Agenda and minutes

None.

The LBBD Monitoring Officer opened the meeting and advised that this is a joint hearing following a complaint made against Mr Richard Barnbrook, who is a Greater London Assembly Member as well as a Councillor of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.

Jennifer Spearman was appointed Chair of the LBBD Hearing Sub-Committee.

Claer Lloyd-Jones was appointed Chair of the GLA Hearing Sub-Committee and Presiding Chair of the meeting.

None.

The Members’ Code of Conduct of the GLA and the LBBD were noted.

The Procedure for Dealing with Local Hearings of the GLA and the LBBD were noted.

The Presiding Chair noted that neither the subject member nor his legal representative were present and requested officers to provide an update to the meeting.

The Presiding Chair noted that:

1.  at an earlier stage the subject member had been asked to provide witness statements but that he has failed to respond and, as such, the Sub-Committees did not have his case before them;

2.  up until 20 July the subject member had indicated he would be attending the hearing; and

3.  just prior to the commencement of the hearing, a medical certificate had been received from the subject member, indicating that he would be unfit to work for two weeks.

At 10.49 am the Sub-Committees agreed to adjourn to consider whether or not it would be fair to proceed with the hearing in the absence of the subject member.

The Sub-Committees reconvened at 11.08 am and agreed that:

1.  it would be unfair to proceed with the hearing in the absence of the subject member;

2.  the reconvened hearing take place on either 12 August or 4 September 2009,

3.  officers to confirm the agreed date to the Sub-Committees within 48 hours.

The Presiding Chair requested that officers renew their efforts to ascertain:

A.  points of contention the subject member has with the evidence already to hand; and

B.  what evidence the subject member may wish to bring to the reconvened hearing.