Today is taken up with training for the newbies and those of us who feel we need a refresher. The morning session is a presentation from the District Solicitor (Kathryn Saward) which looks at meeting procedures and the outward manifestations of probity – particularly the need to declare interests.

I am mentor to one of the newbies and I have twoothers intent on keeping me company on the Overview & Scrutiny (Stewardship) Committee. So I have an interest in overseeing the presentations made to them – at a minimum I need to be up to date with developments in the key areas of probity and disclosure. The question to be asked is what to do with allegations of corruption. One has come my way – but as it focuses on meals in
a pub where you can get lunch or dinner for under ten pounds and then on good days where you can buy one and get one free – I am not taking this part of the allegation too seriously. On the other hand I am keeping a watching brief on where the underlying issues might go.

The afternoon is spent on I.T. training. Again the reasons are the same as for the morning except that I am to be a member of the Information Management & Technology Group. The training is quite basic. On a previous occasion I observed someone using the carriage return key! My
contribution to the day was to show everyone how to claim their expenses – particularly mileage and also to give everyone a glimpse of the GIS mapping tools we pay for.