The Director of Law, HR and Asset Management brought to the Cabinet’s attention the Audit Commission’s Ethical Governance Diagnostic for a review of compliance with ethical issues within the Council.  This matter had also been considered by the Standards Committee on 1^st December 2008. 

The Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council welcomed the report and emphasised that the onus was on Cabinet Members to endorse this issue and learn from the diagnostic and ingrain its results into Council business.

The Leader of the Council moved a motion, duly seconded, and it was –

Resolved -That

(1)  the report, and the Standard’s Committee resolution that officers prepare an action plan for the review, be noted;

(2)  the Cabinet gives complete commitment to this matter and endeavours to ensure a maximum  level of participation in the diagnostic exercise; and

(3)  requests that the Leader of the Conservative Group encourages his Members to play an active role in the completion of the diagnostic.

Liz Temple-Murray, the Audit Manager, attended the meeting and explained the proposed review, by the Audit Commission, of compliance with ethical issues within the Council.  A copy of the draft Ethical Governance Diagnostic had been circulated with the agenda.  In it the Audit Commission pointed out that one of the common aspects of failures of governance was not so much the absence of frameworks, controls and arrangements as the absence of appropriate behaviours and values amongst members and officers.  The proposed review would look at compliance with statutory requirements and also at behaviour, culture and values.

One of the objectives of the review was to see if the Council was ensuring that the Standards Committee had access to the right information and support to enable it to do its job properly.  It is also the intention to examine various documents relating to the work of the Committee and to interview the Chair and members of it.

Ms Temple-Murray stated that the review would involve a three-pronged approach: a snap survey for all members and key officers; an analysis of the findings; and a series of individual meetings and focus groups, leading to a report in March 2009.  It was expected that an action plan, for consideration by members, would follow the report’s recommendations.

Some members expressed concern about the large number of questions within the survey, but were assured that it was a nationally developed tool and that each question could be answered quickly.  Councillor Rowlands sought an assurance that members could have proper input into the review and was advised that that would come about via the focus groups as well as the survey itself.  The Deputy Monitoring Officer added that one purpose of the review would be to ensure that the Standards Committee could operate in the most effective way.  It would highlight gaps in provision, such as training, and the Committee itself would have ownership of the action plan.

Resolved – That Ms Temple-Murray be thanked for her report and the officers make the necessary arrangements for the review.