PEOPLE blowing the whistle on wrongdoing within North Yorkshire County Council could soon be guaranteed protection from reprisals or victimisation.

A new set of proposals set to go before senior North Yorkshire councillors would see the council's whistle-blowing policy updated to take account of the 1998 Public Interest Disclosure Act, which provides a defence to disciplinary charges for breach of confidence.

The proposals would also see whistle-blowers given the opportunity to raise concerns and given feedback on any action taken.

Areas a council report says can be raised under the whistle-blowing policy include any unlawful act, corruption or fraud, misuse of council assets, causing damage to the environment or endangering an individual's health and safety.

Mark Stenson, the council's chief internal auditor, says in a report that while rules, regulations, quality standards and procedures are in place to ensure that the "highest standards of conduct and commitment to service are followed, irregularities, wrongdoing or serious failures in standards do sometimes occur".

He says: "The council wants to identify and remove such malpractice in the performance of its services.

"The greatest deterrent to malpractice or wrongdoing is the probability that it will be reported and investigated vigorously, that those responsible will be punished and that the matter will be promptly remedied."

The proposals will be considered by the council's executive committee which will meet on Tuesday, January 7, at 11am.

Meanwhile, the council's independent standards committee has issued its first annual report.

The committee's duties include monitoring the code of conduct and training members about it, and ensuring that members declare any interests they have when making decisions.

James Daglish, chairman of the committee, said: "I think it has been a year of good progress for the standards committee. Members are signed up to the code of conduct and register of interests. Future tasks need to be focused on strengthening public confidence in local democracy."

Updated: 12:26 Monday, December 30, 2002