Commentary on Sections Introduction
441.These sections give effect to the Government’s proposals for the reform of the regime relating to standards of conduct for local government. Proposals for amendments to the regime were included in the Government’s discussion paper Standards of Conduct in English Local Government: The Future, issued in December 2005. Decisions on action to be taken were then announced in the Local Government White Paper.
442.The proposals are aimed at devolving most decision-making on the conduct regime for local authority members to local authorities, with a revised, regulatory role provided for the Standards Board. The measures provide for local standards committees to make initial assessments of misconduct allegations and for review arrangements for those assessments which lead to no action being taken. The provisions also give powers for the Standards Board to suspend a standards committee’s role in making initial assessments of allegations, and for the Board to issue guidance to standards committees and ethical standards officers.
443.In addition, provision is made for decisions in respect of local authority posts subject to political restrictions to be undertaken by standards committees rather than, as now, by the Independent Adjudicator, and to enable the Secretary of State to issue an order to allow the maximum pay of political assistants to be linked to a point on a relevant pay scale specified by the order.