Agenda and minutes

Mr Alan Davies apologised for his inability to attend the meeting.

The Chair welcomed the two new Town and Community Councillors representatives to their first meeting, Councillor Delyth James and Jan Culley

Item 6- The Monitoring Officer reported that it had been confirmed in the Full Council meeting in July that Councillor Gwyn Evans would become a member of the Corporate Joint Committee Standards Sub Committee.  A second County Councillor will be appointed in the 20 October meeting. The report considered as item 13 on the agenda, Update on Ethics and Standards Committee recruitment would be presented in the 20 October 2022 meeting.

Item 7 – The Annual Report was due to be presented originally in July and then September, however, the meeting was cancelled in September due to the national mourning period. The report would now be presented at the 20 October 2022 meeting.

Item 8- was an item on the agenda.

Item 9 – The two new Town and Community Council representatives,  Councillors Delyth James and Jan Culley as stated previously were attending their first meeting.

Item 13- A Hearing Procedure workshop had been held on the 30 September 2022 .

Item 16- Clerks to Town and Community Council had only been provided guidance by One Voice Wales on how to complete the Training Programme at the end of September, therefore an update report would provided to the January meeting on the number of Councils that had provided this report and that included training on the Code of Conduct.

.Item 17- Guidance on the self evaluation was still awaited. 

An application for dispensation dated 17 August 2022 was received from Councillor Keith Evans to speak and vote on potential funding for Calon Tysul.  Councillor Evans serves and advises on their Management Committee. As both their County Council and Community Council local Member, local organisations look to elected members for guidance, leadership and support.

It was RESOLVED to grant Councillor Evans  a dispensation to speak and vote on the grounds that the nature of the members’ interest is such that the member’s participation in the business to which the interest relates would not damage public confidence in the conduct of the relevant authority’s business, and the participation of the member in the business to which the interest relates is justified by the member's particular role or expertise (regulation 2 (d) and (f) of the Standards Committees (Grant of Dispensations)(Wales) Regulations 2001). The dispensation was granted for a period of 12 months.

An application for dispensation dated 17 August 2022 was received from Councillor Keith Evans to speak and vote on potential funding for Calon Tysul.  Councillor Evans serves and advises on their Management Committee. As both their County Council and Community Council local Member, local organisations look to elected members for guidance, leadership and support.

It was RESOLVED to grant Councillor Evans  a dispensation to speak and vote on the grounds that the nature of the members’ interest is such that the member’s participation in the business to which the interest relates would not damage public confidence in the conduct of the relevant authority’s business, and the participation of the member in the business to which the interest relates is justified by the member's particular role or expertise (regulation 2 (d) and (f) of the Standards Committees (Grant of Dispensations)(Wales) Regulations 2001). The dispensation was granted for a period of 12 months.

An application for dispensation dated 17 August 2022 was received from Councillor Keith Evans to speak and vote on potential funding for Llandysul Sports Society. Councillor Evans serves and advises on their Management Committee. As both their County Council and Community Council local Member, local organisations looks to elected members for guidance, leadership and support.

It was RESOLVED to grant Councillor Evans  a dispensation to speak and vote on the grounds that the nature of the members’ interest is such that the member’s participation in the business to which the interest relates would not damage public confidence in the conduct of the relevant authority’s business, and the participation of the member in the business to which the interest relates is justified by the member's particular role or expertise (regulation 2 (d) and (f) of the Standards Committees (Grant of Dispensations)(Wales) Regulations 2001). The dispensation was granted for a period of 12 months.

An application for dispensation dated 17 August 2022 was received from Councillor Keith Evans to speak and vote on potential funding for Llandysul Sports Society. Councillor Evans serves and advises on their Management Committee. As both their County Council and Community Council local Member, local organisations look to elected members for guidance, leadership and support.

It was RESOLVED to grant Councillor Evans with a dispensation to speak and vote on the grounds that the nature of the members’ interest is such that the member’s participation in the business to which the interest relates would not damage public confidence in the conduct of the relevant authority’s business, and the participation of the member in the business to which the interest relates is justified by the member's particular role or expertise (regulation 2 (d) and (f) of the Standards Committees (Grant of Dispensations)(Wales) Regulations 2001). The dispensation was granted for a period of 12 months

An application for dispensation dated 17 August 2022 was received from Councillor Keith Evans to speak and vote on potential funding for Llandysul Pont-Tyweli Ymlaen Cyf.  Councillor Evans serve and advise on their Management Board as a Director. As both their County Council and Community Council local Member, local organisations looks to elected members for guidance, leadership and support.

It was RESOLVED to grant Councillor Evans  a dispensation to speak and vote on the grounds that the nature of the members’ interest is such that the member’s participation in the business to which the interest relates would not damage public confidence in the conduct of the relevant authority’s business, and the participation of the member in the business to which the interest relates is justified by the member's particular role or expertise (regulation 2 (d) and (f) of the Standards Committees (Grant of Dispensations)(Wales) Regulations 2001). The dispensation was granted for a period of 12 months.

It was AGREED to note the content of the amended regulations.

It was AGREED to note the content of the report for information and that the report would also be circulated to the Clerks of the Town and Community Councils for information.

It was AGREED to note the content of the report for information subject to the committee being informed in future reports of any trends that had increased/decreased. The Committee noted the increase in recent years of trends relating to  social media and online abuse.

It was AGREED to note the content of the report

It was AGREED to note the content of the report. A request would be made by the Monitoring Officer for the Ombudsman to add an additional column where a case had been referred but not been investigated.

It was AGREED to note the content of the report.

It was AGREED to note the content of the report subject to the addition of the Hearing Training that was held on the 30 September 2022. Also, training would be available for individual Town and Community Councils if requested.

None received.

Forward Work Programme

It was AGREED to note the content of the Forward Work Prog- programme subject to:-

•         Further consideration be given to Political Group Leaders attending all meetings of the committee, and for a mechanism that the Monitoring Officer could report on their behalf presenting evidence of the work they had done in relation to promoting standards.

•         Flintshire County Council had provided its template for Group Leaders to complete. This could be adapted and reported to the committee accordingly.

•         Review of the Vision statement

•         Training Programme for Town and Community Councils would be requested from Clerks to ascertain if Code of Conduct training would be mandated

•         That the Chair and Vice Chair together with Officers would be considering the Committee’s Self -evaluation as the guidance had not yet been received

The Monitoring Officer updated Members on:

•         The Ombudsman Decision Notices

•         All Wales Chair Standards Forum-a meeting  may  be held prior to the Christmas period. The terms of reference was currently being reviewed and the Powys and Ceredigion MOs would attend alternately at the meeting. The Chair, or Vice-Chair, will also attend the meeting.