations:
- That at each of its meetings, a report be presented to the Standards Committee listing all complaints which have exceeded the two month period since referral for investigation and that this report include details of the length of time elapsed since referral and the reasons for the delay to a resolution. This report would include all complaints which exceeded the two month period since the Committee last met as well as those previously reported to the Committee which remain unresolved in excess of the two month period.
- In cases where the Monitoring Officer exercises their power to extend the time period of investigations into complaints from 2 months to 3 months, a report on the reasons for this is presented to the Standards Committee for noting.
- Also in cases where the Monitoring Officer exercises their power to extend the time period of investigations into complaints from 2 months to 3 months a letter is to be sent to the complainant and the subject or subjects of the investigation notifying them of the extension and the reasons for this.
Following debate, the amendment was put to the vote and was agreed.
The substantive recommendations, as amended, were then put to the vote and were agreed.
RESOLVED
1. That the proposed revisions to arrangements for dealing with complaints about Member conduct set out at Section 4 of the report (attached as Appendix A to the Standards Advisory Committee’s report to the Council) be approved subject to (a) below:-
(a) Extension of the timescale for completion of an investigation, once a complaint is referred for investigation, from the current 1 month to 2 months, with the existing provision for a further 1 month extension by the Monitoring Officer under the provisions of paragraph 8 of the current arrangements to remain, providing for a total maximum period of 3 months.
2. That at each of its meetings, a report be presented to the Standards Committee listing all complaints which have exceeded the two month period since referral for investigation and that this report include details of the length of time elapsed since referral and the reasons for the delay to a resolution. This report would include all complaints which exceeded the two month period since the Committee last met as well as those previously reported to the Committee which remain unresolved in excess of the two month period.
3. In cases where the Monitoring Officer exercises their power to extend the time period of investigations into complaints from 2 months to 3 months, a report on the reasons for this is presented to the Standards Committee for noting.
4. Also in cases where the Monitoring Officer exercises their power to extend the time period of investigations into complaints from 2 months to 3 months a letter is to be sent to the complainant and the subject or subjects of the investigation notifying them of the extension and the reasons for this.
Supporting documents: