Memorandum by Stroud District Council's
Standards Committee (STA 22)
At its meeting recently our Standards Committee
discussed this parliamentary inquiry and resolved to make the
following comments to the Committee:
— The Standards Board had missed an
opportunity to set national standards and consistency in the resolution
of complaints.
— Time taken to report on complaints
was too long although it was recognised that this is being addressed.
— It is felt that more complaints should
be referred back to Standards Committee's for consideration as
local Committee's were in a better position to understand local
conditions than a centralised body.
— It is important to have an overall
national body that local committee's can refer matters up to if
felt sufficiently serious enough.
— More advice should be provided on
holding hearings and the procedures for those hearings.
— Standards Committees had in been
in existence now for a few years but had relatively little to
do—it is important to involve local committees more in the
resolution of complaints so as not to lose the interest/commitment
of the independent members.
Mike Rowan
Head of Legal Services and Monitoring Officer
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