What are the requirements for membership?
Members are appointed by Full Council. The minimum lawful size for a Standards Committee is at least 2 councillors and 1 independent person. The Standards Committee has 9 members, 4 of whom are independent.
At least 25% of the membership must be made up of independent members.
There can only be one Cabinet Member on the Committee, who must not be the Leader, and councillors cannot be the Chair of the Standards Committee.
Who are the members?
The members who are also councillors are:
- Councillor Richard Sweden (Vice-Chair)
- Councillor Peter Herrington
- Councillor Marion Fitzgerald
- Councillor Mark Rusling
- Councillor Winnie Smith
The independent members are:
- Caryle Webb-Ingall (Chair)
- John Cannon
- Abid Hussain
- Mohamed Taiyes Jiva
All members have full and equal voting rights.
What are independent members and why have them?
Independent members are people from the community who are not councillors or officers of the Council. Having independent members helps increase public confidence and provide a clear signal that the committee is fair. The independent representatives also bring a wider perspective from outside experiences.
While independent members are not councillors, they do share some of the rights of committee members who are councillors.
How are they chosen?
Independent members are chosen in a fair and open way. A person can be an independent representative only if:
- They arenot been a member or employee of the council within the five years before the date of appointment
- They are not a relative or close friend of a member or employee of the council
- They filled in an application for the position
- They have been approved by the majority of members; and
- The position has been advertised in at least one newspaper distributed in the council’s area
The Council looks for the following qualities in independent members:
- Is familiar with ethical dilemmas
- Has experience with committee work
- Has questioning skills
- Is assertive; and
- Is independent of any political party and local government
Do they get allowances?
Independent members are entitled to allowances to cover travel and subsistence expenses and financial loss. From 12 July 2007 independent members will also receive an annual allowance.
Annual Ethical Monitoring Report 2010/11
The fifth annual report by the Monitoring Officer of the Council’s implementation and compliance with the Ethical Framework from July 2010 to date (“the reporting period”) is attached together with the relevant appendices.
