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Standards committee definition

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What does Standards committee mean?

A committee set up under the Local Government Act 2000 s.53 to promote and maintain high standards of conduct throughout the authority.

The committee: gives the council advice on adopting a local Code of Conduct; monitors the effectiveness of the Code; trains members on the Code; assesses and reviews complaints about members; conducts determinations' hearings; grants dispensations to members with prejudicial interests; and grant exemptions for politically restricted posts. There must be three people on the standards committee, including at least two members of the authority and at least one independent member, and the chair must always be an independent member.

Minimise

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Governance and scrutiny—role of the monitoring officer

This Practice Note relates only to England; the legislation is different in Wales.Every local authority must designate one of its officers as the Monitoring Officer and provide that officer with such staff, accommodation and other resources as they consider sufficient to allow them to perform their duties.The Monitoring Officer cannot be the authority's designated Head of Paid Service or its Chief Finance Officer, except in Police Authorities. Although the Monitoring Officer’s duties are essentially legal, there is currently no requirement for the officer to be legally qualified. The Law Society has called for legislative changes so that the statutory position of Monitoring Officer should be required to be held by a solicitor, barrister or legal executive with substantial legal experience, however the Government has not yet expressed a view.The position of Monitoring Officer is pivotal to the protection of probity and the development of executive government in a local authority. There is no official job description or person specification but it is recommended that the authority draws one up. As well as the statutory duties, there is a raft of non-statutory functions which a conscientious Monitoring Officer will carry out and that can greatly assist the governance of the authority. A job description will inform both the Monitoring Officer and other officers of what will be expected of them

Members—conduct

This Practice Note refers only to the law in England; note that different provisions apply to Wales.The public has a right to expect high standards of conduct from their elected members. Up to 1 July 2012, local authority (LA) members had to comply with the ethical standards framework under Part III of the Local Government Act 2000 (LGA 2000) that built on recommendations in the Third Report of Lord Nolan's Committee on Standards in Public Life.The Localism Act 2011 (LA 2011) amends LGA 2000 so that Part III only applies to Wales, and makes fundamental changes to the system of regulation of standards of conduct for elected and co-opted councillors in England from 1 July 2012. The provisions of LA 2011 apply to 'relevant authorities', which include a county council in England, a district council, a London borough council, a parish council and the Greater London authority.Though the Local Authorities (Model Code of Conduct) Order 2007, SI 2007/1159 was repealed on 1 July 2012, and members no longer have to give an undertaking to comply with the Model Code of Conduct, Local authorities remain under a statutory duty to promote and maintain high standards of conduct for their elected and co-opted members.Please see: obligation to adopt a new Code of Conduct below.Disclosable Pecuniary InterestsLA 2011 abolishes the concepts of personal and prejudicial interests and replaces

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Model arrangements for dealing with standards allegations under the Localism Act 2011

Model arrangements for dealing with standards allegations under the Localism Act 2011 1 Context These ‘Arrangements’ set out how you may make a complaint that an elected or co-opted member of this authority [or of a parish council within its area] has failed to comply with the authority’s Code of Conduct, and sets out how the authority will deal with allegations of a failure to comply with the authority’s Code of Conduct. Under section 28(6) and (7) of the Localism Act 2011, the Council must have in place ‘arrangements’ under which allegations that a member or co-opted member of the authority [or of a parish council within the authority’s area], or of a Committee or Sub-Committee of the authority, has failed to comply with that authority’s Code of Conduct can be investigated and decisions made on such allegations. Such arrangements must provide for the authority to appoint at least one Independent Person, whose views must be sought by the authority before it takes a decision on an allegation which it has decided shall be investigated, and whose views can be sought by the authority at any other stage, or by a member [or a member or co-opted member of a parish council] against whom an allegation as been made. 2 The Code of Conduct The Council has adopted a Code of Conduct for members, which is attached as Appendix 1 o

Members’ allowances scheme

Members’ allowances scheme Basic Principles/Instructions for claiming 1 Statutory power for compiling an elected members’ allowance scheme The council, in exercise of the powers conferred by the Local Authorities (Members’ Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003, SI 1021/2003 makes this scheme. This scheme may be cited as the [council name] Members’ Allowances Scheme and shall have effect from [date], until the scheme is amended or a new scheme is adopted. 2 Definitions the Regulations • means the Local Authorities (Members’ Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003, SI 1021/2003 member • means a member of the [council] who is a councillor co-opted member • means a co-opted member of the [name] Committee year • means the 12 months ending with 31 March Approved duties • means any task approved by the Council for the purpose of, or in connection with, the discharge of its functions or of any of its Panels, District Assemblies or Communities 3 Basis for calculating allowances The council has decided that the value of the various classes of allowance should be determined by the number of full time equivalent daily sessions per annum multiplied by a daily rate derived from the average full time wage for the council area. This is subject to annual review by the Independent Remuneration Panel. 3.1 The council has decided that the value of the various classes of allowance should be determined by the number of full time equivalent daily sessions per annum multiplied by a daily rate derived

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What are the potential exemptions, guidance and case law considerations for a local authority responding to a freedom of information request concerning details of complaints to a standards committee, or papers accompanying a committee hearing held as a result of such complaint?

What are the potential exemptions, guidance and case law considerations for a authority'>local authority responding to a freedom of information request concerning details of complaints to a standards committee, or papers accompanying a committee hearing held as a result of such complaint? What guidance is available for researching the possible exemptions applicable to a request for information, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FIA 2000) or Environmental Information Regulations 2004, SI 2004/3391, concerning Standards Committee complaints/proceedings? We have a range of guidance on FIA 2000 and EIR 2004, SI 2004/3391 regimes and associated case law, which you may find useful in your research. For background reading on exemptions under FIA 2000, see Practice Notes: • Absolute exemptions to a freedom of information request • Qualified exemptions to a freedom of information request For background reading on exceptions under EIR 2004, SI 2004/3391, see Practice Note: Environmental Information Regulations 2004—exceptions. In relation to specific cases/scenarios, you may be interested to look at our case trackers and run a keyword search for comparable scenarios. For further reading, see Practice Notes: • Freedom of information case tracker (this tracker includes a link to our FOI and EIR appeals—database which can be filtered to list decisions concerning councils and searched by keyword to identify cases concerning particular types of request) • Freedom of information case tracker [Archived] • Access to environmental information case tracker [Archived] The personal information exemption

Code of conduct: Where can I find a model code of conduct? What are the sanctions for failing to comply?

Code of conduct: Where can I find a model code of conduct? What are the sanctions for failing to comply? Under the Localism Act 2011 (LA 2011), the adoption of a national code of conduct was abolished and local authorities (LAs)were given the power to determine their own code of conduct. However, the code of conduct needs to be in cohesion with the duties set out in LA 2011. The duty to have a code of conduct in place and arrangements for failure to comply are set out in LA 2011, s 28. The Practice Note: Members—conductprovides more detail on the

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Public Law weekly highlights—10 March 2022

This week's edition of Public Law weekly highlights includes news and guidance on the conflict in Ukraine and the sanctions against the Russian state. Also included, selected Brexit headlines, including updates on the tenth meeting of the Specialised Committee on the Northern Ireland Protocol, progress in the UK's international trade priorities, as well as the latest post-Brexit guidance and SIs. This edition further includes feature analysis of the UK's post-Brexit immigration system. Coronavirus (COVID-19) updates include analysis of the expiry of the temporary provisions of the Coronavirus Act 2020, the Welsh Government's plans for removing the remaining restrictions in Wales, plus key SIs and operational guidance from the courts. Also included, the Cabinet Office's update on the government reform, the launch of the 'Leading in Practice' review, the government’s responses to the consultations on the civil service, firefighter and police pension schemes, further responses to the government’s Human Rights Act Review, plus additional updates on constitutional and administrative law, judicial review, equality and human rights, information law, public procurement, State aid, and public sector pensions. Case analysis this week includes the latest judicial review, equality and human rights and public procurement cases.

Financial Services weekly highlights—27 January 2022

Welcome to the weekly Financial Services highlights from the Financial Services team for the week ending 27 January 2022. This week’s edition of Financial Services highlights provides an aggregation of the news reported by the Lexis®PSL Financial Services team over the past week and includes (1) news items relating to coronavirus (COVID-19), (2) updates from UK regulators, (3) updates from EU and international regulators, (4) updates from industry bodies and market participants, (5) new and updated content and (6) dates for your diary from Financial Services.

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About this title—authors, overview

ContributorsLocal GovernmentIAN R. DAVISON, M.A., LL.M, SolicitorSurrey Hills SolicitorsKATE JACKSON, LL.B, SolicitorSurrey Hills SolicitorsRatingCLIVE MOYS, LL.B, of Lincoln’s Inn, Barrister, Radcliffe ChambersFormer Local Government SolicitorTitle overviewLOCAL GOVERNMENT AND RATING (2019 Reissue) has been fully updated to take account of the substantive changes introduced by legislation and case law.LOCAL GOVERNMENTLOCAL GOVERNMENT has been revised by Ian Davison and Kate Jackson. Ian Davison is a partner at Surrey Hills Solicitors LLP specialising in local authority law and practice, having worked in and for local government for nearly 40 years. He is also legal

Standards committee is referenced 1 in Encyclopaedia of Forms and Precedents

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270. Standards committees for relevant authorities in Wales.

Standards committee is referenced 1 in Halsbury's Laws of England

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