Editor

In reply to a letter in last week’s Cambrian News, asking why a councillor has to apply for dispensation to ‘speak freely on behalf of his constituents’, I can explain that all elected local authority members are required by law to conform to a statutory Code of Practice that sets out the ethical framework and standards for their conduct in public office.

The code defines the criteria by which a member might have a personal and prejudicial interest in a matter under consideration. In the case of a prejudicial interest (such as financial or business interest), members are normally required to withdraw and not participate in any decisionmaking process on the issue in question.

However, the code also makes provision for a member with a prejudicial interest to seek dispensation to participate, to enable them to represent their constituents’ interests as fully as possible, provided that the member’s participation in that matter would not damage public confidence in the conduct of the council’s business.

The task of examining and approving applications for such dispensation is vested in the council’s Ethics and Standards Committee, which is a statutory body comprising independent and local authority members. In the case mentioned by your correspondent, Cllr Ceredig Davies quite properly declared a prejudicial interest and sought dispensation from this committee to speak on the issue, and his application was duly approved.

Hywel Wyn Jones Chair, Ceredigion County Council Ethical Standards Committee

Have your say on the local issues affecting you - email [email protected] or join in the conversation on our Facebook page