Agenda item

Consideration was given to the Political Group Leaders Compliance Assessment. It was reported that a workshop had taken place with the group leaders on 5th June 2024, namely:

 

· Cllr Bryan Davies (Plaid Cymru)

· Cllr Elizabeth Evans (Liberal democrats)

· Cllr Rhodri Evans (Independent group)

 

The Political Group Leaders found the monthly meetings with the Monitoring Officer very effective and gratefully received.  Discussion around the most suitable time for the group leaders to meet with the Ethics and Standards Committee took place and it was agreed that it would be better if the official meeting to take place in the autumn rather than January due to the pressures that surround the setting of the budget in January.  The political group leaders were also willing to attend at other times of the year if the necessity arose.

 

The timetable for the municipal year was agreed as follows:

•Workshop following the AGM (end of May/beginning of June)

•Political Group Leaders to attend an Ethics and Standards Committee meeting in the Autumn (September/October)

•Workshop at the end of the municipal year (May – prior to the AGM)

 

At a workshop held on 29 April 2024 the Committee met with the Political Group Leaders individually the Committee assessed the extent to which whether political group leaders had :

1. taken reasonable steps to promote and maintain high standards of conduct by group members

2. co-operated with the Committee in exercise of its functions

3. any training needs

 

The Committee’ assessment was that:

•The group leaders had taken reasonable steps to promote and maintain high standards of conduct by group members, and had done so in a meaningful way;

•Political Group Leaders engage and co-work with the Ethics and Standards Committee;

•It is positive that there are not a high number of referrals to PSOW;

•Include mandatory training on the compliance template;

•Include additional training which the Ethics and Standards Committee has asked for on the compliance template;

•Members that have not already done social media training, should do so (if they use social media)

•Political Group Leaders are to share PSOW and APW reports with their group and discuss at group meetings;

•The Political Group Leaders found the monthly meetings with the Monitoring Officer very effective and gratefully received. 

 

The following amendments to the compliance template were proposed:

•         Amend the template to make it easier to use and for Political Group Leaders to provide the information that the Ethics and Standards Committee require;

•         reword headings;

•         make it more structured;

•         Yes/no comments evidence box;

•         Ensure the template is not too open ended;

•         Add previous year’ recommendations to the template. 

 

The compliance threshold was therefore deemed to be:

•         mandatory training to be added to  the compliance template;

•         additional training to be added to the compliance template;

•         Members that have not already done social media training, should do so (if they use social media)

•         Political Group Leaders are to share PSOW and APW reports with their group and discuss at group meetings

 

The political Group Leaders Compliance Template was then discussed.  The Political Group Leaders felt that the questions were too open and the information required by the Committee may be missed.  Emphasis was placed on the requirement of detail and evidence.  It was agreed to establish a working group of the Committee to review the template.  The number of members that had attended Social Media training was to be added to the template.  It was agreed that membership of the working group would be Caryl Davies, Gail Storr, Alan Davies and the Monitoring officer. 

The template had been reviewed: Political Group Leader Compliance Questionnaire.

 

 

It was AGREED to note the current position that it would be included in the

Ethics and Standards Annual Report.