Agenda item

To note the draft annual return in appendix A, and provide any comments to the monitoring officer.

The committee heard from Norman Coombe, principal lawyer, governance team.  He advised that officers had brought the draft Standards for England annual return to the committee for members’ comments.

Members asked questions of officers and there was a discussion on the merits of the committee producing an annual report.

Although members were mainly of the view that it was not a good use of resources to spend time producing an annual report, there were concerns that the Audit Commission would not look favourably on this and that this could impact on the score received from the Audit Commission in relation to the use of resources for governance.

Deborah Collins, strategic director of communities, law and governance advised the committee that Standards for England had made it clear to the Audit Commission that an annual report from a standards committee was not mandatory.

RESOLVED:

1.  That the standards committee noted the draft annual return in appendix A.

2.  That the answer to point 1 of the annual return be expanded to include the good work that has been done on the standards committee section of the council’s website to inform the wider public, as well as officers within the council, on the good work the committee has carried out to promote high ethical governance standards.

3.  That officers obtain absolute clarification from the Audit Commission that they will not mark the council down on its use of resources for governance score, should the committee decide not to produce an annual report.

4.  That officers bring back information to the next committee meeting, including other authorities’ practices in relation to standards committee’s annual reports and clarification from the Audit Commission in order that the committee can decide whether there should be a standards committee annual report.