Wrthi'n llwytho
Y penderfyniadau fel y mae cofnodion y cyngor yn eu cofnodi. Bydd crynodeb mewn iaith glir yn dilyn pan fydd wedi'i ysgrifennu.
AGREED that the minutes be accepted as a true record of proceedings.
It was noted that no requests had been received for the simultaneous translation service.
An apology for absence was received for Town Councillor J. Rawcliffe.
No declarations of interest or dispensations were reported.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
AGREED that the minutes be accepted as a true record of proceedings.
The minutes of the Ethics and Standards Committee held on 11th February, 2025 were submitted. It was AGREED that the minutes be accepted as a true record of proceedings.
Conduct Statement at the Start of Meetings The Monitoring Officer confirmed that the Democratic Services Committee had considered the need for a conduct statement at the start of meetings and decided it was unnecessary as there were no significant conduct issues and Members were already aware of their responsibilities under the Code of Conduct.
The Monitoring Officer provided an update on current code of conduct complaints. There was one live case involving two separate complaints against the same Member, which was currently being investigated by the Ombudsman. She confirmed that the Member had been fully informed and relevant information provided as requested. The Officer explained the potential route for the complaint, including the possibility of the case being referred to the Ethics & Standards Committee for decision if a breach was found. A discussion ensued regarding the expected timelines for the Ombudsman’s investigation, and the Monitoring Officer said no specific date could be provided but the Ombudsman generally aimed to complete them within 12 months, depending on the complexity and witness availability. A Member enquired regarding the possibility of refresher training, particularly on the hearing process in the event of the investigation being referred back to the Committee, and the Monitoring Officer agreed to consideration of a short session focused on process and powers. The Monitoring Officer and Data Protection & Governance Officer continued to support Members with queries about declarations of interest and updating public information and said there was a good understanding of the Code of Conduct among new and existing members.
The Monitoring Officer presented the Ombudsman’s annual letter, which was primarily for service complaints. In terms of conduct, one complaint against the County Borough Council was discontinued due to the complainant’s decision not to pursue it further, and the Ombudsman’s assessment that it was not in the public interest. The Member involved had been informally reminded of the relevant Code of Conduct requirements. A single complaint had been made against a Community Council, but the Ombudsman found no prima facie evidence of a breach and did not investigate further. The Committee said this was a positive report andreflected well on Member conduct, and a Member said this supported the decision not to require a conduct statement at the start of meetings.
The Chair provided a summary from the recent Standards Chairs Forum meeting, covering discussions on engagement with Welsh Government, remuneration differences, dispensations, and legal representation. A Member raised concern about the increasing use of high-level legal representation in Standards Committee cases. The Chair acknowledged the issue but said there had been no further discussion at the meeting. The Monitoring Officer informed the Committee that the Ombudsman would revert to the previous process of notifying Members immediately when a complaint was received, due to issues arising from complainants publicising complaints on social media before Members are informed. A discussion ensued when a Member asked whether complainants could be warned not to publicise complaints, however, the Monitoring Officer explained that warnings are only given once a complaint was taken up for investigation, and it was difficult to prevent public discussion prior to that stage. The Officer confirmed that potential complaints were advised to keep matters confidential to avoid jeopardising investigations, but public discussion was difficult to control, especially on social media.
The Monitoring Officer reminded the Committee of the upcoming National Standards Committee Forum meeting on 26th January 2026 and advised that if the Chair was unable to attend, the Vice-Chair could represent the Committee.The Monitoring Officer reminded the Committee of the upcoming National Standards Committee Forum meeting on 26th January 2026 and advised that if the Chair was unable to attend, the Vice-Chair could represent the Committee.
Rhaid i gynghorwyr ddweud pan fydd ganddyn nhw gysylltiad personol â rhywbeth sy'n cael ei drafod, fel swydd, eiddo neu aelod o'r teulu. Mae buddiant sy'n rhagfarnu yn ddigon cryf i'r cynghorydd adael yr ystafell fel arfer a pheidio â chymryd rhan.
Caiff datganiadau eu darllen o'r cofnodion unwaith y byddan nhw wedi'u cyhoeddi.
Yn rhestru cynghorwyr presennol y cyngor yn unig. Nid yw aelodau cyfetholedig, swyddogion a chyn-gynghorwyr yn cael eu dangos.