The Chief Officer Legal and Regulatory, Human Resources and Corporate Policy presented a report, the purpose of which, was to update the Committee following Members (of this Committee) observing a meeting of the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s Standards Committee. She invited questions and observations on the report.

 Further to the observations made following the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s Standards Committee, the Chief Officer Legal and Regulatory,  Human Resources and Corporate Policy enquired with members of the committee if they would like to observe any other BCBC or Town and Community Council meetings within the borough.

The Chief Officer Legal and Regulatory, Human Resources and Corporate Policy referred back to a point within Item 1, discussed by Group Leaders, where they discussed the benefit of members of the Standard Committee  meeting with elected members. She mentioned that recruitment of new members to the committee was in progress, and while they were happy to take nominations during the meeting, they felt it was fair to allow those Members to come on board and receive an induction prior to the offer. She stated that it may be an opportunity for those currently on the committee to observe a full Council meeting, together with any further new members that were going to appointed as lay members on the Committee, in the not too distant future.

The Chief Officer Legal, Regulatory and Human Resources and Monitoring Officer  stated that she would send a calendar appointment with a date when the council are due to hold a full Council meeting in the future that Standards lay members could possibly attend. Members  could then let her know if  they were able to attend such meeting to observe proceedings.

She confirmed that she could also contact  clerks of  Town and Community Councils to establish if there was a will from them  to agree for a similar arrangement whereby lay members of the Standards Committee could also observe some of their meetings.

RESOLVED       :                  (1)  The Committee noted the report 

                                                    the observations from the Vale of

                                                    Glamorgan meeting.

                                     (2) That Members decided they would  like to          

                                                observe a BCBC meeting and similarly a

                                                 meeting of a Town or Community Council

                                                 meeting.

The Chairperson stated that due to  personal reasons, this was his last meeting as a member of the Standards Committee. He would be very reluctantly, tendering his resignation to the monitoring officer to this effect, following the meeting. The chairperson was praised for his past work  by the committee members and the Monitoring Officer, both of whom wished  him well for the future.