Minutes:
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister had published a discussion paper entitled “Standards of Conduct in English Local Government: The Future” which drew together the Government’s response to a number of recommendations, reviews and consultation papers on the future of the current conduct regime for local government in England. It set out the Government’s vision for the different elements of the conduct regime including the Members’ Code of Conduct, the Standards Board for England and local Standards Committees to work effectively together and be an integrated whole. The Government envisaged that this could be achieved by the retention of a central, strategic and investigatory role for the Standards Board for England, improvements to the operation and effectiveness of Standards Committees and a simplification and clarification of the Code of Conduct for Members. The Government considered that these changes taken together would ensure public confidence in giving Standards Committees powers to make initial assessments of all allegations. It was considered that the proposals put forward by the Government would improve the standards’ regime both nationally and locally with local Standards Committees having a far greater role in considering complaints against its Members.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister had received a number of responses to the Discussion Paper and there was general support for the proposals with some general concern about resource implications. The Government proposed to consider responses from relevant stakeholders and to put forward a revised standards’ regime in a Local Government White Paper in June this year. It was clear that some of the proposals would require primary and secondary legislation before it could be fully implemented but further consultation papers would be issued prior to amendments to the law. It was expected that a consultation paper on a revised Code of Conduct for Members would be issued in May, 2006 with implementation in May the following year. There was less certainty concerning the timetable for primary legislation as this would require a new Local Government Bill being introduced to Parliament. However, the Government had stated that the new ethical framework regime could be fully implemented in 2008/09.
Relevant extracts from the Discussion Paper regarding the conduct of Members and the Standards Board for England’s detailed views and recommendations on changes to the Code of Conduct for Members were submitted to the Committee for consideration. The Committee considered each of the Board’s recommendations in turn and commented thereon.
Resolved –
(a) That the contents of the report and appendices now submitted be noted.
(b) That the Director of Law and Corporate Governance, in consultation with the Chair of the Committee, convey the Committee’s views on the Standards Board for England’s recommendations for changes to the Code of Conduct for Members to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.