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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that local authorities maintain an (a) independent and (b) impartial process for handling complaints made against councillors.

Current legislation requires local authorities to make arrangements to investigate allegations of breaching codes of conduct. These must include the involvement of an appointed independent person. The local authority is required to seek the views of this person before coming to a decision, and any councillor who is subject to a complaint may seek the view of the independent person.

We have committed to reform the local government standards regime. Reforms to include the introduction of a mandatory code of conduct, the requirement to convene formal standards committees, support for complainants and members subject to conduct allegations, and a process for appeal. We will legislate as soon as Parliamentary time allows.