19 November 2024
Last month SLCC Chief Executive Rob Smith wrote to Baroness Taylor of Stevenage OBE, who is the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Lords Minister for Housing and Local Government), in acknowledgement of meeting her at the Local Government Association (LGA) Conference in Harrogate. He has since received a response welcoming the briefing note SLCC provided on the work that has been done to date on local government standards, research, and sanctions.
SLCC is aware that concerns about standards are shared across the local government sector, but also that, in many local councils where the clerk may be the sole employee, it can be easier for individuals to feel isolated and vulnerable without access to statutory redress through a fully effective standards regime.
In her response, Baroness Taylor references a proposed consultation on reforms to the local government standards framework, including a proposal to allow for the suspension of members who violate codes of conduct. SLCC is working with partner organisations across all tiers of local government in anticipation of this consultation.
Read the Minister’s letter here.
