Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she is taking steps to expand the definition of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests to include (a) being in receipt of an employment offer and (b) being a candidate for employment in an ongoing employment process.

Section 28 of the Localism Act 2011 (‘the Act’) requires a local authority to make provisions in its member code of conduct not just for the registration of pecuniary interests but also for other interests; this may include employment offers.

Under the Act, local authorities are required to have member code of conduct provisions that conform to the Nolan Principles and promote and maintain high standards of conduct. The Local Government Association has produced guidance on gov.uk a model code of conduct, recommending that they include provisions that members must not use their position improperly to the advantage or disadvantage of themselves or anyone else.

It is currently for local authorities to decide their code of conduct in line with lawful requirements. We consulted on a mandatory gov.uk minimum code of conduct for local authorities in England and will respond to the consultation in due course.