Declaring interest

5. Declaring interest

Whether a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest has been entered onto the Register of Members’ Interests or is the subject of a pending notification or not, you must comply with the disclosure procedures set out.

Where you are present at a meeting and have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest or Other Significant Interest in any matter to be considered, or being considered, at the meeting, you must:

• disclose the interest;
• explain the nature of that interest at the commencement of that consideration or when the interest becomes apparent (subject to sensitive interests); and unless you have been granted a dispensation or are acting under para 5(4);
• not participate in any discussion of, or vote taken on, the matter at the meeting; and
• withdraw from the meeting room in accordance with the Authority’s Procedure Rules whenever it becomes apparent that the business is being considered;
• not seek improperly to influence a decision about that business.

Where you have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest or Other Significant Interest in any business where you are acting alone in the course of discharging a function, you must:

• notify the Monitoring Officer of the interest and its nature as soon as it becomes apparent;
• not take any steps, or any further steps, in relation to the matter except for the purpose of enabling the matter to be dealt with otherwise than by you;
• not seek improperly to influence a decision about the matter.

Where you have an Other Significant Interest in any business, you may attend a meeting but only for the purpose of making representations, answering questions or giving evidence relating to the business, provided that the public are also allowed to attend the Meeting for the same purpose. Having made your representations, given evidence or answered questions you must:

• not participate in any discussion of, or vote taken on, the matter at the Meeting;
• withdraw from the meeting room in accordance with the Authority’s Procedure Rules.