Agenda and draft minutes

None.

None.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 27 June 2023 be confirmed as an accurate record of the meeting and the Chair be authorised to sign them.

The Chair introduced the report, which details complaints received about members during the 2022/23 financial year.  The complaint that the committee determined last year is summarised in point 3.9 and there were three other complaints, detailed in the table under point 3.10.

The report also details the training and development undertaken by members during the 2022/23 financial year, including a comprehensive list of the training undertaken as part of induction following the election last May and details of the member development programme that followed.  It was noted that the papers published for the Audit Committee meeting on 20 November include a new Member Development Strategy and that the Council is working towards achieving LGA Charter Status for member development, to ensure that members are properly equipped to undertake their roles.

Councillor Jackson suggested that there should be some form of accreditation or a certificate of achievement awarded to those councillors who have completed the full induction programme.

RESOLVED:

That the contents of the report be noted.

The Chair introduced the paper, which proposed adding trade union membership to the established list of dispensations, to allow councillors to vote on matters relating to trade unions without the requirement for an individual dispensation to be granted.

RESOLVED:

Granting a dispensation in respect of trade union membership, as detailed in paragraph 3.5 of the report, in respect of participation in discussion and voting at meetings, with effect until the annual meeting following the next full local elections, was agreed.