FOI request (FOI-85344415)

Paragraph 13 of the HBC Officer Code of Conduct states that

"13. Personal/business activities - conflict of interest

(a) The council respects the choice of employees to undertake whatever interests or activities, paid or unpaid, they wish outside their conditioned hours of work. In the vast majority of cases these will have nothing to do with your work for the council. However on occasions there may be a more direct link, for example, if you own or work for a business which contracts with the council. If you have any direct or indirect financial interests in a contract or potential contact, you must make your interest known to your line manager in writing.

(b) If there is a potential conflict of interest it is in everyone's interest to ensure it is fully declared thus helping to protect individuals and the council from accusations of bias or possible accusations of fraud/corruption. If you are in any doubt about whether an interest exists it is best to be as open as possible in declaring in confidence a personal or business interest to your line manager."

Please provide me with the number of council employees who have declared a conflict of interest in the last 5 years.

Regulation 7 of the Accounts and Audit Regulations requires authorities to prepare a Statement of Accounts in accordance with proper practices. These are defined in regulation 31 of the Local Authorities (Capital Finance and Accounting) (England) Regulations 2003 to include practices contained in the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) and the Best Value Accounting Code of Practice.

Disclosure by officers interests in contracts is as follows:

2013/14 - Information not held

2014/15 - Information not held

2015/16 - 2

2016/17 - 2

2017/18 - 2