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Written question asked by Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour) on Tuesday, 30 April 2024, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 2 May 2024. It was answered by Simon Hoare (Conservative) on Wednesday, 8 May 2024 on behalf of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Local Government: Bribery

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what guidance his Department issues to the police on their role in investigating allegations of bribery in local council operations; and what support his Department provides to local forces handling such cases.

Answer

This Government is committed to ensuring the good record of transparency, probity, scrutiny, and accountability is maintained across councils in this country.

Section 31 of the Localism Act 2011 requires that a councillor must not participate in a discussion or vote on a matter where they have a disclosable pecuniary interest in any matter to be considered at a meeting. Section 30(3) of the Localism Act 2011 further provides that any relevant pecuniary interests of a councillor’s spouse or partner are considered as a disclosable pecuniary interest of the councillor. Government has published guidance on disclosable pecuniary interests available.

It is a criminal offence to fail to declare pecuniary interests, which acts as a strong deterrent against corruption.

Every principal council has a Monitoring Officer, whose statutory role is to report on matters that they believe are, or likely to be, illegal or amount to maladministration.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
24283
Session
2023-24
Grouped for answer
Yes
Transferred
Yes
Subjects
Criminal proceedings Local government Bribery
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk