Conduct of the inquiry
2. Our inquiry, announced in September 2004, was
designed to examine
- The effectiveness of the Standards
Board for England in promoting and overseeing the Code of Conduct
which sets out the rules governing the behaviour of members of
local authorities;
- The role of the Standards Board in ensuring compliance
with the Code of Conduct and its ability to assess allegations
of misconduct in a timely and fair manner;
- Relationships between the Standards Board and
others; and
- The Standards Board's role in supporting the
establishment and operation of standards committees at a local
level.
Our terms of reference specifically and deliberately
excluded examination of particular cases.
3. We took evidence from seven groups of witnesses
through December 2004 and January 2005. We also received 30 memoranda
from a range of commentators and interested parties. We are grateful
to all those who have assisted us during the inquiry whether through
the submission of evidence or by more informal means.
4. Concurrently, the Committee on Standards in Public
Life has considered complementary issues as part of its inquiry,
Getting the Balance Right: Implementing Standards of Conduct
in Public Life, which was announced in January 2004. The Committee
on Standards in Public Life's inquiry encompassed a broader range
of principles and processes than we have addressed, including
issues such as appointments and reappointments to public bodies
and whether the seven principles of public life have been embedded
into organisational culture. It published its report in January
2005 and we have benefited from the opportunity to draw on that
Committee's evidence and analysis as we have considered our own
conclusions.[2]
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