Standards Committee

Under the Local Government Act 2000, the National Park Authority is required to establish a Standards Committee. The role of this Committee is “to promote and maintain high standards of conduct by the Members of the Authority and to assist Members of the Authority to observe the Authority’s Code of Conduct.”

The Standards Committee also has specific functions as follows:

To advise the Authority on the adoption or revision of a Code of Conduct
To monitor the operation and effectiveness of the Authority’s Code of Conduct
To advise and arrange to train Members of the Authority on matters relating to the Authority’s Code of Conduct
To investigate or comment on any matters arising from the Complaints Procedure relating to general ethical standards referred to it by the Performance Monitoring and Management Committee, or the Chief Executive.
To receive and assess complaints that Members of the Authority may have breached the Authority's Code of Conduct for Members
To review Standards Committee decisions to take no action on a complaint that the Code of Conduct has been breached, where such review is requested by the complainant.
To determine complaints about Members which are related to the Code of Conduct for Members
To grant exemptions to officers in politically restricted posts to allow them to engage in political activities
To grant dispensations to Members of the Authority from requirements relating to prejudicial interests set out in the Code of Conduct for Members.

The Code of Conduct for Members

The National Park Authority has a Code of Conduct for Members, based on the national Model Code. All Members must sign up to this Code when they become a Member of the Authority, otherwise their membership of the Authority will cease.

The Register of Members' Interests

Members are also required, under the Members Code of Conduct, to register certain financial and other interests in the public Register of Members’ Interests, within 28 days of becoming a Member of the Authority.

The Register of Members' Interests must be updated within 28 days of any change in circumstances of the Member.

Sensitive information need not be included in the Register of Members' Interests, with the agreement of the Monitoring Officer.

The Register is maintained by the Monitoring Officer and can be inspected at the National Park Authority Office in Helmsley during office hours. If you would like to inspect the Register, please contact:

The Committees Officer
North York Moors National Park Authority
The Old Vicarage
Bondgate
Helmsley
York
YO62 5BP
Tel: 01439 770657
Email: f.farnell@northyorkmoors-npa.gov.uk

Complaints Regarding Breach of Members' Code of Conduct

The responsibility for receiving, assessing and determining complaints that a Member may have breached the Members' Code of Conduct lies with the Authority's Standards Committee. The Standards Committee includes a number of Members who are independent of the Authority.

The Standards Committee can only deal with complaints about the behaviour of a Member and cannot deal with complaints unrelated to the Members’ Code of Conduct. If you make a complaint to the Standards Committee it must be about why you think a Member has not followed the Code (copy available on request or by following this link).

Examples of a breach of the Code by Members might include:

• failure to treat others with respect;
• bringing the Authority into disrepute;
• a failure to register financial or other interests;
• a failure to disclose a personal interest at a meeting;
• a misuse of the Authority’s resources;
• using their position improperly, to their own or someone else’s advantage or disadvantage.

If you want to complain about the conduct of a Member of the North York Moors National Park Authority you must submit your complaint, in writing, to: the Standards Committee c/o The Monitoring Officer at the National Park Authority’s address below.

Sub-Committees

The Standards Committee has established three Sub-Committees to deal with the separate roles involved in dealing with complaints that Members may have breached the Code of Conduct.

Complaint Assessment Sub-Committee: this Sub-Committee undertakes all functions of the Standards Committee in relation to the initial assessment of complaints that Members have breached the Authority's Code of Conduct for Members (including the referral or otherwise of complaints for investigation or other action);
Complaint Review Sub-Committee: this Sub-Committee undertakes all functions of the Standards Committee in relation to the review of assessment decisions to take no action in respect of complaints that Members have breached the Authority’s Code of Conduct for Members; and
Complaint Determination Sub-Committee: this Sub-Committee undertakes all functions of the Standards Committee in relation to the consideration of complaint investigation reports, the holding of complaint determination hearings, the making of findings and the imposition of sanctions (if appropriate) in respect of complaints that Members have breached the Authority’s Code of Conduct for Members.

Each Sub-Committee is comprised of three Members of the Standards Committee: two Authority Members (one Local Authority appointed and one Secretary of State appointed) and one independent Member. Each Sub-Committee is chaired by an independent Member.

The Standards Committee has developed local assessment criteria against which the Complaint Assessment Sub-Committee assesses new complaints and decides what action, if any, to take. The criteria also set out how complaints received anonymously will be dealt with. The Assessment Criteria can be accessed by following this link.

The procedure that the Complaint Assessment Sub-Committee and Complaint Review Sub-Committee will follow in discharging their functions in respect of complaints can be accessed here.

The Standards Board for England

The Standards Board (an independent, national body) a key part of the national standards regime, providing advice and guidance to authorities on the regime and acting as a ‘light touch’ regulator, monitoring the operation of the local standards framework. The Board may also investigate certain, more serious, complaints in particular, limited circumstances.

Please visit the Standards Board’s website at www.standardsboard.gov.uk for further information on the national standards regime.

or contact the Board at:

The Standards Board for England
Fourth Floor
Griffin House
40 Lever Street
Manchester
M1 1BB

Telephone: 0161 817 5300

mailto:enquiries@standardsboard.gov.uk

Please click here to download a copy of the Code of Conduct for Members.