Local Government Reform - Consultation on Policy Proposals

government to encourage appropriate levels of conduct and to build
public confidence. These frameworks include mandatory codes of
conduct for elected representatives of local authorities, with
associated processes for investigating and adjudicating on alleged
breaches of the codes.
4.3. The Committee on Standards in Public Life’s Tenth Report entitled
“Getting the Balance Right - Implementing Standards in Public Life”
(published in January 2005) included two recommendations in
relation to local government in Northern Ireland which were agreed
by the United Kingdom <strong>Government</strong>, namely:
• Recommendation 15: Following the Review of Public
Administration, and upon the restoration of the Assembly in
Northern Ireland, a Statutory Code of Conduct for Councillors
should be introduced with a proportionate and locally-based
framework for enforcement, drawing upon experience of other
parts of the United Kingdom; and
• Recommendation 29: The three principal regulators (the
Standards Board for England, the <strong>Local</strong> <strong>Government</strong>
Ombudsman for Wales, and the Standards Commission for
Scotland) should put in place formal arrangements for the
sharing of experiences and best practice. This should be
extended to include the body with designated responsibility for
enforcement of a new statutory framework in Northern Ireland.
4.4. In 2005, a Code of Conduct Working Group (CCWG) was set up by
the Department to review the current Code of Conduct and to
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