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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
Resolved that: The Chair and Monitoring Officer would draft a letter to the Ombudsman requesting clarification.
Apologies were received from Mr Martin Veale.
No declarations of interest received.
The minutes of the previous meeting held on Friday 11 November 2024 were shared with members of the Standards Committee to determine accuracy. The Chair then went through the Minutes for information and Standards Committee approval. It was agreed that the Minutes of the meeting held on Friday 11 November 2024 are a true record and be received for information.
The Chair welcomed the new member of Standards to their first meeting. Mr David Bennett thanked the Chair and introduced himself to committee.
The Chair advised that there was a slight delay this year due to the change in political leadership. Future reports would be brought earlier in the year. In response to questions from Councillor Gareth Richards and the Chair, Carys Kennedy confirmed that there should be three elected members on the committee, but that the current position with only two would not impact on the quorum of the meeting. The appointment of a third elected member would be followed up.
Decision as recorded
Resolved that: The Chair and Monitoring Officer would draft a letter to the Ombudsman requesting clarification.
Carys Kennedy advised of the Ombudsman’s intention to review how local dispute resolution procedures are being interpreted. The following matters were raised and discussed: • How the timeline impacts on the welfare of everyone involved in an investigation. • Whether the Ombudsman had determined what they classed as a minor matter. • That the issue had been discussed at the National Standards Form and Monitoring Officers Group. Resolved that: The Chair and Monitoring Officer would draft a letter to the Ombudsman requesting clarification.
The Chair gave an update from the last meeting held on 27 January 2024.
The Chair requested that enquiries be made into arranging cross-authority mock hearing training.
Democratic Services would contact Standards members to arrange a date when Simon Jones could give an overview of the changes in the new Constitution.
The date of the next meeting will be 2.00pm on Friday 4 April 2025.
No other business deemed urgent by the Chair.
Councillors must say when they have a personal link to something being discussed, such as a job, a property or a family member. A prejudicial interest is one strong enough that the councillor usually leaves the room and takes no part.
Declarations are read from the minutes once they are published.
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