Members' Code of Conduct

Every Council is required to adopt a Code of Conduct that sets out the rules governing the behaviour of its Councillors. All elected, co-opted and independent Members of the Borough Council are subject to the Code of Conduct. Parish and Town Councillors are also subject to their Council's Code of Conduct.

The Code of Conduct

 The main provisions of the Code of Conduct requires that members must-

• register certain personal interests in a public register of interests
• declare personal interests at meetings
• not take any part in meetings where their interest is prejudicial (i.e. where a member of the public with knowledge of the relevant facts would reasonably regard the interest as so significant that it is likely to prejudice the member's judgement of the public interest)
• treat others with respect when conducting official council business
• not do anything which breaches equalities legislation, bully any person, disclose confidential information, prevent anyone who is entitled from gaining access to information or bring their office or authority into disrepute.

Register of Interests

The Code of Conduct requires each Councillor to declare certain interests.  These declarations form the Statutory Register of Interests which is maintained by the Council's Monitoring Officer.   Councillors are required to keep their declarations up to date by informing the Monitoring Officer of any changes within 28 days of the relevant event.
 
The Register of Members' Interests can be viewed by clicking this link and paper copies of the Councillors' individual declarations are available for public inspection at the Council House, Solihull between 9am and 5pm Mondays to Fridays.

Gifts and hospitality

Councillors must also declare any gifts or hospitality over the value of £25 which have been offered to them (whether or not they were accepted) within 28 days of the date of the offer.  These declarations are also recorded in the Register of Members' Interests.

Any Borough or parish councillor may make declarations in writing directly to the Monitoring Officer.

Forms for registering interests and gifts can be downloaded (see Attachments in the right hand column of this page).

Complaints about breaches of the Code of Conduct

Complaints that the conduct of a member of the Borough Council or a member of a Town or Parish Council is in breach of the Code of Conduct for the Council in question should be made to the Council’s Standards Committee who will decide whether a possible breach of the code of conduct is involved and what action to take. Further details are on the Standards Committee page.

Standards Committee

The Council's Standards Committee is responsible for promoting high standards of conduct and dealing with complaints. Details about meetings and decisions of the Standards Committee are on this web site at http://www.solihull.gov.uk/akssolihull/users/public/admin/kab71.pl.

The Monitoring Officer

The Monitoring Officer is the Director of Corporate Governance and Solicitor to the Council. The Monitoring Officer is a statutory officer who has obligations to report to the Council or the Cabinet any case where there is, has or is likely to be a contravention of the law and cases where the Local Government Ombudsman has made a finding of maladministration.

Standards for England

Standards for England provide guidance and can answer a range of enquiries about the Code of Conduct and the promotion of ethical behaviour.  Standards for England's main task is to ensure that standards of ethical conduct are maintained across local authorities. to find out more visit the Standards for England website.

Contact

If you require any further information then please contact the Monitoring Officer .

Telephone: 0121 704 6721

Email:  solicitor@solihull.gov.uk