The Standards and Ethics Committee are scheduled to meet to discuss the government's response to a consultation on conduct, and to review the council's arrangements for handling councillor complaints. The meeting will be held in the Morgan Room, Malvern Hills District Council, The Council House, Avenue Road, Malvern.

Councillor Code of Conduct Complaints

The committee will be asked to comment on proposed changes to the arrangements for dealing with complaints made against councillors under the Members Code of Conduct. Councillor approval of the changes is scheduled for a meeting on 21 January 2026.

The Assistant Director for Legal and Governance, Hazel Best, notes that there has been a rise in complaints, and that the complaints page on the council website will be updated to provide more information about the handling of complaints. The council has also sought external support to deal with the volume of complaints, and an update on the current number of complaints is expected to be provided to the committee in January 2026.

The committee may also recommend training for all members linked to the themes of complaints.

The report pack includes two appendices:

• Arrangements for dealing with complaints under the Members Code of Conduct
• Local Government Ethical Standards January 2019

Strengthening the Standards and Conduct Framework

The committee will note the government response to the consultation on strengthening the standards and conduct framework for local authorities in England .

The consultation sought views on introducing measures to strengthen the standards and conduct regime in England and ensure consistency of approach amongst councils investigating serious breaches of their member codes of conduct, including the introduction of the power of suspension. The government published their response to the consultation on 11 November 2025.

The government intends to implement a whole system reform of the current regime as set out in the Localism Act 2011. The measures will include:

• A mandatory code of conduct, which will include a behavioural code, for all local authority types and tiers
• A requirement that all principal authorities convene formal standards committees, to include provisions on the constitution of standards committees to ensure objectivity, accountability and transparency
• A requirement that all principal authorities offer individual support during any investigation into code of conduct allegations to both the complainant and the councillor subject to the allegation
• The introduction at the authority level of a 'right for review' for both complainant and the subject elected member to have the case reassessed on grounds that will be set out in legislation
• Powers for authorities to suspend elected members for a maximum of 6 months for serious code of conduct breaches, with the option to withhold allowances during suspension for the most serious breaches and introduce premises and facilities bans either in addition or as standalone sanctions
• In response to the most serious allegations involving police investigation, or where sentencing is pending, the introduction of powers to suspend elected members on an interim basis for an initial period of 3 months which, if extended, will require regular review
• A new disqualification criterion for any elected member subject to the maximum period of suspension more than once within 5 years
• The creation of a new national appeals function, to consider appeals from elected members to decisions to suspend them and/or withhold allowances, and for complainants if they consider their complaint was mishandled.

Any appeal submitted will only be permitted after complainant or elected member has invoked their 'right for review' of the local standards committee decision has been invoked and that process is completed.

The government will have to legislate for changes to the Localism Act 2011 to bring about the changes highlighted within the body of this report.