Agenda item

10.1

The Director of Legal and Governance submitted a report concerning the Hansard Society Audit of Political Engagement Report 2015, which was the twelfth such audit and which gauged public opinion about politics and the political system and provided a ‘health check’ on democracy in Britain.

10.2

The Audit recorded public attitudes towards standards of conduct in public life taken from a survey undertaken by the Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL). The report presented a summary of the findings from that part of the Audit which examined standards in public life. The Committee was asked to consider ways in which the Council might improve perceptions of standards of conduct in public life.

10.3

The following observations were made by the Committee:

·         People may not make a distinction between Members of Parliament and local councillors.

·         Knowledge and perceptions may depend upon an individual's contact with their local authority or local councillor.

·         For entries on the register of gifts and hospitality, the item registered might be more significant in terms of perception than the financial value of that item. Similarly, the Members’ Register of Interests was open to the public to view and ensuring timely completion or updates of the register demonstrated an ethos of openness.

·         The timeliness with which replies were made to constituents’ enquiries was important, especially with the public expectation that information technology would provide information faster. Other services in the Council might learn from the practice of the Council’s Housing Service, which had set up a dedicated Members’ inbox for enquiries from councillors. 

10.4

Resolved: That the report now submitted is noted.