To receive apologies for absence (to include reasons, where appropriate) from Members / Officers).

Apologies for absence were received from the following Member of the Committee:

Councillor R J Hancock – Medical appointment

</AI1>

<AI2>

To receive declarations of personal and prejudicial interest (if any) from Members / Officers in accordance with the provisions with the Members’ Code of Conduct adopted by Council on 1 September 2008.

Declarations of personal interest were made as follows in respect of Agenda item 8:-

Councillor Jenkins – As he knew one of the candidates applying for the vacant position of Town/Community Councillor on the Standards Committee

Councillor Lewis – As he knew two of the candidates applying for the vacant position of Town/Community Councillor on the Standards Committee

Mr Bevan – As he knew one of the candidates applying for the vacant position of Town/Community Councillor on the Standards Committee

To receive for approval the minutes of the Standards Committee of 16 January 2015.  

RESOLVED:                That the minutes of the meeting of the Standards Committee of 16 January 2015 be approved as a true and accurate record.

The Monitoring Officer presented a report, the purpose of which, was to inform Members of the Ombudsman’s new public interest test.

The background to the report advised that previously the Committee had received a report on proposals made by the Ombudsman to revise the Code of Conduct of Local Authority Members.

A further proposal was made by the Ombudsman, namely, that a public interest test be considered when deciding whether to investigate a complaint or whether to continue an investigation of a breach of the Code up to the point of referring the matter to the Adjudication Panel for Wales.

The Monitoring Officer provided feedback to the Ombudsman’s Office on the proposal detailed in the second paragraph above, and this was outlined in Appendix 1 to the report.

In terms of the latest developments, he advised Members that the Ombudsman had now issued the new test as detailed in Appendix 2 to the report, which was changed as a result of the comments the Ombudsman’s Office received from Monitoring Officers. He culminated his submission by giving a resume of the proposed changes for the benefit of the Committee  

RESOLVED:               That the Committee noted the report.    

</AI4>

<AI5>

The Monitoring Officer submitted a report, seeking Committee approval for dates of its meetings for the forthcoming municipal year.

The recommended dates for such quarterly meetings during the period May 2015 – May 2016, were as follows:-

Thursday 18 June 2015 – 2.00PM

Thursday 17 September 2015 – 2.00PM

Thursday 17 December 2015 – 2.00PM

Thursday 17 March 2016 – 2.00PM

RESOLVED:                That the Committee agreed and noted the dates of it’s meetings for the forthcoming municipal year.                     

 </AI5>

<AI6>

To consider any any item(s) of business in respect of which notice has been given in

accordance with Rule 4 of the Council’s Procedure Rules and which the person presiding at the meeting is of the opinion should by reason of special circumstances be transacted at the meeting as a matter urgency.

The report relating to the following item is not for publication as it contains

exempt information as defined in Paragraph 12 of Part 4 and Paragraph 21 of Part 5 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information)(Variation)(Wales) Order 2007.

If following the application of the public interest test the Committee resolves pursuant to the Public Document Pack Act to consider this item in private, the public will be excluded from the meeting during such consideration.

RESOLVED:                That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) (Wales) Order 2007, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business, as the report contains exempt information as defined in Paragraph 12 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A and Paragraph 5 of Schedule 12A of the Act:-

                                      Following the application of the public interest test it was resolved that pursuant to the provisions of the Act referred to above, to consider the under-mentioned item in private with the public being excluded from the meeting as it would involve the disclosure to them of exempt information as stated above.

Shortlisting of candidates for the position of Town and  Community Councillor and Independent Member on the Standards Committee.