Standards Board for England
Encyclopedia
Standards for England, formerly known as the Standards Board for England, is a non-departmental public body
sponsored by the Department for Communities and Local Government
. Established following the Local Government Act 2000, it is responsible for promoting high ethical standards in local democracy. It oversees the Code of Conduct, which covers elected and co-opted members who serve on a range of authorities. Standards for England maintains an independent national overview of local investigations into allegations that members' conduct may have fallen short of the required standards. In certain cases, Standards for England investigates allegations itself. Standards for England cannot impose sanctions on members, but if it considers that further action may be necessary, it refers cases to the Adjudication Panel for England
or to the relevant authority's own standards committee for determination. Standards committees can suspend members for up to six months. The Adjudication Panel can disqualify members for up to five years.
Standards for England also provides advice and produces formal guidance to members and officers on the Code of Conduct.
Currently, the chief executive of Standards for England is Glenys Stacey. Its chair is Dr Robert Chilton. The quango will be abolished under current plans by the British government as part of its 2010 economic and governmental reforms (2010 UK quango reforms
).
Standards for England works with the following types of authority in England
and their members:
It also works with police authorities in Wales.
The standards committee of each council (which must be chaired by an independent member) is responsible for receiving allegations and deciding whether any action needs to be taken. Action may take the form of an investigation by the local monitoring officer, investigation by Standards for England, or some other form of action such as mediation or training. Standards committees report periodically to Standards for England.
Standards for England can also direct that a standards committee’s assessment and review functions be suspended and instead undertaken either by Standards for England or by another relevant authority. This would generally happen only after a series of attempts to improve performance, either before or after notification from Standards for England, had failed.
. Where councillors have a prejudicial interest in a matter, they are now given the same rights as members of the public to speak at meetings where that matter is discussed.
A councillor is now only deemed to have a personal interest in a matter if it affects them to a greater extent than the majority of their constituents. This allows greater freedom for councillors to represent their constituents fairly and to act as community advocates.
Non-departmental public body
In the United Kingdom, a non-departmental public body —often referred to as a quango—is a classification applied by the Cabinet Office, Treasury, Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive to certain types of public bodies...
sponsored by the Department for Communities and Local Government
Department for Communities and Local Government
The Department for Communities and Local Government is the UK Government department for communities and local government in England. It was established in May 2006 and is the successor to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, established in 2001...
. Established following the Local Government Act 2000, it is responsible for promoting high ethical standards in local democracy. It oversees the Code of Conduct, which covers elected and co-opted members who serve on a range of authorities. Standards for England maintains an independent national overview of local investigations into allegations that members' conduct may have fallen short of the required standards. In certain cases, Standards for England investigates allegations itself. Standards for England cannot impose sanctions on members, but if it considers that further action may be necessary, it refers cases to the Adjudication Panel for England
Adjudication Panel for England
The Adjudication Panel for England was an independent judicial tribunal set up under the Local Government Act 2000. It was a Non-departmental public body which ruled on complaints referred to it by the Standards Board for England regarding alleged breaches of English local authorities' codes of...
or to the relevant authority's own standards committee for determination. Standards committees can suspend members for up to six months. The Adjudication Panel can disqualify members for up to five years.
Standards for England also provides advice and produces formal guidance to members and officers on the Code of Conduct.
Currently, the chief executive of Standards for England is Glenys Stacey. Its chair is Dr Robert Chilton. The quango will be abolished under current plans by the British government as part of its 2010 economic and governmental reforms (2010 UK quango reforms
2010 UK quango reforms
Following the 2010 United Kingdom General Election, the UK Government announced plans to curb public spending through the abolition of a large number of quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations . On 23 May 2010, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne unveiled a £500million plan to reduce...
).
Standards for England works with the following types of authority in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and their members:
- parish council
- district, city or borough council
- county councilCounty councilA county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
- the City of London Corporation
- the Council of the Isles of Scilly
- fire and rescue authority
- police authorityPolice authorityA police authority in the United Kingdom, is a body charged with securing efficient and effective policing of a police area served by a territorial police force or the area and/or activity policed by a special police force...
- passenger transport authority
- national park authority
- the Broads AuthorityBroads AuthorityThe Broads Authority is the agency which has statutory responsibility for the Broads in England. Originally, the Nature Conservancy Council , pressed for a special authority to manage the Broads which had been neglected for a long time. In 1978, the forerunner to the present-day Broads Authority...
- the Greater London AuthorityGreater London AuthorityThe Greater London Authority is the top-tier administrative body for Greater London, England. It consists of a directly elected executive Mayor of London, currently Boris Johnson, and an elected 25-member London Assembly with scrutiny powers...
It also works with police authorities in Wales.
Responsibility for ethical standards
Primary responsibility for ensuring ethical standards rests with the Councils themselves. Each local authority which is subject to the Code of Conduct must appoint a monitoring officer and a local standards committee. The chief executive and legal officers of a council have a duty to advise members on ethical matters.The standards committee of each council (which must be chaired by an independent member) is responsible for receiving allegations and deciding whether any action needs to be taken. Action may take the form of an investigation by the local monitoring officer, investigation by Standards for England, or some other form of action such as mediation or training. Standards committees report periodically to Standards for England.
Standards for England can also direct that a standards committee’s assessment and review functions be suspended and instead undertaken either by Standards for England or by another relevant authority. This would generally happen only after a series of attempts to improve performance, either before or after notification from Standards for England, had failed.
Code of conduct
The 2001 Code of Conduct was revised after an extensive consultation process and the new Code came into force on 3 May 2007. Revisions include the relaxing of the definition of 'personal interest' and extends the rights of councillors to speak in relation to matters in which they have a prejudicial interestPrejudicial interest
In UK local authority politics, the term prejudicial interest is used to describe a particular type of conflict of interest involving councillors. When a councillor has an interest in a topic under debate that may affect their ability to fairly and objectively consider the subject, he or she is...
. Where councillors have a prejudicial interest in a matter, they are now given the same rights as members of the public to speak at meetings where that matter is discussed.
A councillor is now only deemed to have a personal interest in a matter if it affects them to a greater extent than the majority of their constituents. This allows greater freedom for councillors to represent their constituents fairly and to act as community advocates.
Predetermination
The issue of predetermination is often confused with the Code of Conduct. The judge-made, common law rules on bias and predetermination have to be taken into account by councillors, but these rules are not part of the Code of Conduct or the responsibility of Standards for England.See also
- Adjudication Panel for EnglandAdjudication Panel for EnglandThe Adjudication Panel for England was an independent judicial tribunal set up under the Local Government Act 2000. It was a Non-departmental public body which ruled on complaints referred to it by the Standards Board for England regarding alleged breaches of English local authorities' codes of...
- Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Act 2000Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Act 2000The Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. Act 2000 is an Act of the Scottish Parliament which established that the Scottish Ministers had to issue a code of conduct for councillors, and put in place mechanisms for dealing with councillors in contravention of the code...
- Public Services Ombudsman for WalesPublic Services Ombudsman for WalesThe Public Services Ombudsman for Wales was established by of the Public Services Ombudsman Act 2005...
- Standards Commission for ScotlandStandards Commission for ScotlandThe Standards Commission for Scotland was established under the Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. Act 2000. The Commission's purpose is to advance high ethical standards in public life...