Agenda for Councillor Conduct Committee on Monday, 28th January, 2013, 6.30 pm

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Room 4, Civic Centre, Silver Street, Enfield, EN1 3XA. View directions

Contact: Penelope Williams, 020 8379 4098, Email: penelope.williams@enfield.gov.uk 

Items
No. Item

650.

Welcome and apologies

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.

 

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Mike Rye. 

651.

Declaration of Interests

Members are asked to declare any disclosable pecuniary, non pecuniary or other pecuniary interests relating to items on the agenda. 

Minutes:

No declarations of interest were declared in respect of items on the agenda.

652.

Dispensations pdf icon PDF 155 KB

To receive, pursuant to Section 100B(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) a report recommending granting a general dispensation for all councillors to enable them to participate in and vote on decisions relating to the Council Tax Support Local Scheme, the setting of the Council Tax, housing matters and rents, plus members allowances. 

 

The Councillor Conduct Committee is asked to consider dealing with this report as an urgent item in order to enable a decision to be made on whether to grant any dispensations in advance of the report on the Council Tax Support Local Scheme being considered at the Council meeting on the 30 January 2013. 

Minutes:

The Councillor Conduct Committee agreed, pursuant to Section 100B(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), to consider the following as an urgent item in order to enable a decision to be made on whether to grant a dispensation in relation to the Council Tax Local Support Scheme in advance of that item being considered at the full Council meeting on 30 January 2013.

 

RECEIVED a report from the Director of Finance Resources and Customer Services (No.161) relating to the granting of a general dispensation for councillors on the decision due to be taken by Council (30 January 2013) on the Council Tax Local Support Scheme.  At the same time the Committee was being asked to consider the need to grant a dispensation for members in relation to the forthcoming decisions on the setting of the Council Tax, housing rents and Members Allowances.

 

NOTED

 

1.      In response to a letter sent to all members by the Assistant Director Corporate Governance, a number of councillors had advised that they may need to consider declaring a DPI in relation to the Council Tax Local Support Scheme due to be considered at the full Council meeting on 30 January 2013.

 

2.      Given the need to ensure the Council meeting was able to run as effectively as possible and for a formal decision to be made on the Council Tax Support Scheme the Committee was being asked to consider the granting of a general dispensation under paragraph 31(4) of the Councillor Code of Conduct, enabling all members to participate in the discussion and vote on this item at the Council meeting.  As the exact number of members who would need to declare a DPI had not yet been confirmed the dispensation being sought was on the grounds that it would be in the interests of persons living in the Borough for as many members as possible to be able to debate and decide upon the final scheme (section (c) under paragraph 31 (4) of the Code).

 

3.      The Assistant Director Corporate Governance confirmed that approval of any dispensation on the grounds set out in 2. above would require the formal approval of the Committee, following consultation with the Independent Person, and could not be issued under his delegated authority.

 

4.      In addition, the Committee was being asked to consider the granting of a dispensation relating to the setting of the Council Tax, housing rents and Members Allowances Scheme which were due to be considered at full Council on 27 February 2013.  This was on the basis that the previous exemptions provided for members in relation to these issues had not been carried over to the new Code of Conduct legislation.  The Assistant Director Corporate Governance confirmed that Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 would still require any Member who was two or more months in arrears on their Council Tax to declare their position and not vote on any issue that could affect the calculation of the budget or Council  ...  view the full minutes text for item 652.

653.

Dates of Future Meetings

To note the dates agreed for future meetings of the Committee

 

  • Thursday 14 March 2013
  • Thursday 2 May 2013

Minutes:

NOTED the dates agreed for future meetings of the committee

 

Thursday 14 March 2013

Thursday 2 March 2013

 

AGREED that an extra meeting of the Committee would be arranged before the Council meeting on 27 February to discuss further dispensations in relation to the setting of the Council Tax, Housing Rents and Members Allowance Scheme.