The Audit, Governance and Standards Committee of Southwark Council met on Wednesday 22 May 2024. The primary item scheduled for discussion was the formation of sub-committees for the upcoming year, including the Standards Sub-Committee and the Civic Awards Sub-Committee.

Formation of Audit, Governance and Standards Sub-Committees for 2024-25

The committee was scheduled to consider the formation of two sub-committees for the 2024-25 municipal year: the Standards Sub-Committee and the Civic Awards Sub-Committee. The report pack outlined the responsibilities of these sub-committees as defined in Southwark Council's constitution.

The Standards Sub-Committee is tasked with considering complaints of misconduct against elected councillors and co-opted members. The Civic Awards Sub-Committee is responsible for granting civic awards and considering the process by which these decisions are made. It also has the authority to appoint non-voting co-opted members.

Recommendations were made regarding the appointment of members and chairs for both sub-committees. For the Civic Awards Sub-Committee, it was recommended that four members be appointed, with a chair also being selected. For the Standards Sub-Committee, three members were to be appointed, along with a chair. The report pack indicated that the Civic Awards Sub-Committee typically meets once a year, around February, while the Standards Sub-Committee meets on an ad hoc basis, having been convened only once in the past five years.

The report also noted a previous recommendation from a 2016 meeting of the Audit, Governance and Standards Committee that the Civic Awards Sub-Committee should be gender-balanced, with at least two Southwark members and two community representatives being women. While not a constitutional requirement, this was presented for consideration. The report detailed potential allocations of seats on these sub-committees based on proportionality, suggesting a 4-member Civic Awards Sub-Committee with 3 Labour and 1 Liberal Democrat member, and a 3-member Standards Sub-Committee with 2 Labour and 1 Liberal Democrat member.

The Southwark civic awards scheme, initiated in 1997, recognises exceptional contributions to community life. The administration of the scheme was transferred to the council in 2015, with decisions on granting awards subsequently delegated to a sub-committee. The report stated that recommendations for co-opted members of the Civic Awards Sub-Committee would be sought from members of the Audit, Governance and Standards Committee in 2024. The report also included community impact statements, noting that clear accountability arrangements are important for promoting high standards of conduct and boosting public confidence, and that the awards recognise voluntary work, thereby strengthening community cohesion. No specific equalities, health, climate change, or resource implications were identified.

The meeting's agenda also included standard procedural items such as apologies for absence, confirmation of voting members, notification of urgent business, and the disclosure of interests and dispensations. There was also provision for any other open business deemed urgent by the chair, and a procedure for excluding the press and public if exempt information was to be discussed.