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STANDARDS COMMITTEE

 

Minutes of a meeting held on 21st September, 2017.

 

Present:  Mr. D. Carsley, Mrs. P. Hallett, Mr. R. Hendicott, Mr. A. Lane and Mrs. L. Tinsley (Independent Members) and Councillors B.T. Gray, Mrs. A. Moore and Mrs. R. Nugent-Finn (Vale of Glamorgan Councillors).

 

 

290     APPOINTMENT OF CHAIRMAN -

 

Mr. A. Lane was appointed Chairman for the municipal year.

 

 

291     APPOINTMENT OF VICE-CHAIRMAN -

 

Mr. D. Carsley was appointed Vice-Chairman for the municipal year.

 

 

292     APOLOGY FOR ABSENCE -

 

This was received from Councillor M. Cuddy, Town and Community Council Representative.

 

 

293     MINUTES -

 

RESOLVED - T H A T the minutes of the meeting held on 13th July, 2017 be approved as a correct record.

 

 

294     DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST -

 

No declarations were received.

 

 

295     MINUTES OF THE APPOINTMENT COMMITTEE RE STANDARDS COMMITTEE - 13TH JULY, 2017 AND 31ST JULY, 2017 (MO) -

 

The minutes of the meetings held on 13th July and 31st July were presented to the Committee for information it being noted that Councillor M. Cuddy had been reappointed as the Town and Community Council representative for a further term of office. The Monitoring Officer advised that the appointment had been made until the next ordinary Community Council elections subject to the Full Council agreeing an amendment to the Council’s Constitution, alternatively the term of office would be for four years.  At the meeting on 13th July Mrs. P. Hallett and Mrs. L. Tinsley had been appointed as Independent Members to the Standards Committee for a period of six years.  The minutes of 31st July, 2017 advised that Mr. R. Hendicott had also been appointed as an Independent Member to the Standards Committee for a term of office of six years.

 

RESOLVED - T H A T the minutes of the meetings held on 13th July, 2017 and 31st July, 2017 be noted.

 

Reasons for decisions

 

In recognition of the appointments made.

 

 

296     APPLICATIONS FOR DISPENSATION (MO) -

 

At the last meeting of the Standards Committee on 13th July, 2017 applications for dispensation were received from Llandough Community Council for Councillors P. Carreyett, B. Hill, M. Edwards and Dr. M. Misra which were attached as an Appendix to the report. At that meeting, Members of the Committee considered that there was insufficient information to make a decision and clarity was therefore sought on the requests for dispensation as the Committee wished to understand the Councillors roles in relation to the Llandough and Leckwith War Memorial Hall Committee.  The Clerk of the Community Council was subsequently invited to attend the next meeting of the Standards Committee to provide further detail in respect of the applications.  

 

The applications for dispensation from the Llandough Community Councillors were to speak and vote on all matters concerning the Llandough and Leckwith War Memorial Hall Committee under paragraph (d) of the circumstances when a Standards Committee may grant dispensation.

 

Mr. Paul Egan (Clerk to the Community Council and the Hall Committee) had agreed to attend the meeting and commenced by thanking the Members for the opportunity advising that the four Community Councillors were appointed as Trustees to the Llandough and Leckwith War Memorial Hall Committee on behalf of the Community Council itself as principal Trustee.  Mr. Egan advised that since the application had been made a further Trustee appointment had been agreed by the Community Council as there were concerns that Trustee meetings may become inquorate on times. Mr Egan advised that such instances had occurred previously in the past resulting in meetings having to be deferred for not being quorate and as financial issues needed to be considered this had been a particular dilemma for the Trustees.  Although recently no similar issues had arisen there was potential for deferment at future meetings for reasons as outlined above.  

 

The Monitoring Officer advised the Standards Committee of a number of options that could be considered in respect of the applications as below :-

 

-         grant a dispensation for all of the Councillors to speak and vote

-         grant a dispensation for all Councillors to speak only

-         grant a dispensation for one or two of the four Community Councillors to speak and vote (this would assist with addressing the issue of meetings being inquorate) 

 

Mr. Egan stated that he felt the third option above would be a suitable option which he considered would help alleviate any future problems.  The Monitoring Officer stated that as both the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Hall Committee would potentially be able to use a casting vote if there was an equality of votes, her advice was for a Councillor other than the Chairman or Vice-Chairman to be granted the dispensation to speak and vote and that such a dispensation be caveated accordingly.

 

Having considered the report and the evidence presented by Mr. Egan, the Committee

 

RESOLVED -

 

(1)       T H A T Councillors Mrs. P. Carreyett, Dr. M. Misra and B. Hill be granted dispensation to speak only, on all matters concerning the Llandough and Leckwith War Memorial Committee in compliance with paragraph (d) of the Standards Committees (Grant of Dispensations) (Wales) Regulations 2001 which govern a grant of dispensation to speak / speak and vote.

 

(2)       T H A T Councillor M. Edwards be granted dispensation to speak and vote on all matters concerning the Llandough and Leckwith War Memorial Hall Committee in compliance with paragraph (d) of the Standards Committees (Grant of Dispensations) (Wales) Regulations 2001 which govern a grant of dispensation to speak / speak and vote.

 

(3)       T H A T the applications for dispensation as outlined in Resolution (1) above be granted until the next Local Government Elections.

 

(4)       T H A T the application for dispensation as outlined in Resolution (2) above be granted until the next Local Government Elections or Councillor M. Edwards becoming Chairman or Vice-Chairman of the Llandough Community Council, whichever event was sooner.

 

Reason for recommendations

 

(1-4)    To comply with the Standards Committee Grant of Dispensations (Wales) Regulations 2001 governing applications for the grant of dispensations to speak and/or vote.

 

 

297     CODE OF CONDUCT TRAINING POST 2017 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS FOR TOWN AND COMMUNITY COUNCILS (MO) -

 

The Terms of Reference for the Standards Committee included “Promoting and Maintaining High Standards of Conduct” and “Advising, training or arranging to train Councillors, Co-opted Members and church and parent governor representatives on matters relating to the Members Code of Conduct”.  The purpose of the report was to advise Members of the Committee of the Members’ Code of Conduct training that was being arranged for all Members of Town and Community Councils within the Vale of Glamorgan and associated Clerks.  

 

The Monitoring Officer advised that following the Local Government Elections on 4th May, 2017 training on Members’ Code of Conduct matters had been provided to all Elected Vale of Glamorgan Councillors on 16th and 18th May, 2017 – a total of 44 Vale of Glamorgan Councillors.

 

For Town and Community Councillors and Clerks, training had been arranged to be delivered by the organisation One Voice Wales on the following dates: 

  • Tuesday, 17th October, 2017 from 2.00 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.
  • Thursday, 19th October, 2017 from 2.00 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.
  • Tuesday, 24th October, 2017 from 6.30 p.m. to 9.00 p.m.
  • Tuesday, 7th November, 2017 from 6.30 p.m. to 9.00 p.m.
  • Tuesday, 14th November, 2017 from 6.30 p.m. to 9.00 p.m.

The Democratic and Scrutiny Services Officer tabled a list of the sessions for the Committee’s information which detailed the number of responses to date.

 

In conclusion, the Monitoring Officer stated that following the sessions a feedback report would be presented to the Standards Committee for its consideration.

 

Having considered the report it was subsequently

 

RESOLVED - T H A T the contents of the report be noted.

 

Reason for decision

 

To inform Members of the Standards Committee.