16/3/2010

Anglesey’s standards committee has announced that it will take steps to ensure councillors contribute towards corporate recovery.

Some local politicians on Anglesey were slammed in a report by the Wales Auditor General for pursuing personal or political interests.

The report urged the standards committee to become more prominent in raising standards.

Now, its members will aid in the authority’s corporate recovery programme by working with councillors and placing a greater emphasis on:

self-regulation

promoting effective member development

helping group leaders and council chairman resolve disciplinary issues

The standards committee has been meeting monthly since last September, working with officers and Group Leaders, to produce a high-level 12 month work programme which has been agreed by full council. It will focus on a number of areas, including the role of councillors, scrutiny and overview function and code of conduct.

Standards committee chairman, Jeffrey Cotterell, said, “The Standards Committee is committed to playing a leading role in corporate recovery at the Isle of Anglesey County Council.

“Member development is a cornerstone of our new work programme and we will work in partnership with all councillors in order to ensure continued improvement. “

To that end, the county council has appointed Councillor John Penri Williams to sit, as member champion, on a joint working group, which will also include representation from the Standards Committee, Welsh Local Government Association and Council.

The joint working group has been set-up to monitor and revise the member development plan as it evolves.

Cllr John Penri Williams said, “Ownership and involvement by members will, of course, be crucial to the ongoing development plan and I look forward to working with the standards committee as part of the joint working group.�