This meeting of the Governance Committee included a range of topics related to the governance of the council. Councillors were scheduled to receive updates on member support, the Constitution and standards related cases nationally. The Committee was also scheduled to review the Committee for Standards in Public Life Annual Report, the Governance Committee's forward plan for 2024/2025, and the terms of reference for the Governance Committee.

Terms of Reference for the Governance Committee

The Committee was scheduled to agree and reconfirm its existing terms of reference, last updated in May 2023. The document that contains these terms of reference is the Council's Constitution.

The Committee was reminded that the Governance Committee is a new one, formed for the first time after the 2023 local elections and is responsible for the functions previously undertaken by the:

• Council Constitution Committee
• Standards Committee
• Member Development Steering Group

Governance Committee Forward Plan

Councillors were scheduled to review and agree the draft forward plan for the 2024/2025 municipal year. In addition to a discussion of its own terms of reference, the forward plan included the following items:

• Member Support update
• Committee for Standards in Public Life Annual Report
• Constitution Update
• National Cases Update
• Member Enquiry Update
• Councillor Connect update
• Annual Member Training & Development Review
• Register of Interests Review
• Report on Standards Matters
• Member Learning & Development Strategy 2025/2026

Annual Report on the Committee for Standards in Public Life 2023/2024

The Committee was scheduled to review, and comment on the Annual Report on the Committee for Standards in Public Life 2023/2024.

The report included the following:

• A reminder of the seven principles of public life:
  • Honesty
  • Objectivity
  • Openness
  • Selflessness
  • Integrity
  • Accountability
  • Leadership
• A summary of the Committee on Standards in Public Life's work programme:
  • An accountability review that will look at how public bodies can do their best to ensure that issues are uncovered and addressed rapidly .
  • Follow-up work on the Committee's 2020 report on AI and Public Standards.
• Updates on their recent reports:
  • Upholding Standards in Public Life
  • Regulating Election Finance
  • Local Government Ethical Standards
• Information about the Committee on Standards in Public Life's:
  • Watching briefs, which during this period included lobbying.
  • Submissions to public consultations, which included a submission to the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee inquiry on large language models.
  • Published blogs.
  • External events.

Member Support Update

Councillors were scheduled to receive a verbal report from the Member Support Team on:

• The Member Development Programme.
• The Local Government Association Councillor Development Charter.

Constitution Update

The Committee were scheduled to receive a verbal report on the Council's Constitution.

National Cases Update

Councillors were scheduled to receive a verbal update on standards related cases nationally.