Role of Standards Committee

Members' Code of Conduct

High ethical standards are a cornerstone of good governance and help engender trust and confidence in local democracy. They are achieved by all holders of public office, such as the elected members of local authorities, their co-opted members and employees demonstrating the levels of probity and conduct which the public has a right to expect from them.

All principal Councils must have a committee called a Standards Committee as required by the Local Government Act 2000. Richmondshire has had a Standards Committee in place since 1999. In broad terms the Committee seeks to ensure that the District Council, Town and Parish Councils maintain the highest ethical standards in all their activities.

Membership of Standards Committee

The Committee has an independent Chair, one other independent member, two parish representatives and four elected members.  The Chairman is not a yearly appointment and is appointed to cover each individual meeting.  There are currently no meetings of the Standards Committee scheduled. 

The two independent members of the Committee and Mr. Keith Barker and Mr. Gerald Burnett.  The four District Councillors on the Committee are, Councillor Muriel Blythman, Rob Johnson, Jill McMullon and Jane Parlour.  The two Parish Representatives are drawn from a pool of trained Parish Councillors when requried.  The Committee is supported by the Council's Monitoring Officer.

Every local authority must appoint someone to be the Monitoring Officer. The Monitoring Officer is entrusted with ensuring that all decisions that the Council makes are within the law. The Monitoring Officer also has a key role in promoting and maintaining high standards of conduct amongst Members of the authority, particularly through support to Members of the Council to help them to follow the Code of Conduct and the Council's other rules and procedures. The Monitoring Officer is also the link between Members and the Standards Committee and between the Authority and  Standards for England.

Richmondshire’s Monitoring Officer is Callum McKeon, Assistant Director.  In the absence of the Monitoring Officer, Michael Dowson, Democratic Services Manager deputises.  

Role of the Standards Committee

The Standards Committee has the following roles and functions:

• To promote and maintain high standards of conduct by councillors and co-opted members;
• * To assist councillors and co-opted members to observe the members’ Code of Conduct;
• * To advise the Council on the adoption or revision of the members’ Code of Conduct;
• * To monitoring the operation of the members’ Code of Conduct;
• * To advise, train or arrange to train councillors and co-opted members on matters relating to the members’ Code of Conduct;
• * To grant dispensations to councillors and co-opted members from requirements relating to interests set out in the members’ Code of Conduct;
• * To deal with any reports from a case tribunal or interim case tribunal and any report from the monitoring officer on any matter which is referred by an Ethical Standards Officer to the Monitoring Officer;
• * To exercise a) to g) above in relation to the parish councils wholly or mainly in its area and the members of those parish councils;
• To provide guidance and advice on ethical matters or probity issues when requested by Members, the Chief Executive, the Monitoring Officer or Parish and Town Councils;
• To review current procedures and protocols in terms of their ethical consistency and impact on the Council’s services and delivery;
• To undertake audits of the authority’s ethical performance across all aspects of its operation and considering reports from the authority’s external auditors that cover matters of conduct, probity or ethics;
• To consider reports related to conduct, ethics and probity issued by regulatory bodies, including the Standards for England, making recommendations where appropriate and monitoring their implementation;
• To advise members and employees on the management of statutory registers of interest and the inventory of gifts and hospitality received and ensuring that they are kept up to date and accessible;
• * To be responsible for maintaining and conducting the authority’s procedures for investigating and hearing complaints under the Code of Conduct as set out under any relevant provision of, or regulations made under the Local Government Act 2000 and ensure that the authority’s complaint procedures are accessible and consistent;
• To maintain an overview of complaints handling and Ombudsman investigations;
• To disseminate advice on the Code of Conduct in light of published guidance and resolved cases;
• To update Members, co-opted members and other interested parties on the Standards Committee meetings and activities. For example, through an annual report and regular reports to the Council;
• To liaise with external agencies, in particular the Local Government Ombudsman and the District Auditor, in connection with any matter within the Committee’s terms of reference;
• To recommend to the Council representations to the Secretary of State, the Standards for England and/or the Local Government Association on any matter relating to the general principles of conduct, the model Code of Conduct and Standards for England.
• Any function delegated to the Committee by the Council in accordance with section 54(3) of the Local Government Act 2000.

*Indicates those roles and functions which are statutory.

Meetings of the Standards Committee

There are no Meetings of the Standards Committee scheduled.  Meetings will be arranged as and when required.

Standards Sub-Committees meetings are  arranged as and when required to consider allegations.

To view agendas, reports and minutes from the Standards Committee please click here.

Members' Code of Conduct

Richmondshire District Council adopted a new code of conduct on 24 July 2007. The code based upon the new statutory model contained within the Local Authorities (Model Code of Conduct Order) 2007 specifies the standards of conduct expected of the Authority's elected and co-opted members. To view the Code of Conduct please click here.