Minutes

ASSESSMENT SUB-COMMITTEE

STANDARDS COMMITTEE

22^nd December 2008

Panel Members: 

Mr. R. Needham, Independent Member in the Chair

Councillors D. Candler and D. Prodger.

Representing the Monitoring Officer:

Miss D. Porter, Legal and Democratic Services Manager, Deputy Monitoring Officer.

Consideration of a Complaint made against a Councillor in respect of a breach of the Code of Conduct

The Sub-Committee considered a complaint made by Mr. Mike Foster MP, submitted on behalf of his constituents Mr. S. Hartley and Ms. A. Onions of 42 Northwick Close, that Councillor David Clark had acted in breach of the Code of Conduct in that he had failed to register his financial interest in a company, and that he had used his capacity as a Councillor to conduct negotiations on behalf of that company in respect of works carried out by that company on behalf of Mr. Harley and Ms. Onions.

The Sub-Committee agreed that there was sufficient information submitted with the complaint for it to make an initial assessment of the complaint.

The tests to be applied in respect of consideration of a complaint were found by the Sub-Committee to have been met.

Using the agreed Assessment Criteria the Sub-Committee considered that it was in a position to consider the complaint and whether any further action was to be taken.

Having considered the evidence submitted, and the criteria to be used to assess the complaint and evidence the Sub-Committee:-

AGREED:  That the Monitoring Officer should be requested to initiate a full investigation in respect of the complaint made by Mr. M. Foster MP, that Councillor David Clark had acted in breach of the Code of Conduct on two counts, firstly that he did not register at the time of the incident his financial interest in the building company Whelan and Coll, and that he used his position as a Councillor to conduct negotiations on behalf of that company.

Duration of Meeting:        10.00 a.m. to 10.40 a.m.

Chairman