Issue - meetings

4.10

Report by Director for Law & Governance

The Committee on Standards in Public Life undertook a review of Local Government Ethical Standards and it consulted with stakeholders.  The Consultation opened on 29 January 2018 and closed on 18 May 2018.  The Consultation asked a number of questions in relation to Ethical Governance and anyone with an interest was asked to make a submission.  The Council responded to the Consultation with the submissions attached at Annex 1.  On 30 January 2019, The Committee on Standards in Public Life issued their Report on Ethical Standards, taking account of submissions, and making recommendations for statutory change and the promotion of best practice.  This Report sets out some of the main points that the Report on Ethical Standards raised.

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to:

a)            note this Report and the conclusions raised by The Committee on Standards in Public Life’s report “A Review of Local Government Ethical Standards”; and

b)           ask the Monitoring Officer to discuss the Review’s recommendations with the Oxfordshire Monitoring Officers’ Group and report back to a further meeting of this Committee on actions that Oxfordshire’s Councils can take jointly, and that this Council can individually, to create an improved ethical standards framework.

Recommendations agreed.

Nick Graham introduced the report and drew particular attention to the table in paragraph 23 which compared the proposals in the Council’s submission to the positions adopted in the final report by the Committee on Standards in Public Life.  The Government has yet to consider what changes it wants to make.

Nick Graham responded to issues raised by Members as follows:

·         Although the experience in Oxfordshire has been good, monitoring officers in other areas have reported that the current provisions are insufficient.

·         Some cases can be dealt with by the relevant political group.

·         The new proposals do not return to the bureaucracy of the previous regime but there was a feeling that the current regime had gone too far in relaxing sanctions.

RESOLVED to:

·         note this Report and the conclusions raised by The Committee on Standards in Public Life’s report “A Review of Local Government Ethical Standards”; and

·         ask the Monitoring Officer to discuss the Review’s recommendations with the Oxfordshire Monitoring Officers’ Group and report back to a further meeting of this Committee on actions that Oxfordshire’s Councils can take jointly, and that this Council can individually, to create an improved ethical standards framework.