Documents
Agenda
Part A
1
Welcome and Announcements
The Chairman will welcome members of the public and Councillors and remind everyone to use microphones at all times when they are speaking. The Chairman will also explain action in the event of an emergency, mobile phones switched to silent, audio-recording of the meeting. Councillors who are members of the committee will introduce themselves.
2
Substitutions
Councillors will be asked to say if they are attending on behalf of a Committee member who is absent.
3
Urgent Items
The Chair will announce if there is any item not on the published agenda which will be considered because it is urgent and will explain the reason for the urgency.
4
Declarations of Interest
Councillors will be asked to say if there are any items on the agenda about which they have a disclosable pecuniary interest which would prevent them from participating in any discussion of the item or participating in any vote upon the item, or any other registerable interest or non-registerable interest.
5
Minutes of Previous Meeting
The Councillors will be invited to confirm that the minutes of the meeting held on 29 October 2024, including those contained in Part B of the agenda, are a correct record.
6
Have Your Say! (Hybrid Council meetings)
Members of the public may make representations to the
meeting. This can be made either in
person at the meeting or by joining the meeting remotely and addressing the Committee
via Zoom. Each representation may be no longer than three minutes. Members of the public wishing to address the
Committee must register their wish to address the meeting by e-mailing
democratic.services@colchester.gov.uk by 12.00 noon on the working day before
the meeting date. In addition, a written
copy of the representation will need to be supplied.
The Committee will consider a report which provides details of Colchester City Council's Annual Review Letter for 2024, which is provided by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman detailing the number of complaints it has received regarding
each local authority.
The Committee will consider a report requesting the Committee to review the Council’s updated Ethical Governance policies. These are the key policies which set out the standards of conduct and integrity that the Council expects of councillors, staff, partners, suppliers and customers when conducting Council business. They contain procedures for dealing with breaches of the policies and processes to be followed. The report also requests the Committee to review the Council’s updated Financial Regulations.
The Committee will consider a report requesting that it review the Local Code
of Corporate Governance for 2024/25. The Local Code of Corporate Governance is
how the Council demonstrates that its structures comply with the recognised
principles of good governance. The Committee is also requested to recommend that Full Council includes the
Code in its Policy Framework which comprises all of the Authority’s key
polices.
The Committee will consider a report requesting that it review the
Councillors’ (Members’) Code of Conduct, the Council’s Localism Act
Arrangements for dealing with complaints made regarding councillors. The report
also provides an update on the number and types of complaints received under
the Members’ Code of Conduct.
The Committee will consider a report requesting that it approve the attached Guidance for Members and Co-opted
Members on Dispensations and that it be included in the Constitution.
The Committee will consider a report requesting that it approve the attached Guidance for Councillors and
Officers on Outside Bodies and that it be included within the Constitution.
The Committee will consider a report requesting that it approve updated guidance for councillors regarding any
gifts and hospitality received in their role as a councillor and for employees in relation to any gifts and
hospitality received.
The Committee will consider a report inviting to approve the Member / Officer Protocol and that it be included in the Council’s Constitution.
The Committee will consider a report setting out its work programme for the current municipal year.
10
Exclusion of the Public (not Scrutiny or Executive)
In accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the public, including the press, from the meeting so that any items containing exempt information (for example confidential personal, financial or legal advice), in Part B of this agenda (printed on yellow paper) can be decided. (Exempt information is defined in Section 100I and Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972).
Part B
Draft minutes of the Governance and Audit Committee - exempt from publication
- This report is not for publication by virtue of paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (financial / business affairs of a particular person, including the authority holding information).
Attendance
Declarations of Interests
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No declarations of interest have been entered for this meeting.
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Visitors
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