Examination of Witnesses (Questions 211-219)
17 JANUARY 2005
RT HON
NICK RAYNSFORD
MP AND MR
PAUL ROWSELL
Q211 Chairman: Good afternoon, Minister.
Would you introduce yourself, please?
Mr Raynsford: I am Minister for
Local and Regional Government, accompanied by Paul Rowsell, a
senior official in our department with an oversight of the work
of the Standards Board.
Q212 Chairman: Would you like to make
an introductory statement?
Mr Raynsford: No. I am happy to
go straight to questions.
Q213 Christine Russell: How successful
do you think the Standards Board has been in restoring, improving,
public trust in councils and the elected members?
Mr Raynsford: I think I would
say, first of all, that establishing public confidence and trust
is not something that is amenable to quick, overnight judgments.
Trust can be damaged quite seriously by individual cases in a
particular council area, and that may take several years to recover.
More general trust in the operation of local government is extremely
important; we believe that the Standards Board does play a hugely
important role in building public confidence; the very fact that
it is there, that it is able to deal with complaints, that it
can investigate them in a thorough and impartial way all add to
the scope for enhanced public confidence, but I would expect it
to be a little longer. After all, the Board has been in existence
for only three years, and I would expect a longer term period
before I could give a definitive statement, but I think it is
making an important contribution and I think its existence is
crucial to public confidence in local government.
Q214 Christine Russell: But do you feel
more needs to be done to raise public awareness of the existence
of the Standards Board?
Mr Raynsford: I think it is almost
inevitable that a new body does take a certain period of time
both to get fully and effectively operational and to build understanding
in the wider world. This is not the sort of material that will
find its way into most media every day of the week, and it does
take time.
Q215 Sir Paul Beresford: Has the Board
suggested changes to you that might improve the opportunity for
it to do its task?
Mr Raynsford: The Board has taken
a number of steps and I think in particular has given a lot of
attention to how it can help to spread good practice and understanding
on the part of local authorities and how they best handle complaints
and deal with matters that might otherwise be referred to the
Board. I think that is equally important to the role of providing
a body which can investigate complaints, and I have been very
keen in response to suggestions from the Board that they should
develop and take forward that work in spreading good practice
and encouraging councils themselves to train and develop their
own members in the highest standards.
Q216 Sir Paul Beresford: Have they suggested
changes in the code of conduct?
Mr Raynsford: Well, they are looking
at it at the moment. It was my suggestion that they should review
the code after a period of three years of its being in existence,
and I am delighted they are doing that.
Q217 Mr Sanders: Has the Standards Board
met its aim of fulfilling confidence in local democracy and governance?
Mr Raynsford: As I said in response
to Christian Russell's question I think it is too soon to give
a definitive statement but I am confident that it is fulfilling
its role and that public confidence will be enhanced as a result
of the continued work of the Standards Board.
Q218 Mr Sanders: So will you be recommending
that the rules are now extended to members of Parliament?
Mr Raynsford: These are different
issues. The Standards Board is there to look into matters relating
to local government and there are separate procedures for dealing
with complaints against members of Parliament.
Q219 Mr Sanders: Such as training of
members, for example?
Mr Raynsford: Well, it would not
be for me to make such a recommendation but I think there are
lessons that can be learned from the experience of bodies doing
parallel work, and I am sure the Committee on Standards in Public
Life will be looking very closely and with interest at the good
work being done by the Standards Board.
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