Agenda item

Report of the Managing Director

The Managing Director submitted a report (previously circulated) updating Members on issues relevant to Member standards and ethical governance.

The submitted report updated Members on recent work undertaken by the Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL).  The recommendations made by the CSPL following the completion of the ‘Review of Local Government Ethical Standards’ were set out.  Details of the response of the Government to the CSPL report on ‘Intimidation in Public Life’ were also included.

The submitted report also set out a number of datasets of ethical indicators to assist in monitoring the ethical health of the Council and it was reported that, by reviewing these indicators, it was anticipated that any unusual or significant trends or changes in the volume of data recorded for the period concerned would alert the Authority to any deterioration in its ethical health and enable any necessary action to be taken at an early stage.

It was reported that there were no particular areas of concern that had been identified from reviewing the data.

Members questions related to whistleblowing and if there was any correlation to disciplinary action relating to fraud and the potential reasons for the upturn of Freedom of Information requests.

RESOLVED – That the report and statistical information contained therein be noted.