Conduct Committee
This section contains the following information about the Conduct Committee:
Purpose
a) The purpose of the Conduct Committee is to determine whether a councillor or co-opted member has failed to comply with the Council’s Code of Conduct and if so, to determine what action, if any, to take.
b) The Committee also considers the granting of dispensations to members or co-opted members allowing them to participate in discussions at a meeting or vote in relation to any matter in which they have a disclosable pecuniary interest.
Composition
a) The Committee shall consist of five county councillors.
b) The quorum of the Committee shall be three.
c) The Committee shall meet as and when required by the Monitoring Officer to undertake its functions set out in these terms of reference.
d) Meetings are normally open to the public, but they may be excluded where information of an exempt or confidential nature is being discussed or from meetings dealing with those matters set out below – see Access to Information Rules.
Terms of Reference
a) To determine whether a councillor or co-opted member has failed to comply with the Council’s Code of Member Conduct.
b) Where it finds that a failure to comply with the Code of Member Conduct has occurred, to determine what action if any to take.
c) Before a decision under (a) or (b) is taken, to have regard to the views of an Independent Person appointed by Full Council in accordance with the Localism Act 2011, who shall attend meetings of the Committee for that purpose as an observer.
d) To consider whether to grant a dispensation to a member or co-opted member relieving the member or co-opted member from either or both of the restrictions in section 31(4) of the Localism Act 2011 by allowing them to participate in any discussion at a meeting or vote in relation to any matter in which they have a disclosable pecuniary interest.
e) At the request of the Employment Committee, to consider a recommendation to dismiss the Head of the Paid Service, the Monitoring Officer or Chief Finance Officer and to submit views on the proposed dismissal to the Employment Committee which will then reported to Full Council for determination.