Part 5 - Protocol on Gifts and Hospitality
This protocol has been adopted by the Council to give guidance to Councillors about registering gifts and hospitality.
1. This Protocol relates to any offer, gift, favour or hospitality that is made, given, or afforded to you in your capacity as a Member whether you accept it or not.. It is not intended to cover the ordinary social relationships which people enjoy with friends, provided that the friend is not applying to the Council for anything, seeking to do business with the Council, or involved in an ongoing business relationship with the Council.
2. As a Member you must declare in writing to the Monitoring Officer within 28 days of being offered or receiving it any gift or hospitality. Such declaration will be recorded in a register which will set out the date of declaration, the date on which the Member received the hospitality, the name of the Member, the nature of the gift or hospitality, if a gift, what was done with it. The register will be countersigned by the Monitoring Officer.
3. The Model Code relates to offers (whether accepted or declined) of gifts over £25. Where an offer is made to a group of Members which cumulatively amounts to £25 and over, a representative of the members involved will declare that under the Model Code in the Hospitality Register.
4. The procedure set out follows what has always been the practice at this Council.
5. You need to be aware that the receipt of a cash gift or other form of hospitality might be a prejudicial interest and the rules in relation to prejudicial interests in the Model Code would apply. That is to say you must declare the interest, leave the room in which a decision was being taken, and not participate in any way in the decision making process.
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