Committee details

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.