What is the Standards Committee?

All councils are required to establish a Standards Committee as part of an ethical framework for local authorities established by the Local Government Act 2000.

The aim is to promote high standards of ethical conduct among elected councillors, independent and co-opted members. The Committee’s role is to oversee the standards of behaviour of Councillors and advise on good practice in relation to ethics and probity. The responsibility for considering any complaint that a Member of this Council has breached the Members Code of Conduct is now the responsibility of the local Standards Committee. The framework is overseen by the Standards Board for England.


Appointment to, and membership of, the Standards Committee

For the recruitment of independent members, regulations require that an advertisement be placed in one or more newspapers circulating in the Council’s area and in such other publications or websites as the authority considers appropriate.  Selection criteria are drawn up to ensure the person has the ability to consider and evaluate information and arguments and reach sound, justifiable and fair conclusions based on that information.  Nobody who has recently been a member or an officer of the Royal Borough (or is a close friend or relative of a member or officer) may be appointed as an independent member.  Once applications have been received, shortlisting is undertaken by members of the Council's Administration Committee.  After shortlisted candidates have been interviewed by the sub-committee, recommendations are made to the Council concerning the appointment(s).  Ultimately the appointment(s) must then be approved by a majority of the Members of the Council.

 

The Chairman is always one of the three independent members (from an overall membership of six).  The tenure of office for independent members is five years, but this can be extended for a further period. 

 

Current members of the Standards Committee

Miss Sophia Lambert, CB (Independent Chairman) - had a long career in HM Diplomatic Service and the Civil Service.  She has been the independent Chairman of the Committee since May 2006, following the retirement of the Committee's first Chairman, Sir Michael Ridley.  She has lived in the Royal Borough almost all her life.

 

Mrs Jennifer Ware (Independent Vice-Chairman) has served as the independent Vice-Chairman of the Committee since its establishment in 2001. She has for many years played an active role in the Earl's Court community.            

 

Dr Ike Anya (independent member) is a medical doctor and a Royal Borough resident.  He was appointed as an independent member of the Standards Committee in April 2008. 

 

Councillor Judith Blakeman is currently leader of the Minority (Labour) party on the Council. She was first elected to the Council in 1978 and served until 1990.  She was re-elected in 1994 and has served since.  She has been a member of the Standards Committee since 2005. 

 

Councillor Timothy Coleridge and Councillor Mary Weale were appointed at the annual meeting on 26 May 2010.

 

What does the Standards Committee do? 

The Standards Committee gives the Council advice on adopting a local Code of Conduct; monitors the implementation of the Code; and promotes the maintenance of high standards of conduct for Council Members. It also responds to central Government consultations on standards related issues. It is able to grant dispensations to Members, allowing them to take part, and vote in, certain circumstances when they would not normally be entitled so to do.

Finally, the Committee has power to investigate complaints that Councillors have breached the Members' Code of Conduct, and if appropriate to hold formal hearings and to impose penalties. Please see the Procedures document below for more information:

The Standards Committee normally meets three times a year, in January, June and October. Visit the Meetings Calendar page for calendar dates.

Each year the Committee produces an annual report on its activities.


What is the Councillors Code of Conduct?

Every Council is required to adopt a Code of Conduct that sets out the rules governing the behaviour of its Members. This must be based on a model Code set out in law. All elected, co-opted and independent members of the Council are covered by the Code. The Code covers such things as avoiding conflicts of interest and treating everybody with respect.


Complaints against Councillors and Co-opted Members

The Council’s Standards Committee has responsibility for considering any complaints that a Royal Borough Councillor or co-opted member may have breached the Code of Conduct. Any complaints, therefore, should be made to the Borough’s Standards Committee - via the Council’s Monitoring Officer by filling out a complaint form:

Any person can make a complaint that a Councillor or co-opted member has breached the Code of Conduct. Visit the Standards Board website for guidance on how to make a complaint.

It is important to remember, however, that complaints about the policies or performance of the Council or about the policies or views of an individual Councillor do not fall under the Code.

What the Committee can't do

The Committee can only investigate actions by individual Councillors that are covered by the Code of Conduct. There are some complaints we cannot investigate, including:

  • complaints that are not in writing (unless you have difficulty writing, in which case we will help you formulate a written complaint) - we do, however, accept complaints by email
  • complaints that are anonymous - unless they are about something exceptionally serious

If your complaint is about any of the following issues then you should use the the Comments, complaints and compliments form on the Feedback page.

  • something the Council has done
  • the way in which the Council conducts and records its meetings
  • Council employees, contractors or others working for the Council

Register of Members' Interests

All Councillors are obliged under the Code to record their financial interests in a Register. Information on the kind of interests that must be registered can be found in paragraphs 14 and 15 of the Code of Conduct. Each Councillor's entry is available under their individual record on the members' interests page. You can also arrange to view hardcopy entries at Kensington Town Hall by advance appointment with the Head of Governance Services. Call 020 7361 2265 to make an appointment.


The Standards Committee and dispensations

The Standards Committee is responsible for determining requests for dispensations by Councillors, under the Standards Committee (Further Provisions) (England) Regulations 2009. In certain circumstances (set out below) Councillors may be granted a dispensation which enables them to take part in Council business where this would otherwise be prohibited because a Councillor has a prejudicial interest.

The Standards Committee may only grant a dispensation in the following circumstances:

  • where more than 50% of the Councillors who would be entitled to vote at a meeting are otherwise prohibited from voting; or
  • where the number of Councillors that are prohibited from voting at a meeting would upset the political balance of the meeting to the extent that the outcome of voting would be prejudiced

Dispensations may not be granted in the following circumstances:

  • to allow a Councillor to vote at a Scrutiny Committee about decisions made by any body they were a Councillor of at the time the decision was taken; or
  • to allow a Cabinet Member with a prejudicial interest to take a key decision on their own

 

The Standards Committee have approved a Protocol for dispensation applications and an Application Form for Member use when making such an application.