The Standards Committees (Grant of Dispensations) (Wales) Regulations 2001

Explanatory Note

(This note does not form part of the Regulations)

County and county borough councils, community councils, fire authorities and National Park authorities in Wales (“relevant authorities”) are required by section 51 of the Local Government Act 2000 (“the Act”) to adopt a code of conduct for members and co-opted members which must incorporate any mandatory provisions of any model code of conduct issued by the National Assembly for Wales under section 50(2) of the Act.

Section 81(1) and (2) of the Act provides that the monitoring officer of each relevant authority must establish and maintain a register of interests of the members and co-opted members of the authority and that the mandatory provisions of the model code applicable to each relevant authority must require the members and co-opted members of each authority to register in that authority’s register such financial and other interests as are specified in the mandatory provisions.

Under section 81(3) and (4) of the Act those mandatory provisions must also require a member or co-opted member of a relevant authority who has such an interest to disclose it before taking part in any business of the authority which relates to it and make provision for preventing or restricting the participation of that member or co-opted member in any business of the authority to which the disclosed interest relates.

Section 81(4) of the Act provides that any participation by a member or co-opted member of a relevant authority in any business which is prohibited by the mandatory provisions is not a failure to comply with the authority’s code of conduct if the member or co-opted member has acted in accordance with a dispensation from the prohibition granted by the authority’s standards committee in accordance with regulations made under subsection (5).

These regulations prescribe the circumstances in which standards committees of relevant authorities may grant such dispensations.