Outcome of London seminars hosted by the GLA

Report: 7
Date: 15 September 2010
By: Monitoring Officer on behalf of the Chief Executive

Summary

Two independent members of the MPA’s Standards Committee attended the Seminar of London Standards Committees held on 11 February 2010. The MPA has received a report of the Seminar from the GLA which is appended to this report as Appendix 1.

A. Recommendation

That the Committee notes the report on the Seminar of London Standards Committees held on 11 February 2010, appended to this report.

B. Supporting information

1. The GLA Standards Committee sent an invitation to Chairs of Standards Committees in London for up to four delegates from each authority to attend (the Chair, an elected member, Independent Member and the monitoring officer or representative).

2. Stephanie Caplan and Anne Dickens attended from the MPA Standards Committee, along with approximately 80 delegates from other London Standards Committees, as well as Professor Alan Lawton and Alison Kelly, National Lead Governance and Accountability.

3. In order to make the most of the time available, after welcoming delegates and introductory remarks the seminar was divided into two sessions, as follows:

Session 1 – Effectiveness and Added Value

Discussion area

• How do standards committees contribute to the effectiveness of your authorities and how do they work?

Session 2 – Experience to Date and What the Future Holds (time -3.30pm to 4.30pm)

Discussion areas

• What have been your greatest successes or innovations and biggest problems in relation to the local handling of complaints? and
• Looking to the future, do you believe that the Standards regime is fit for purpose, should it be changed, and, if so, how, and how we can go about securing the changes?

4. Delegates discussed the issues in eight groups and then fed back their comments. The comments are summarised in Appendix 1

5. The GLA has summarised the following themes that emerged from the seminar as (in its report to its Standard Committee of 9 March 2010, report 6):

• “Local assessment has been a good step away from the constraints of the all complaints having to be determined by Standards for England. However, authorities want to have their own procedures that reflect what they need to do locally, for example, the monitoring officer having the power to deal filter out trivial complaints and look at early forms of resolution/ mediation (the amendments may require primary legislation).
• The fairness of keeping the subject member informed at a very early stage about what is going on (whether it is to indicate to which part of the Code of Conduct the complaint relates or, very vaguely, the nature of the complaint). Elected members do not need to be treated as hostile witnesses.
• The composition of assessment sub-committees will vary depending on local circumstances and should not be prescribed.
• The capacity of authorities to share resources and help each other. There is a possibility of joint training and recruitment of independent members. The GLA, as a regional body, could possibly lead on those issues.”

C. Other organisational and community implications

Equality and diversity impact

There are no direct equalities implications arising from this report.

MET Forward

There are no direct Met Forward implications arising from this report. However the Authority’s ability to prove its effectiveness and added value to improving policing in London is crucial and will enable us to fight crime and reduce criminality, deliver value for money and increase public confidence in policing.

Financial implications

The Seminar was free and therefore there were no cost to the MPA.

Legal implications

The MPA is required, further to the Local Government Act 2000, to have a standards committee to deal with certain issues, which are set out in the MPA’s Standards Committee’s terms of reference. Attendance at this seminar will help the Standards Committee to meet its objectives to promote high standards of conduct by Members at the MPA.

Environmental implications

There are no direct environmental implications arising from this report.

Risk implications

There are no risk implications arising from this report.

D. Background papers

None

E. Contact details

Report author(s): Helen Sargeant, Solicitor and Monitoring Officer to the MPA

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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