Agenda and draft minutes

To receive apologies for absence from the meeting.

There were no apologies for absence.

You are invited to declare any registerable and/or non-registerable interests in matters appearing on the agenda, and the nature of that interest.

Please complete the Declarations of Interests card available at the meeting and return it to the Democratic Services Officer before leaving the meeting.

You are also invited to disclose any dispensation from the requirement to declare any registerable and/or non-registerable interests that have been granted to you in respect of any matters appearing on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

The committee will be requested to pass the following resolution:

“That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) and having applied a public interest test as defined in Part 2 of Schedule 12A of the Act, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.”

It was resolved that:

“under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) and having applied a public interest test as defined in Part 2 of Schedule 12A of the Act, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.”

The Sub-committee considered the report of the Independent Investigator into complaint NT16/2022-23.

The Independent Investigator had assessed the complaint against the following three elements of the Code of Conduct:

1.     General Conduct – failing to treat others with respect;

2.     General Conduct – bullying and harassment;

3.     General conduct – bringing the Authority into disrepute.

The Independent Investigator had concluded that there had not been a breach of the code in relation to these three sections of the Code.

The Independent Person was invited to comment on the findings of the Independent Investigator’s report.  The Independent Person had some concerns about the information set out in the report in relation to bullying and harassment, but on balance, agreed with the findings of the Independent Investigator that there had not been a breach of the Code.

Members raised some concerns about some of the issues raised by this complaint, but were in agreement with the outcome of the Investigator’s report. 

It was noted that the Investigator’s report provides some further clarity to the Sub-committee on behaviour that would constitute a breach of the Code, and that which is not considered to be a breach of the Code.

It was Resolved that:

The Sub-committee accept the findings of the Independent Investigator that no breach of the Code of Conduct for Members and Co-opted Members has occurred and instruct the Monitoring Officer to write to the Subject Member and to the Complainant, notifying both that the Sub-committee is satisfied that no further action is required, and give both a copy of the Independent Investigator’s final report.