To: Councillors
Stebbings (Chair elect),
Barrett-Payton, Boyce, Hymans, McPherson and R Smith. External members
- Dr A Clark, Ms L Hobbs (membership to be confirmed at the Annual Meeting of
the Council on 24 June)
Published &
despatched: 22 June 2004
STANDARDS COMMITTEE
Date: Wednesday 30 June 2004
Time: 6.00pm
Place: Council Chamber
Contact:
Gary Clift
Direct
Dial: (01223)
457011
AGENDA
1 MINUTES
To confirm the minutes
of the meeting held on 31 March 2004.
3 DECLARATIONS
OF INTEREST
Members are asked to
declare at this stage any interests which they may have in any of the following
items on the agenda. If any member is unsure whether or not they should declare
an interest on a particular matter, they are requested to seek advice from the
Head of Legal and Democratic Services before the meeting.
4 PUBLIC
QUESTION TIME – see
below for detail of the scheme and other public information.
Appendix:
Annual Complaints Report
6 ANNUAL REPORT ON CONFIDENTIAL
REPORTING (“WHISTLEBLOWING”) POLICY (Report By Margaret Walker, Tel 457301)
A. The
Council introduced a Confidential Reporting Policy (CRP) in June 2000. As
Monitoring Officer, I am to be notified of all cases under the CRP. I am also
charged with reporting annually to Corporate Management Team and the Standards
Committee on the CRP. This is my fourth report.
B. During
the year since my third report in July 2003, only one case has been raised
under the CRP. This compares with 3 cases in the first year and 4 in the
second.
C. This
case was an allegation, received by e-mail from a “disguised” address, that an
employee was carrying out private work (steam cleaning driveways) in Council
time and using Council resources. Despite the relevant director responding to
the e-mail address, inviting the complainant to discuss the allegation in more
detail, no further contact was made. Subsequently, there was evidence that the
allegation was probably a malicious one, prompted by a domestic dispute, so it
was not pursued further.
D. Conclusion:
the very low number of cases this year could be reassuring, as long as it
is not concealing an under-recording. I do not believe this to be the case:
other disciplinary cases of which I am aware have tended to be the result of
managerial concerns being investigated, rather than employee whistleblowing.
7 ANNUAL
REPORT ON PREVENTION OF FRAUD AND CORRUPTION POLICY (Contact Director of Finance, Tel 458131)
8 PLANNING CODE OF GOOD PRACTICE (Simon Pugh, Tel 457301)
It is generally recognised as good
practice for local planning authorities to adopt a planning code for members as
a supplement to the more general Code of Conduct.
The Council’s Standards Committee
has supported the introduction of a planning code for Cambridge. An informal
consultation with the Planning Committee was supportive of this approach also,
although members were keen that any code should reflect established practice in
Cambridge. The Code placed before members draws inspiration from, but does not
follow in all respects, a model code prepared by the Association of Council
Secretaries and Solicitors.
A
draft planning code is included for the Committee’s comments. A version of
the code has been considered by the Planning Committee, which suggested some
drafting changes. These have been incorporated into the version being brought
to this committee. The draft code has also been sent separately to all
councillors as, of course, all councillors are now involved in planning
decisions through area committees.
The Standards Committee is asked to
recommend adoption of the Code. Its recommendation will be considered by the
Council at its meeting on 9 September.
(Background papers: Association of
Council Secretaries and Solicitors’ “Model Members’ Planning Code of Good
Practice”. Version of this Code as considered by the Planning Committee on 2
June 2004.
To inspect these background papers, please contact: Simon Pugh, Head of Legal and Democratic Services. Tel (01223) 457401, email simon.pugh@cambridge.gov.uk.)
9 DATES OF MEETINGS IN 2004/05
To set dates for the Committee until May
2005
Information for the public
You are welcome to attend this meeting as an observer, although it may
be necessary to ask you to leave the room during the discussion of matters
which are described as confidential on the agenda.
o0o
You can ask questions on an issue included on the agenda, or on an
issue which is within this committee’s powers. If you wish to ask a question
related to an agenda item contact the committee officer (listed above under
‘contact’) before the meeting starts. If you wish to ask a question on a matter
not included on this agenda, please contact the committee officer by 10.00am
the working day before the meeting.
Further details concerning the
right to speak at committee can be obtained from the committee section.
o0o
In the event of the fire alarm sounding (which is a continuous ringing sound), you should pick up your
possessions and leave the building by the route you came in. Once clear of the
building, you should assemble on the pavement opposite the main entrance to the
Guildhall and await further instructions. If your escape route or the assembly area is unsafe, you will be
directed to safe areas by a member of Cambridge City Council staff.