Agenda and minutes

            Apologies for inability to attend were reported for Alderman Copeland and Councillors Kyle and Lyons.

            No declarations of interest were recorded.

            The Committee considered report in relation to Notices of Motion which had been received for consideration by the Council at its meeting on 1st November.

            Following discussion, the Committee agreed that the following motions be forwarded to the Council for debate on 1st November:

·        Community Sector Terms and Conditions

·        Rent Controls

·        COP26 – Global Day of Action – 6 November 2021

·        Regulation of AirBnBS

      A motion on Tourism Street Signage was referred directly to the City Growth and Regeneration Committee for consideration.

      The Committee also agreed that the motions which had been agreed for debate be forwarded to all Members of Council prior to the publication of the Council papers.

The Committee was reminded that the Northern Ireland Local Government Code of Conduct for Councillors at paragraph 4.20 - Acceptance and registration of gifts and hospitality - states:

You must:

a)          in accordance with any standing orders of your council and within 28 days of receipt of any gift, hospitality, material benefit or service, which is above a value specified in a resolution of your council, provide written notification to your chief executive of the existence and nature of that gift, hospitality, material benefit or service;

b)          not accept from anyone gifts, hospitality, material benefits or services for yourself or any other person, which might place you, or reasonably appear to place you, under an improper obligation; and

c)          discourage gifts and offers of hospitality to any family members which might place you, or reasonably appear to place you, under an improper obligation.

            The current value above which the gifts and hospitality etc. are reported to the Chief Executive was £50 and it was proposed that this limit be maintained for the reminder of the Council term.

            As with declarations of interest, it was the responsibility of the Councillor to report the receipt of such gifts.  However, if a Member had any queries or concerns, advice could be sought from Legal Services/Democratic Services on whether or not it would be appropriate to report any gifts received.

            The Committee agreed that any gift, hospitality, material benefit or service received above the value of £50 be reported to the Chief Executive and recorded in the appropriate Register.

            The City Solicitor advised the Members that, following the constitution of the Standards and Business Committee and the appointment of Members to it, a draft outline Programme of Work had been developed for the Committee.

            The outline programme of work sets out the issues that the Standards and Business Committee was expected to consider during 2021/2022.  It was aligned to the Committee’s Terms of Reference and was intended to help Members and officers plan their work.  The programme would be regularly reviewed and updated to incorporate any new or emerging issues and was subject to change across the year accounting for any resource implications and / or matters arising from Members.

            In addition to the standing agenda items of apologies, agreeing and adopting the minutes of the previous meeting and declaring any interests, the programme set out those agenda items that would occur on a monthly, quarterly, six-monthly or annual basis or on an ongoing basis, as required.

            The Committee was currently being serviced by existing resources within Governance and Compliance Services, including Democratic Services. A budget for the operation of this Committee was being requested through the Revenue Estimates process.

            The Committee approved the draft Programme of Work, subject to the Review of alignment of Notices of Motion with the corporate plan and consideration of strategic policies by relevant committees being considered on a quarterly rather that a six-monthly basis.

The Committee noted the agenda for the workshop which would follow directly after the meeting.