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Agenda and minutes

Venue: This will be a Virtual Meeting

Contact: Tristan Fieldsend, Senior Committee and Councillor Co-ordinator  Email:  tfieldsend@westminster.gov.uk; Tel: 07812 760 335

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

Membership

To note any changes to the membership.

Minutes:

1.1      It was noted that there were no changes to the membership.

 

2.

Declarations of Interest

To receive declarations by Members and Officers of the existence and nature of any pecuniary interests or any other significant interest in matters on this agenda.

Minutes:

2.1      There were none.

 

3.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 223 KB

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 8 April 2021 as a correct record of proceedings.

Minutes:

3.1      RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 8 April 2021 be signed by the chairman as a correct record of the proceedings.

 

4.

Update on Code of Conduct training for Members pdf icon PDF 495 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

4.1      Janis Best, Committee and Councillor Support Manager, provided an update to the Committee on the attendance of Members at the various Code of Conduct sessions which had been delivered since October 2018.

4.2      The Committee was interested to note that attendance at the most recent Code of Conduct refresher session had fallen below the attendance in 2019. Whilst it was recognised that in general since training sessions had been moved online in March 2020 attendance had increased by 8%, this was unfortunately not the case for the Code of Conduct sessions. In response to questions, it was confirmed that whilst Code of Conduct training was mandatory for Member at the start of each electoral cycle refresher sessions between these periods was not. The Committee discussed potential options to increase attendance at such sessions due to the important nature of them. These options included making the annual refresher sessions mandatory for Members, ensuring they were advertised prominently and well in advance and trying to cover different aspects at the sessions in order to increase interest. Other options included providing alternative timings to attend the training with a mixture of holding them both physically and remotely.

4.3      The Committee agreed that it was very important for Members to attend Code of Conduct training sessions to ensure Members continued to carry out their duties to the highest standard of conduct and behaviour. Following discussions, it was agreed that not only would each Code of Conduct session for Members held after each electoral cycle be made mandatory but all annual refresher sessions held subsequently also be mandatory. This would ensure attendance at these sessions whilst keeping Members abreast of the latest developments in this area. As part of the recording of attendance at these sessions it was suggested that a list of those had had not attended be made available on the Members Weekly Bulletin.

           RESOLVED:

That Member attendance at any formal Code of Conduct training delivered be made mandatory.

5.

Work Programme 2021/22 pdf icon PDF 116 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

5.1          The Committee noted the 2021-22 Work Programme and was asked to consider any items they would like to come to future meetings.

 

5.2          The Committee also offered its congratulations to Asif Iqbal MBE for being shortlisted for Shaw Trust’s 2021 Disability Power 100 recognising his work with deaf people.