Agenda item
Members' Attendance, Timesheets and Declaration of Interests : Monitoring Report
- Meeting of Standards Advisory Committee, Tuesday, 14th July, 2015 6.00 p.m. (Item 6.5)
- View the background to item 6.5
To note the information set out in Appendices 1, 2 and 3 in relation to Councillors’ submission of timesheets, attendance at formal meetings and training events, and completion of the register of interests during the previous and current municipal years
Minutes:
John Williams, Head of Service, Democratic Services, introduced the report. He summarised the key points, which underlined the importance the Council placed on accountability and transparency in the work of councillors and the allowances/remuneration provided to them in the course of their duties.
John Williams referred to the value of timely and accurate completion of timesheets by Members and the Council’s monitoring arrangements which had placed Tower Hamlets at the forefront of best practice in this area, as very few other local authorities had any such formal monitoring system in place.
The Committee noted that a new software was now being used to upload Members’ timesheets. The benefits of the software included a facility for direct inputting of timesheets detailing the time spent on Council duties, split into categories such as surgeries, casework and attendance at Council meetings and meetings of external bodies.
It was noted that Members’ timesheets were posted on the ‘Meet your Councillor’ pages of the Council’s website which also contain information on the ward represented, committee/external appointments, surgery arrangements, contact and other details and Councillors were personally responsible for the accuracy and timely submission of their timesheets.
Members discussed the report and various reasons were given for the late or non-submission of their timesheets. Some Members did not feel adequately informed on how to complete their timesheets. Councillor Wood stated that the Conservative Group had decided not to complete timesheets as they did not consider it a satisfactory way of capturing the level of work covered by councillors in the course of their duties and responsibilities.
Following a lengthy discussion, the Committee noted that although the completion of timesheets was not a statutory requirement and did not affect the Basic and Special Responsibility Allowances paid to Members, Tower Hamlets had voluntarily developed the timesheet system to enhance transparency and accountability and the Standards Advisory Committee had agreed to monitor the work of elected Members who were accountable.
Members commented that to have an accurate timesheet, more categories could be added to the timesheet to capture other areas of work in which Councillors were involved, including a free text box to provide further details. Mr Williams undertook to look into this together with the automatic population of sections of the timesheet for which information was already held, such as number and duration of formal meetings attended.
On the question of whether (as in previous practice) to ask the Chair to write to those Members who were significantly in arrears and/or their political group Leaders, drawing their attention to the need to maintain up to date records, it was agreed that this should be done but also that the Chair and Independent Person should meet political group Leaders, drawing their attention to the importance of the timely and accurate completion of timesheets and reporting back to the Committee on any issues raised.
RESOLVED –
That the Standards Advisory Committee:
(i) Note the information set out in Appendices 1, 2 and 3 in relation to Councillors’ submission of timesheets, attendance at formal meetings and training events, and completion of the register of interests during the previous and current municipal years;
(ii) That the Chair write to those Councillors who were not more than three months in arrears with their timesheets, drawing their attention to the importance of timely completion;
(iii) That the Chair and Independent Person on the Standards Advisory Committee meet political group Leaders to discuss the timesheet process and report back on any issues raised.
(iv) Agree to receive further monitoring reports at six monthly intervals.
Action By: John Williams, Service Head, Democratic Services
Supporting documents: