Keeping our council in check
A former Director General of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), who famously criticised Tesco’s move into the corner shop market, will be speaking at a national conference this week in his current role as Chair of Warwickshire County Council’s Audit & Standards Committee.
John Bridgeman CBE is on a mission to raise the profile of standards committees and the important part they play in safeguarding the integrity of local government.
At the Fifth Annual Assembly of Standards Committees, Bridging the gap, to be held at Birmingham’s International Convention Centre on 16 and 17 October, he will address standards committee members, officers and key figures in local government from around the country.
John Bridgeman will tell delegates that standards committees need to promote their role both within their authorities and to their local communities in order to operate more effectively. He said: “Standards committees now play a vital role in local communities. They help increase public trust in local government as well providing reassurance on local value for money.”
Warwickshire County Council’s Audit & Standards Committee scrutinizes the processes of a wide range of the council’s activities, from how it carries out CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) checks to budget management, and from school trips to highways maintenance.
An audit & standards committee, along with a statutory code of conduct for all councillors and officers, is a requirement of the 2000 Local Government Act and applies to all local authorities.
John Bridgeman continues: “We are in the business of ‘local government accident prevention’. Standards committees have become essential tools of councils - helping local authorities prevent ‘governance accidents’ before they happen.
“By carefully scrutinizing the council’s processes, we can identify where the risk areas are and make sure action is taken to address them.
“Furthermore, if members of the public or members of staff are concerned about possible breaches in the Code of Conduct for Councillors and Officers they can bring matters to our attention.”
It is a requirement that at least 25% of the membership of an audit & standards committee are independent individuals not associated with the council. Members of the public are also invited to attend committee meetings, which at Warwickshire County Council are held approximately every three months.
Over 800 delegates and speakers are set to attend the Annual Assembly of Standards Committees in Birmingham this week.