Committee on Standards in Public Life: Local government ethical standards: report
R19-1
Response position Accepted
Published January 2019
Response position and delivery status are recorded separately. Acceptance does not establish implementation.
Recommendation (the Committee's words)
The Local Government Association should create an updated model code of conduct, in consultation with representative bodies of councillors and officers of all tiers of local government.
From: Committee on Standards in Public Life, Local government ethical standards: report, January 2019
Government response
Government response (the government's words)
The Localism Act 2011 states that relevant authorities must promote and maintain high standards of conduct by members and co-opted members. It requires these authorities to adopt a code of conduct for their councillors. Authorities can determine the content of their own code of conduct. However, codes must conform to the 7 ‘Nolan’ principles of standards in public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, and leadership. Relevant authorities for the purposes of these requirements include local authorities in England, namely county councils, district councils, London borough councils and parish and town councils.
It is for individual councils to set their own local code, in line with the Act. The government has previously published a light-touch illustrative code of conduct.
The Local Government Association has worked with sector representative bodies to update its own suggested code of conduct, with the intention that this new suggested code could establish a consistent benchmark that local authorities can amend or add to as they see fit to reflect local circumstances and priorities. The Local Government Association published the updated code of conduct in January 2021. However, it remains a local decision on whether this model code is adopted.
It is for individual councils to set their own local code, in line with the Act. The government has previously published a light-touch illustrative code of conduct.
The Local Government Association has worked with sector representative bodies to update its own suggested code of conduct, with the intention that this new suggested code could establish a consistent benchmark that local authorities can amend or add to as they see fit to reflect local circumstances and priorities. The Local Government Association published the updated code of conduct in January 2021. However, it remains a local decision on whether this model code is adopted.
From: HM Government. Source document ↗