Jackson Ng at Standards & General Purposes Committee, 23 April 2026

Well, ladies and gentlemen, committee members and members of the public, welcome to today's standard and general purposes committee. First of all, I'd like to welcome Councillor Martin Tett, the latest member of this committee. Welcome. My pleasure, Mr Chairman. It's good to be here amongst such an illustrious group of fellow colleagues.

Thank you. The second agenda item today is the minutes from the 16th of October.

It was quite some time ago. Do councillors and colleagues have any comments, amendments and views on it? No. Well, happy for me to sign it?

Thank you. Third agenda item, declarations of interest. I'm going to kick off by saying I'm a member of Beaconsfield Town Council, which is a parish council. Any other colleagues? I'm a member of Amersham Town Council. She's a town council. A member of Ellsbury Town Council. Thank you. Councillor Dixon. Ellsbury Town Council as well. Councillor Mayhem. A member of Steeper Clayton Parish Council. Thank you. Councillor Gump. A member of Winsletown Council. Thank you. Councillor Matthews. A member of Ivers Parish Council. Thank you. Thank you very much. Right, that's quick. And agenda item number four, really. This is the, our annual review of the code of conduct complaints for 2025, 2026. As we started this year, officers told us that this is what we were, was coming down the line. I'm going to firstly invite officers to summarize it for us and then vice chair to then lead in discussions about it. Tom, thank you. Thank you, Shannon. So the report in front of you sets out the code of conduct complaints received.

Vice Chairman, do you have any views and thoughts before you? Thank you. I've got a couple of questions. Apologies. And then I'll open to the floor for anyone else's questions. You mentioned there's been a substantial increase in complaints, which obviously we've all noted. I've noted many of them were closed.

Councillor Bateman. Thank you, Chair. So we had the last meeting was the 16th of October.

In relation to talking about specific cases, I think if members wish for, we can talk about it in a private setting to protect people's identities so that they're not identified by facts or by mistakenly mentioning their names. So I think, you know, you could park that if members would like to after this session. In relation to, just to clarify what you're asking for, you are asking essentially to check the officers' works in relation to some of the investigations, assessments they're doing. Essentially, that's basically, to summarise, that's what you're asking for. Yes, I'm asking if we should be spot -checking some of those so that the public, our residents, know.

Before I put that question to the officers, are there any members who would like to jump in on this point, this specific point, or should I just ask the officers to answer? Does anyone have any views? It's semi -related, if I can, sure. It sort of branches out from that in terms of...

to help our colleagues at a parish level deal with complaints or understand what we do here. But to go back to your point, I think, well, let's concentrate first. Councillor Tett, do you have any views on that? It's specific. I have a comment on the overall issue, but I just wanted to comment on that. I'm just trying to think.

Just to support Councillor Bateman's point, roof guarding, scrutiny.

Thank you, Chairman. And this is something that's come up for quite a few years.

Thank you, Chairman. There's one really grey area that I...

Certainly there are three issues. First of all is in relation to, you know, we've noted that many of the complaints stem from the parish level. So what can we from a BATS level do to better support parish councils to resolve these governance issues better before they escalate into a formal complaint that comes to us? Then the second point is really, you know, what training are we giving to councillors here, but also at a parish level as well, in relation to behaving ourselves? Respect. And how we conduct ourselves in a wider context. And I think the last point really is from counterbatement, which is, should this committee wish to, and I'm saying should, and I think there's a wider debate around that, and I'll reserve my opinion later, is, you know, how can or is it within the powers of this committee to scrutinise, you know, the assessment in stage one? If someone complains, if so, how could it work? So I'm grateful for the officers' input into this. And, you know, let's have an open discussion about this. Councillor Tatt? Just, I'm reflecting, having heard the rest of the discussion. I mean, I'd be very supportive of...

Work is what the council does in relation to complaints, which basically there's an initial assessment and stage one and stage two, basically. My understanding is the assessments, stage one and stage two, they're all oversight with the monitoring officer having oversight. And the monitoring officer, as I understand, in our constitution is the legal officer who acts independently and non -political. So I've always got great respect for our legal team and our monitoring officer. But of course, as chairmen, this is for this committee to have a debate and discussion and, if necessary, a vote. But I do share your sentiments, Councillor Tett. It's worked so far. Of course, Councillor Bateman's raised it, so we'll have a discussion about it. Councillor Bateman. Thank you, chair. So I'd like to state that I wasn't being political with requesting this, but more that we are...

We have in every committee, including planning committees, surrendered spot checks on officers' assessments and recommendations for planning recommendations. We do? Do you do? No, no, no, we scrutinise it, but we don't spot check the assessments, the recommendations. When they put the report together, we don't look through all the, you know, we don't say, well... Mr Chairman, if I may. Yes, of course. I think...

Oh, you've got things to add. Is it related to this? Because I was hoping officers would come back and, you know, give us sort of their insight. Okay, sure. Okay, so it's been mentioned a few times that we spoke about planning off my...

So much. And you've had plenty of time to prepare, so. Lem? If I start off, and perhaps my colleagues can backfill any comments if I miss them out. If we start with the code, which is what's led to being in front of you today, and whether one can then...

The formal formula needs further discussion or investigation, but the latter seems like a really good idea to get going with if members, colleagues agree. And Councillor Gormley, you had your hand up first and then Councillor Fonten and Councillor Mayhem. Very kind, Chairman. You know, it's quite clear. So I've dealt with the officers at different levels and I find they do an extremely good job.

Chairman, I don't disagree whatsoever. I think that would be a great aspiration. I'd just like to be clear.

If I may, on that point, I think before...

on the next agenda really. Yeah so we can move on to other areas to discuss. Is it Councillor Thornton? Thank you Chair. I think it's important to put on record that this video you will get.

Just a couple of points of clarification. So we're talking about parish there.

Thank you. I also support the...

In this new legislation that's coming down the line about the Code of Conduct, is there any indication in there?

I'm talking about the military code that's coming down the line. Now, we don't know when it's coming down or what's going to be contained within it, but what steps should this committee be taking if we can be taking any steps at all in the next, or the monitoring officer, in the next sort of months or 6 to 12 or 18 months to basically ensure there's a smooth transition into the new proposed military code and suspension powers. I mean, what can we do now as opposed to just being reactive when it comes?

That's a difficult one to answer specifically because...

I think it's good to have it, the association come in to talk about all this with us. And I think we all agree that we will invite them for the next session, whoever the chair, he or she might be. Just following on as well, before we come back to other councillors, is it appears to me with the mandatory code coming forward and our engagement with the local associations and parishes, etc. But also the number of complaints have gone up. Although, you know, there's no direct sort of financial implications being mentioned in the report. Are we confident that the officer team, the monitoring officer teams, has sufficient resources to handle increased volumes of complaints? We're hoping it goes down, obviously, but if it continues to go up, because people are not respecting each other or people don't know, do we have enough resources? How are we coping on that front? Thank you. I would say at this stage, without seeing what comes down the line, I would say to me, is that I think that I'm going to say the moment and I'm going to say the moment?

Thank you, Mr Chairman. Two questions and then a comment, if I may.

Can we try to keep quite short? Very quick, Chairman. Thank you. So I've just got to remember who I was. So when we...

I can, but we are here, we keep hearing we're here to...

Councillor Tett, off the top of my head we have had complaints about.

I think, just to piggyback on what Councillor TEP was saying,

Thank you very much, Chairman. I just wanted to pick up on you.

This is sort of highlighted a little bit in Annex 1 where we do talk about which councillors have received...

Of course, what Tom's just said.

I think a lot of discussion about the annual review report. My thoughts are this. I think what we talked about a lot of it is very constructive. I think most of it is constructive in the spirit of trying to better transparency and standards for this council. I think suggestion around getting Belkin and engaging with them, training and even transparency and examples on cases. I think if the committee agrees, I think we'll ask the officers to progress and to give us the report in the next meeting as to how they might implement that. In relation to what Councillor Bateman has suggested, along with Councillor Tatt, I share his concerns. I think the systems can always be improved, but it's sort of how much further do you want to push it, how much effort and what do you get back? And obviously the downsides to it in terms of data protection, et cetera. In relation to that, again, I would say officers, perhaps if the committee agrees, officers go and have to think about what this committee has reflected, the different views, and if the monitoring officer could come back to us with their view or the legalities of it. I think the reports, this committee will appreciate that report. We can do that, sure. Does anyone have any disagreements? That's how we've progressed. All right, thank you. If that's the case, we can move on to the next agenda item, which is the works program. Which I, you know, 11th of June, very, very luckily there's nothing in that. So perhaps what we just suggested, most of it, if possible, can come back to that for this committee. All right? But I also appreciate the makeup of this committee and including its chair and vice chair could be very different by then. So, again, it's for discussion with the next chair and vice chair as to how they might want to take on board what this committee has left for them in terms of that legacy. Thank you. Now, in terms of the work program, would officers like to take us through it? Yes. So, on the work program, you'll see the...

I think we need to be very careful there because of the comments you've made earlier about this could be a completely new committee.

I think it's a very important thing to engage with the next Chair and Vice Chair as to how they want to deal with the legacy of this committee. Councillor Chilbert, did you have a point to make? Just a minor correction, I think for the January meeting, quarter three would be...

Good spot. Thank you. Okay. That's okay. Let's move on to the next agenda item, which is the date of the next meeting, which already has been noted as the 11th of June. If there are no other comments from colleagues, officers, then we can close this meeting. Oh, sorry. Councillor Gough. Sorry, Chairman. Before we do go, like you referred to, there could be a totally new...

I haven't finished yet. And then...

Thank you, Councillor. As I said in the last Council meeting, thank you very much for all your work and for making this committee the non -partisan ethical committee there is that acts in the Council's best interest. Thank you very much. And to the officers as well for your hard work. And Councillor. Thank you. I thought I should probably also say thank you, Chair, as Vice Chair for this year.

Thank you very much. Well, meeting closed. Thank you.