To Members of the Standards Committee
|
Michael Badcock |
Norman Bolster |
Ann Bonner |
Mrs Catherine Fulljames |
Terry Joslin |
Dermot Roaf |
Co-opted Members:
Nina Alphey |
Ann Griffiths |
|
Notes: Date of next meeting: 25 June 200 9
If you have any special requirements (such as a large print version of these papers or special access facilities) please contact the officer named on the front page, but please give as much notice as possible before the meeting. |
AGENDA
1. Apologies for Absence
2. Declarations
of Interest – see guidance note
3. Minutes
To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 11 December 2008 (ST3) and to receive for information any matters arising on them.
4. Petitions and Public Address
5. The Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Policy – Members of the County Council
The Monitoring Officer Group (comprising the Monitoring Officer, Deputy Monitoring Officers, Principal Committee Officer and Senior Democracy Officer) has a programme of reviewing corporate governance processes and documents, some of which is drawn from the work programme of this Committee.
Given the County Council elections due to be held on 4 June 2009, a number of policies and processes have been, or are due to be, reviewed. One of these is the policy on the use of ICT by Members of the Council (ST5).
The document has been updated to reflect the policy which applies to employees of the County Council.
The Committee is RECOMMENDED to:
(a) consider and comment on the policy; and
(b) decide whether it raises any issues which should be incorporated into the work programme for 2009/11.
Exempt Item
In the event that any Member or Officer wishes to discuss the information set out in Appendix 1 to the report, the Committee will be invited to resolve to exclude the public for the consideration of the Appendix by passing a resolution in relation to that item in the following terms:
"that the public be excluded during the consideration of Appendix 1 to the report since it is likely that if they were present during that discussion there would be a disclosure of "exempt" information as described in Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) and specified below in relation to that item and since it is considered that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information on the grounds set out in that item.”
NOTE: The report itself does not contain exempt information and is thus available to the public. The exempt information is contained in a confidential appendix to the report which is to be circulated only to Members and Officers entitled to receive it.
MEMBERS AND OFFICERS ARE REMINDED THAT THE INFORMATION RELATING TO THE EXEMPT APPENDIX REPORTED AT THE MEETING IN THE EXEMPT PART OF THE AGENDA (WHETHER IN WRITING OR ORALLY) MUST NOT BE DIVULGED TO ANY THIRD PARTY.
6.E Request for Exemption from Political Restrictions
Report by the Head of Legal & Democratic Services and Monitoring Officer (ST6E).
The information contained in Annex 1 is exempt in that it falls within the following prescribed categories:
1 - Information relating to any individual; and
2 - Information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual
It is considered that in this case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information because disclosing the information would breach the Data Protection principles in relation to an individual’s personal information and the Council’s legal obligation to safeguard that information.
Part I of The Local Government and Housing Act 1989 (‘the Act’) introduced restrictions on the political activities of local authority employees.
The purpose is to ensure that local authority employees who hold posts involving duties of a politically sensitive nature cannot, at the same time, become a member of another principal local authority. This policy stems from the long established tradition that local government officers involved in advising elected members of their authority should be seen to observe a policy of political neutrality.
In order to allow officers to pursue their personal political aspirations it is possible for an officer to apply for his post to be exempt from political restriction under Section 3A of the Act.
The Committee is RECOMMENDED to:
(a) note the report and the Committee’s responsibility;
(b) consider the request to exempt a post from political restrictions imposed by section 1 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 (Annex 1 to the report); and
(c) follow the Independent Adjudicator’s advice and recommend to the Cabinet that it formally delegates the authority to sign the Certificate of Opinion to the Monitoring Officer.
7. Work Programme 2009/11
The Monitoring Officer reports as follows:
The work programme (ST7) (download as .doc file) has been updated to take into account progress throughout the year. Members are asked to comment on the programme and to consider the suggestions for further action which have been included in the programme.
The Committee is RECOMMENDED to:
(a) consider and comment on the updated work programme; and
(b) receive regular up-dates as to progress from the Monitoring Officer.