(1)The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision in relation to the way in which any matters referred to the monitoring officer of a relevant authority under section 60(2) or 64(2) are to be dealt with.
(2)The provision which may be made by regulations under subsection (1) includes provision for or in connection with—
(a)enabling a monitoring officer of a relevant authority to conduct an investigation in respect of any matters referred to him,
(b)enabling a monitoring officer of a relevant authority to make a report, or recommendations, to the standards committee of the authority in respect of any matters referred to him,
(c)enabling a standards committee of a relevant authority to consider any report or recommendations made to it by a monitoring officer of the authority (including provision with respect to the procedure to be followed by the standards committee),
(d)enabling a standards committee of a relevant authority, following its consideration of any such report or recommendations, to take any action prescribed by the regulations (including action against any member or co-opted member (or former member or co-opted member) of the authority who is the subject of any such report or recommendation),
(e)the publicity to be given to any such reports, recommendations or action.
(3)The provision which may be made by virtue of subsection (2)(a) includes provision for or in connection with—
(a)conferring powers on a monitoring officer of a relevant authority to enable him to conduct an investigation in respect of any matters referred to him,
(b)conferring rights (including the right to make representations) on any member or co-opted member (or former member or co-opted member) of a relevant authority who is the subject of any such investigation.
(4)The provision which may be made by virtue of subsection (2)(d) includes provision for or in connection with—
(a)enabling a standards committee of a relevant authority to censure a member or co-opted member (or former member or co-opted member) of the authority,
(b)enabling a standards committee of a relevant authority to suspend or partially suspend a person from being a member or co-opted member of the authority for a limited period,
(c)conferring a right of appeal on a member or co-opted member (or former member or co-opted member) of a relevant authority in respect of any action taken against him.
(5)Nothing in subsection (2), (3) or (4) affects the generality of the power under subsection (1).
(6)An ethical standards officer who refers any matters to the monitoring officer of a relevant authority under section 60(2) or 64(2) may give directions to the monitoring officer as to the way in which those matters are to be dealt with.
Commencement Information
I1S. 66 wholly in force at 28.7.2001; s. 66 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 108; s. 66 in force at 19.12.2000 in relation to England and to police authorities in Wales by S.I. 2000/3335, art. 2; s. 66 in force at 28.7.2001 in so far as not already in force see s. 108(4)-(6)