102.Part III of the Act establishes a new ethical framework for local government. This includes the introduction of statutory codes of conduct, with a requirement for every council to adopt a code covering the behaviour of elected members and of officers, and the creation of a standards committee for each authority.
103.It also establishes a new non-Departmental public body (NDPB), the Standards Board for England; in Wales the functions of the Standards Board will be conferred on the Commissioner for Local Administration in Wales (CLAW). This will ensure an independent process for investigating instances of unethical conduct by relevant authority members, including any allegations that a code of conduct has been breached.
Introduction Summary