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Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

Standards Committee - Thursday 17 July 2014 6.30 pm

Venue: Room 102, Hackney Town Hall, Mare Street, London E8 1EA. View directions

Contact: Robert Walker, Governance Services Tel: 020 8356 3578 Email: Robert.Walker@Hackney.gov.uk

Items
No.	Item
1.	Appointment of Chair and Vice Chair of the Standards Committee Minutes: Elizabeth Coates–Thummel raised the issue of whether it was appropriate from a perception point of view for a Cabinet Member to be Chair of the Standards Committee. The Committee was advised however that since the Localism Act changed the status of co-optees to the Committee and no longer permitted one of their number from being appointed Chair, only elected Members of the Committee could be appointed Chair or indeed formally vote in the process of electing a Chair. It was agreed to discuss this matter further at the next meeting but in the meantime it was moved, duly seconded and RESOLVED that: i) Councillor Sophie Linden be appointed Chair of the Standards Committee; and ii) Councillor Jessica Webb be appointed Vice-Chair of the Standards Committee.
2.	Apologies for absence Minutes: Apologies for absence are listed above.
3.	Declarations of interests Minutes: There were no declarations of interest.
4.	Minutes of the previous meeting - 22 January 2014 PDF 62 KB Minutes: RESOLVED that the minutes of the previous meeting held on 22^nd January 2014 be agreed as a correct record.
5.	Standards Committee Terms of Reference The Standards Committee is asked to note its terms of reference, agreed by Full Council on 26^th March 2014, as contained within paragraph 3 of the Committee’s 2013/14 Annual Report (item 6). Minutes: The Committee noted its terms of reference, as agreed by Council at its meeting on 26 March 2014. Elizabeth Coates-Thummel expressed her disappointment that the Committee no longer had overview of complaints within its new terms of reference.
6.	Standards Committee Annual Report 2013/14 PDF 132 KB Minutes: Elizabeth Coates-Thummel and Adedoja Labinjo expressed their disappointment that the Minority Groups had indicated that they were not going to take up their allocated places on the Standards Committee or participate in the work of the Committee. The Assistant Director Legal and Democratic Services indicated that she would raise with the Council’s Monitoring Officer the feasibility of the co-optees suggestion of them making an approach to the Leaders of the Minority Groups direct to seek to get them to change their minds regarding this matter. RESOLVED That the Committee approve its Annual Report 2013–2014 and agree to its referral to full Council in October 2014 for noting.
7.	Draft Work Programme 2014/15 PDF 69 KB Additional documents: Standards Committee Work Programme 2014/15 , item 7. PDF 52 KB Minutes: RESOLVED That the Committee approve its draft Work Programme for 2014-2015.
8.	Member Induction - Code of Conduct Training (oral update) Minutes: The Committee was advised that a successful Code of Conduct training session had been held as part on the Induction Programme and that the five Councillors who were unable to attend would be attending a further session on 4 August / or will have an individual session with the Monitoring Officer The Committee was also advised that all Councillors had duly completed their Declaration of Office and Registration of Interests forms. It was noted that all Councillors will be reminded about the legal requirements re updating Registration of Interest forms particularly in the light of any of them being recently appointed as a Council representative on an outside body.
9.	Any other business Minutes: Councillor Mulready expressed her concerned that there was a scheduling clash between this meeting and the Health and Hackney Scrutiny Commission of which she is also an member and asked if such clashes could be avoided in future.