Issue - meetings

The Principal Auditor introduced the report.  Regarding the changes to the Code of Conduct for Employees, Councillor Johnson asked for an update to the comments in paragraph 9.1 regarding consultation between the Head of HR and the unions.  The Committee was advised by the Head of HR that there were on-going discussions about trade union activity outside of the Council and in relation to the Council employee’s role for the Council.  It could be following these discussions that clearer guidance/advice to employees is required.

Cllr Herbert asked if there could be greater transparency in officer interests eg. if a town planner has links with a developer then that should be publicly known. This goes beyond the senior officer interests which the Chief Executive reviewed annually.  Openness should reflect the areas of work that council officers engage in and the relationship that work has with the decision-making of the Council.  The Chief Executive undertook to look at this with the Head of Legal Services.

The committee noted the details of fraud/whistle-blowing activity for the two years 2011/12 and 12/13 and recorded its thanks for the work undertaken on preventing fraud and corruption.

Resolved –

To approve the changes to the Prevention of Fraud and Corruption (PFC) Policy and the content of the addendum to the PFC Policy plus the changes proposed to the Officer Code of Conduct to reflect the requirements of the Bribery Act.

To approve the amendments proposed to the Officer Code of Conduct to reflect the changes made to the guidance on gifts and hospitality and declarations of conflicts of interest.