Agenda and minutes

To note that Councillor T.Kingsbury was appointed Chairman of the Committee for the 2019/20 municipal year at the Annual Council meeting on 20 May 2019.

It was noted that Councillor T. Kingsbury was appointed Chairman of the Committee for the 2019/20 municipal year at the Annual Council Meeting on 20 May 2019.

To note any substitution of Members in accordance with Council Procedure Rules 19 - 22.

Received from Councillor P. Zukowskyj

To note declarations of Members’ disclosable pecuniary interests, non-disclosable pecuniary interests and non-pecuniary interests in respect of items on this Agenda.

None.

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting on 11 February 2019 (Circulated separately).

The Minutes of the meeting held on 11 February 2019 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To agree the Standards Committee Work Programme for the municipal year 2019-2020.

The draft work programme was set out in the paper for members to note.

Corporate Directors have revisited the constitution and deemed that the Bribery Policy and the Anti-Fraud/Anti-Corruption policy actually fall within remit of Audit committee so it was recommended that those policies are removed from this programme and added to the work programme for Audit Committee.

RESOLVED

That the Committee agreed that the Bribery Policy and Anti-Fraud & Anti-Corruption Policy be removed from the work programme for 2019/20 and the programme then be approved.

Report of the Chief Executive which presents the Draft Annual Governance Statement (AGS) for financial year 2018/19 (attached at Appendix A), which has been compiled in accordance with best practice set out in the CIPFA / SOLACE Guidance Framework “Delivering Good Governance in Local Government”.

Report of the Chief Executive on the draft Annual Governance Statement (AGS) for the financial year 2018/19. The draft AGS, as attached at Appendix A had been compiled in accordance with best practice set out in the CIPFA/SOLACE Guidance Framework ‘Delivering Good Governance in Local Government’.

The officer explained that, as in previous years, the AGS had been prepared by the council’s Governance Group, chaired by Chief Executive. There were no significant findings to bring to members’ attention however they were asked to note the action plan in section 4.

An amendment to paragraph 3.12 of the AGS was agreed to reflect that Community and Engagement, Health & Wellbeing and Human Resources implications are now considered as part of the standard report template.

RESOLVED

1)          That the Standards Committee considers and, once satisfied, approves the Draft Annual Governance Statement and agrees it should be submitted to Audit Committee on 27 June.

2)          Authorises the Chief Executive, in conjunction with the Leader of the Council, to make any subsequent amendments to the Draft Annual Governance Statement necessitated by the comments made by the Audit Committee.

3)          Recommends its certification by the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive.