Purpose
To promote and maintain
high standards of conduct by Members, to maintain overview of
arrangements for Local Government Reorganisation, the
Council’s Constitution and decision-making, and to consider
electoral and boundary matters as required.
Remit and Terms of
Reference
Governance
1.
Overview of the Council’s Constitution and
consideration of proposed amendments or revisions to the
Constitution including the Schemes of Delegation, Procedure Rules
and Protocols.
2.
Receive and review corporate complaints reports and
Ombudsman reports except for those reserved to Full
Council.
3.
Assurance of the Council’s legal governance
framework and policies including the Council’s
‘whistleblowing’, and surveillance policies.
Standards
4.
Promote and maintain high standards of conduct by
Members and Co-opted Members of the Council.
5.
Overview of the Council’s Members’ Code
of Conduct, Arrangements for Dealing with Standards Complaints and
associated Protocols; recommendations as to the adoption of and/or
amendments to the Code, Arrangements and associated
Protocols.
6.
Assist and advise Members and Co-opted Members of
the Council and parish councils within the district of the Council
on standards and compliance with the Code and associated Protocol
including as regards members’ interests, gifts and
hospitality.
7.
Make recommendations as to the appointment of
Independent Persons.
8.
Support and assist the Monitoring Officer in their
discharge of the role as regards member standards, conduct and
behaviour.
9.
Convene a Standards Complaint Hearing Panel as may
be required by the Monitoring Officer for the purpose of
determining a standards complaint made against a Member or Co-opted
Member of the Council or parish council in accordance with the
Arrangements.
10. Overview of the Council’s arrangements for Member training
and development.
General
Purposes
11. Functions relating to parishes, elections and electoral
registration.
12. Functions relating to Polling Station reviews.
13. Functions relating to Community Governance Reviews.
14. Making recommendations to Council relating to the name and
status of areas and individuals.
15. Making recommendations to Council on the promotion or approval
of local bill.
16. Making recommendations to the Council as to recommendations to
the Secretary of State on district boundaries, ward boundaries,
electoral divisions, wards or polling districts.
Local Government
Reorganisation (LGR)
17. To
oversee the plans for, and impact of, Local Government
Re-organisation within Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
18. To
provide a sounding board and steer to the Leader and Chief
Executive to inform discussions with other Nottinghamshire Leaders
on the views and perspectives of Newark and Sherwood District
Council.
19. To
consider the selection of final proposal(s) to be submitted to
Government and make recommendations to Cabinet and/or Full Council
as appropriate.
20. To
receive regular reports and updates on the progress of Local
Government Re-organisation.
21. To
pay particular attention and oversight to the key challenges and
risks associated with the transition to a new unitary structure,
including continuity of service provision, delivery of the
Council's Community Plan and staff recruitment and
retention.
22. To
liaise with and advise the Council’s Cabinet, Audit and
Accounts Committee, Policy and Performance Improvement Committee
and other committees as appropriate.
General
23. Review any matters within the committees’ remit and terms
of reference referred to it by the Chief Executive, Section 151
Officer, Monitoring Officer or any Body of the Council.
24. Such other matters as required by law or guidance to be the
proper remit of the Governance, General Purposes and LGR
Committee.
25. Act
as an advisory committee to the Cabinet and Council on matters
relating to the Committee’s terms of reference.
Standards
Complaint Hearing Panel
26. Shall be a Sub-Committee of the Governance General Purposes and
LGR Committee constituted as required by the Monitoring
Officer.
27. Shall comprise 3 elected Members of the Governance General
Purposes and LGR Committee.
28. Shall be politically proportionate.
29. Shall hear and determine in accordance with the Arrangements as
regards standards complaints referred to the Hearing
Panel.
Informal Working
Parties
30. The
Committee can convene Informal Working Parties, open to the whole
membership of the Committee, as required. Any Committee Chair or
Portfolio Holder may be invited to attend where the subject matter
is relevant to their role. Any named substitute to the Committee
may attend a Working Party as substitute.
31. The
Committee Chair, or in their absence the Vice Chair, has authority
to convene Working Parties in accordance with paragraph 30. above
where it would cause undue delay to wait for the next meeting of
the Committee.
32. Working parties will normally be led by the Chair or Vice Chair
of the Committee.
33. Working Parties are unable to make decisions and will report
back to Committee, except for Working Parties relating to Local
Government Reorganisation where it would cause undue delay to
report back to the Committee, in which case the findings of Working
Parties may be reported directly to Full Council or Cabinet as
applicable.