Vote Bundle Text (900606-06)

Amendments proposed to the Local Government Bill [Lords] - continued	House of Commons

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Hilary Armstrong

396

Clause 52, page 35, line 10, leave out subsection (7) and insert—

'( ) Any function which by virtue of the following provisions of this Part is exercisable by or in relation to the standards committee of a relevant authority which is a community council is to be exercisable by or in relation to—

(a) the standards committee of the county council or county borough council in whose area the community council is situated, or

(b) where that standards committee has appointed a sub-committee under this section, that sub-committee;

and any reference in the following provision of this Part to the standards committee of a relevant authority which is a community council is to be construed accordingly.'.

Hilary Armstrong

507

Clause 75, page 52, line 4, leave out 'Every' and insert 'The monitoring officer of each'.

Mr Nigel Waterson
Mr Tim Loughton
Sir Paul Beresford
Mr David Curry
Mr Peter Atkinson

335

Clause 75, page 52, line 27, at end insert—

'( ) Any regulations that are made under subsection (5) shall provide that, in respect of interests arising solely from the occupation of residential property owned by a local authority, any dispensation in favour of a member of that authority occupying on a secure tenancy under the Housing Act 1985 shall be granted in no less favourable terms to any member holding on a lease from that authority.

Hilary Armstrong

508

Clause 75, page 52, line 28, leave out subsections (6) to (9) and insert—

'( ) A relevant authority must ensure that copies of the register for the time being maintained by their monitoring officer under this section are available at an office of the authority for inspection by members of the public at all reasonable hours.

( ) As soon as practicable after the establishment by their monitoring officer of a register under this section, a relevant authority must—

(a) publish in one or more newspapers circulating in their area a notice which—

(i) states that copies of the register are available at an office of the authority for inspection by members of the public at all reasonable hours, and

(ii) specifies the address of that office, and

(b) inform the Standards Board for England that copies of the register are so available.'.

Hilary Armstrong

509

Clause 75, page 52, line 39, leave out '(4)' and insert '(5)'.

Hilary Armstrong

397

Clause 53, page 35, line 25, leave out 'under' and insert 'by'.

Hilary Armstrong

398

Clause 53, page 35, line 26, at end insert—

'( ) In exercising its functions the Standards Board for England must have regard to the need to promote and maintain high standards of conduct by members and co-opted members of relevant authorities in England.

Hilary Armstrong

399

Clause 53, page 35, line 29, leave out 'section 55' and insert 'this Part'.

Hilary Armstrong

400

Clause 53, page 35, line 30, leave out 'in relation' and insert 'on matters relating'.

Hilary Armstrong

401

Clause 53, page 35, line 31, leave out second 'the'.

Hilary Armstrong

402

Clause 53, page 35, line 32, after 'authorities' insert—

'( ) may issue guidance to relevant authorities in England in relation to the qualifications or experience which monitoring officers should possess,'.

Hilary Armstrong

523

Schedule 3, page 71, line 17, leave out 'and'.

Hilary Armstrong

524

Schedule 3, page 71, line 18, at end insert 'or

( ) the functions of the president, deputy president or any tribunal of the Adjudication Panel for England.'.

Hilary Armstrong

525

Schedule 3, page 71, line 25, leave from first 'being' to end of line 26 and insert 'or becoming (whether by election or otherwise), a member of a local authority or a member of a relevant authority'.

Hilary Armstrong

526

Schedule 3, page 71, line 28, leave out 'elected, or being, a member of a local authority' and insert 'or becoming (whether by election or otherwise), a member of a local authority or a member of relevant authority'.

Hilary Armstrong

527

Schedule 3, page 71, line 29, leave out 'local' and insert 'relevant'.

Hilary Armstrong

528

Schedule 3, page 71, line 31, leave out 'local' and insert 'relevant'.

Hilary Armstrong

529

Schedule 3, page 71, line 31, at end insert—

'(2A) An ethical standards officer is to be treated as being in breach of the terms of his employment if—

(a) he becomes disqualified for being, or becoming (whether by election or otherwise), a member of a local authority or a member of a relevant authority,

(b) he becomes a member or an officer of a relevant authority, or

Hilary Armstrong

530

Schedule 3, page 72, line 8, at beginning insert—

'(1A) Subject to sub-paragraph (1B), the Standards Board may appoint a chief executive but any such appointment requires the consent of the Secretary of State.

(1B) The first appointment to the position of chief executive may be made by the Secretary of State after consultation with the chairman (or chairman designate) of the Standards Board.'.

Hilary Armstrong

531

Schedule 3, page 72, line 8, after 'appointing' insert 'a chief executive and'.

Hilary Armstrong

532

Schedule 3, page 72, line 16, leave out paragraph (a) and insert—

'( ) assisting any ethical standards officer in the conduct of an investigation under section 55, and'.

Hilary Armstrong

533

Schedule 3, page 72, line 20, leave out 'it thinks fit' and insert 'as the Board, with the approval of the Secretary of State, thinks fit.'.

Mr Don Foster
Mr Adrian Sanders

564

Schedule 3, page 73, line 12, after '10', insert—

'( ) The Standards Board must establish and maintain a register of interests of its members.

( ) The Secretary of State may by regulation make mandatory provisions requiring members of the Standards Board to register in the register maintained under sub-paragraph ( ) above such financial and other interests as are specified in the mandatory provisions.

( ) The interests which may be specified under the sub-paragraph above in relation to a member of the Standards Board may include any interests of that member's spouse or partner or any member of that member's household.

( ) In this section "partner", in relation to a member of the Standards Board, means a person to whom the member is not married but with whom the member lives as husband or wife.

( ) The register maintained under this paragraph must be published and made available for public inspection.'.

Mr Don Foster
Mr Adrian Sanders

565

Schedule 3, page 73, line 17, after 'particular', insert 'where the matter being considered relates to an interest registered by that member under sub-paragraph ( ) above, or'.

Hilary Armstrong

534

Schedule 3, page 73, line 22, at end insert—

'Law of defamation

. For the purposes of the law of defamation, any statement (whether written or oral) made by an ethical standards officer in connection with the exercise of his functions shall be absolutely privileged.'.

Hilary Armstrong

535

Schedule 3, page 74, line 16, at end insert—

'Parliamentary Commissioner

15A. In Schedule 2 to the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 (departments etc subject to investigation) the following entry is inserted at the appropriate place—

"Standards Board for England."'.

Hilary Armstrong

403

Clause 54, page 35, line 37, after second 'member' insert '(or former member or co-opted member)'.

Hilary Armstrong

404

Clause 54, page 35, line 41, after 'to' insert 'one of'.

Hilary Armstrong

405

Clause 54, page 35, line 42, at end insert—

'( ) If the Standards Boards for England considers that a written allegation under subsection (1) should not be investigated, it must take reasonable steps to give written notification to the person who made the allegation of the decision and the reasons for the decision.'.