Agenda item

The Committee is asked to consider the Investigating Officer’s report and decide whether it agrees with the Investigating Officer’s finding about whether there has been a breach of the Code of Conduct.

Note: the papers for this item contain Appendices which are considered exempt from publication under the Local Government Act 1972 (amended Schedule 12A) because they contain information relating to an individual.

Before beginning the business relating to this item, the Committee will be asked to consider the Public Interest test (attached as Appendix 1) and then to determine whether the information is indeed exempt from publication. (Should the Committee decide that the appendix is not exempt, copies will be provided for the public).

Should the Committee wish to discuss the contents of the Appendices, the appropriate resolution requiring exclusion of the public will be passed.

Following a proposal by Councillor Roberts, seconded by Councillor Jackson, the Committee considered the factors for and against disclosure as contained in Appendix 1 to the report in order to determine whether the information contained in Appendix 2 should be exempt. It was decided unanimously that the public interest would be better served by not disclosing relevant information, and in accordance with the provisions of Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, that the public should be excluded from the meeting for this item of business because of the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act as amended.

The Members agreed unanimously that this case should be heard by the local Standards Committee. The hearing date was set for Thursday 21^st July.