Standards committee

As required by the Local Government Act 2000, a Standards Committee has been set up to exercise the following functions:

To promote and maintain high standards of conduct by our members
To help members observe the Authority’s code of conduct and any local protocols.

Appointment of Independent Persons

Under the Localism Act 2011, we appointed two independent persons (Peter Power and Vanessa Sharp) who will be called upon to attend a meeting and participate in discussions when a complaint against a member of the New Forest National Park Authority is received in order to consider whether, and if so what, action should initially be taken, and also to be present and give their views during any formal hearing that takes place if it is decided to investigate a complaint.

Standards committee membership

The committee is made up of five members of the Authority, elected each year at the Annual Authority meeting
The five members on the committee shall include both a member appointed to the Authority by local authorities and a member appointed by the Secretary of State
No business shall be transacted at a meeting of the committee unless the meeting satisfies the quorum requirements set out in Standing Orders (link on right).

Terms of reference and functions

To exercise the following functions:

To promote and maintain high standards of conduct by members of the Authority
To assist members of the Authority to observe the Authority’s code of conduct and any local protocols.

Without prejudice to its general functions, the Standards Committee shall have the following specific functions:

When necessary, to advise the Authority on the revision of the code of conduct
To advise the Authority on the preparation and revision of local protocols and to monitor their operation
To monitor the operation of the Authority’s code of conduct and any local protocols
To provide training to members and officers to enable them to comply with the Code and protocols
To manage and control all public registers of members’ and officers’ interests and arrangements for the operation of any related systems
To consider any matter referred to it under the Local Authorities (Code of Conduct) (Local Determination) Regulations
To undertake the selection process for the independent members of the committee, and to make recommendations to the Authority for the appointment of Independent members
To make recommendations to the Authority on future schemes of members’ allowances.
To make recommendations to the Authority on the budget required to enable the committee to undertake its functions
To appoint such sub-committees or panels as it deems necessary for the proper performance of its duties.