NEWPORT City Council’s presiding officer has raised concerns about councillors’ attendance of meetings.

Cllr Paul Cockeram said that standards should be set, and party leaders should be asked their absent members.

The presiding officer, who has the responsibility of chairing full council meetings, said: “It’s no good being a councillor, and not attending meetings.”

At the meeting on Tuesday, November 15, Cllr Cockerham, who represents Shaftesbury, said: “If we’re talking about conduct and standards – members should attend meeting, they have got to have a good reason of why they’re not attending meetings.”

Victoria councillor Farzina Hussain agreed with her fellow Labour member, she said: “Councillors need to be responsible, if they can’t [attend] for whatever reason, we should know about it.”

Head of law and standards, Gareth Price said: “Councillors’ attendance record of meetings is not a code of conduct issue – their behaviour at meetings is, but not attendance.”

Mr Price said democratic services does monitor attendance and keeps an active record – if a councillor doesn’t attend any meetings within six months they’re automatically disqualified.

If councillors are unable to attend a meeting they are expected to give their apologies to democratic services in advance.

Cllr Cockeram said it is a “pet hate” of his when members don’t turn up to meetings.

Mr Price said although absences may not look good in terms of representation, it is “a matter between you [voters] and the ballot box”.

Each individual member’s attendance record can be found on the council’s website