Standards Committee

Thursday 16 December 2004 - 5.10 pm

Present:  Provost Rebecchi, Councillors Blair, Hill, McCabe, McCormick (M) and Robertson.

Chair:  Provost Rebecchi presided.

In Attendance:  Chief Executive and Managing Solicitor (Committees/Contracts).

The following paragraphs are submitted for information only, having been dealt with under the powers delegated to the Committee.

897

ARRANGEMENTS FOR SURGERIES

897

There was discussion on two aspects relating to the holding of a Councillor's surgery: whether attendance by electors at a surgery should be limited only to those persons resident within the individual Councillor’s ward and what was an appropriate venue for a surgery.

It was noted that there was no statutory rules governing these issues although conventions had been established.

Discussion also sought to clarify the respective roles of MPs, MSPs and Councillors.

Decided:

(1)   A Councillor’s surgery should deal only with electors or matters relating to his ward with the exception of those instances where an elector or electors wished to make representations to or seek the Councillor’s views on a Council policy or proposal which would have a general, widespread effect;

(2)  An advertisement for a Councillor’s surgery should designate an individual only as a Councillor, without reference to any particular office that he/she holds;

(3)   A surgery should be held within a Councillor’s ward as a general rule but it was acknowledged that a lack of suitable premises in a ward would require the use of other premises further afield for this purpose;

(4)   That there was no agreed view as to the use of party offices for the holding of a Councillor’s surgery, there being a disagreement on the principle of such use; and

(5)   It be remitted to the Chief Executive to ascertain the guidance, if any, given to MPs and MSPs on the handling of complaints etc relating to matters within the competence of a local authority.

   898

COUNCILLOR/EMPLOYEE RELATIONS PROTOCOL

898

The Chief Executive advised the Committee that finalisation of the protocol was outstanding as part of the Corporate Governance of the Council and he would intend to bring a report on the matter to the next meeting of the Committee.