Decision details

On behalf of Councillor Philip Dixon, Customer and Locality Services Portfolio Holder, Councillor Jonathan Brook, Leader and Promoting South Lakeland and Innovation Portfolio Holder, presented a report informing Members that in December 2020, the Local Government Association had published its Model Code of Conduct for Local Authority Members.  The report recommended adopting the said Code, with suitable local revisions, together with revisions to the Council’s Arrangements in Dealing with Code of Conduct Matters and Guidance so as to implement the Committee for Standards in Public Life’s Best Practice recommendations.

Councillor Brook moved the recommendation contained within the report and was seconded by Councillor Peter Thornton.

The Legal, Governance and Democracy Lead Specialist (Monitoring Officer) referred to an oversight in the proposed Code, explaining that when considered by the Standards Committee, it had been proposed to alter the definition of harassment as conduct that causes alarm or distress or puts people in fear of violence and must involve such conduct on at least two occasions.  It had been felt that two occasions should be altered to one single incident.

It was unanimously

RESOLVED – That

(1)        the best practice recommendations be noted and the LGA Code of Conduct (as amended), the Arrangements for Dealing with Standards Matters and the Code of Conduct Guidance, as attached at Appendices 2 , 3 and 4 to the report be adopted; and

(2)        the Gifts and Hospitality declaration threshold will remain at £50.