Committee on Standards in Public Life: Getting the balance right: Implementing standards of conduc…
R10-28
Published January 2005
Response position and delivery status are recorded separately. Acceptance does not establish implementation.
Recommendation (the Committee's words)
In planning decisions the ability of elected members to represent constituents’ interests where they have personal and prejudicial interests has been unnecessarily diminished. This should be changed to give any elected member the right to speak (but not vote) for their constituents at a planning committee meeting or at any other quasi-regulatory meeting, provided: (i) a declaration of personal interest is made, including the nature of the interest; (ii) the representations are made in an open and transparent manner; and
(iii) the member making the representations (whether a member of the Committee or not) withdraws at the completion of their representations.
(iii) the member making the representations (whether a member of the Committee or not) withdraws at the completion of their representations.
From: Committee on Standards in Public Life, Getting the balance right: Implementing standards of conduct in public life, January 2005
Government response
Government response (the government's words)
As in the case of the response to recommendation R27, following its review of the code, the Standards Board has proposed something similar to this proposal. We accept there would be benefits in a more proportionate approach which recognises more clearly the need for members to act as local advocates, as well as the need for public reassurance that decisions are being made in the public interest.
We intend to make amendments to the code which will adopt a solution including the narrowing of the definition of personal interests which members are required to declare, a requirement for the member to declare his or her interest at the point where he or she speaks on a relevant issue, and, when the member has a prejudicial interest in a matter, he or she should be able to speak at the meeting but withdraw before the vote.
We intend to make amendments to the code which will adopt a solution including the narrowing of the definition of personal interests which members are required to declare, a requirement for the member to declare his or her interest at the point where he or she speaks on a relevant issue, and, when the member has a prejudicial interest in a matter, he or she should be able to speak at the meeting but withdraw before the vote.
From: HM Government. Source document ↗