The Standards Advisory Committee of Tower Hamlets Council met on Wednesday 15 February 2023 to discuss the council's Code of Conduct, member learning and development, and rules for co-opted members. Key decisions included a commitment to review the process for members disclosing their home addresses and the adoption of new attendance rules for co-opted members.

Council Code of Conduct and Member Declarations

The committee reviewed a report detailing the council's response to recommendations from the Committee of Standards in Public Life (CSPL) and subsequent government responses. Janet Fasan, Head of Democratic Services, explained that many of the CSPL recommendations have been incorporated into the council's Code of Conduct, adopted in November 2021.

A significant discussion point was the requirement for councillors to publish their home addresses. Councillor John Pulford MBE raised concerns about personal safety, questioning the necessity of publishing addresses when the safety of elected representatives is a growing concern. Janet Fasan clarified that current legislation requires addresses to be disclosed unless there is a threat of violence or intimidation, in which case a member can write to the monitoring officer. Most such requests are currently granted. Fiona Browne, Independent Co-opted Member, inquired about the discretion of the monitoring officer and whether the threshold for this discretion could be reviewed in light of the CSPL and government recommendations. Janet Fasan agreed to investigate this further.

The committee also discussed unpaid directorships, with a note that this point would be revisited for the next review. It was clarified that while unpaid directorships are captured in the council's code, they are not currently classified as Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPIs) under legislation, which would require a legislative change to address.

The committee also received an update on the register of interests, gifts, and hospitality. Patricia Attawia, Democratic Services Officer, reported that all councillors and co-opted members had been reminded to update their declarations. While most had responded, there was one outstanding councillor and two co-opted members with declarations older than six months. A total of 18 declarations of interest were received, with some declarations of gifts being made slightly late due to councillors being out of the country.

Member Learning and Development

Matthew Mannion, Democratic Services Manager, presented the annual report on member learning and development. He highlighted the comprehensive induction programme for new councillors following the May elections, noting enthusiastic engagement, particularly in the initial stages. While attendance at service-based sessions decreased after the summer, information was made available online. The report indicated a positive reception to the decision to spread the induction programme over a longer period. The committee discussed future training needs, with a focus on skills and personal development, and identified general areas requested by members.

Councillor Shafi Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Environment and the Climate Emergency, raised concerns about attendance at mandatory training sessions, questioning whether sanctions could be applied beyond the mandatory ethics and property training. He also suggested a more sporadic approach to training delivery throughout the year to improve attendance. Matthew Mannion confirmed that ethics and property training is strictly mandatory, with efforts to ensure all councillors complete it. He also noted that some training is mandatory only for new members.

The discussion also touched upon incentives for attending training, with suggestions for certificates or recognition for members who complete a certain number of sessions. Sirajul Islam, Leader of the Opposition, suggested that external training opportunities, such as those offered by the Local Government Association (LGA), could also be beneficial. Fiona Browne, Independent Co-opted Member, suggested focusing on the professional obligation of councillors to maintain competence through continuing professional development when reviewing the Code of Conduct.

Co-opted Member Attendance Rules

Matthew Mannion also presented a report on proposed attendance rules for co-opted members. He explained that while councillors face legislative consequences for non-attendance, there were no equivalent rules for co-opted members, despite their attendance being crucial to committee effectiveness. The proposed rules, intended for inclusion in the constitution, aim to establish attendance expectations.

Elizabeth Marshall MBE, Co-Optee of the Standards Advisory Committee, supported the proposal but suggested including a caveat for good excuse, such as lengthy illness or hospitalisation. She also clarified the expected attendance rate, which would equate to roughly two to three meetings per year, similar to the six-month rule for councillors. The committee agreed to recommend the proposal for inclusion in the constitution, subject to minor amendments regarding the good excuse provision.

Dispensations

Patricia Attawia provided an update on dispensations granted. She reported no specific dispensations had been granted since the last meeting. However, two general dispensations had been issued: one in January 2023 and another in October 2022. These dispensations were granted to allow members to participate in discussions and decisions where a significant number of councillors had a potential interest, such as in relation to business grants and decisions concerning Tower Hamlets Homes. This was to prevent the business of the committee from being impeded.

Work Programme and Other Business

The committee reviewed its work programme, noting that the member officer protocol had not yet been discussed. They also discussed the process for reviewing complaints and the standard of responses to complainants. Janet Fasan explained the confidentiality challenges in bringing draft letters to the committee for review, but acknowledged the importance of ensuring high standards. It was suggested that Independent Persons could provide a subjective view on complaint responses from time to time.

Sirajul Islam inquired about adding a report on members' enquiries to the work programme, but it was clarified that this falls under the remit of the General Purposes Committee (GPC). Similarly, discussions regarding new arrangements for ballot boxes for the next election were identified as a GPC matter.

The committee also noted that the next meeting would be the last of the municipal year and encouraged members to consider priorities for the following year. The ongoing process for finding a replacement co-opted member was also mentioned. The replacement of the chief executive was confirmed as a matter for the GPC.