- de partment al ▁public ▁body ▁spons ored ▁by ▁the ▁Department ▁for ▁Commun ities ▁and ▁Local ▁Government . ▁Est ab lished ▁under ▁the ▁Local ▁Government ▁Act ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁it ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁prom oting ▁high ▁eth ical ▁standards ▁in ▁local ▁government . ▁It ▁o vers aw ▁the ▁nation ally ▁im posed ▁Code ▁of ▁Con duct ▁( also ▁now ▁abandoned ), ▁which ▁covered ▁elected ▁and ▁co - opt ed ▁members ▁across ▁a ▁range ▁of ▁local ▁authorities . ▁The ▁board ▁maintained ▁an ▁independent ▁national ▁over view ▁of ▁local ▁investig ations ▁into ▁alleg ations ▁that ▁members ' ▁conduct ▁might ▁have ▁fallen ▁short ▁of ▁the ▁required ▁standards . ▁In ▁certain ▁cases ▁the ▁board ▁itself ▁investig ated ▁alleg ations . ▁It ▁could ▁not ▁imp ose ▁san ctions ▁on ▁members , ▁but ▁if ▁it ▁considered ▁that ▁further ▁action ▁might ▁be ▁necessary , ▁it ▁referred ▁cases ▁to ▁the ▁Ad jud ic ation ▁P anel ▁for ▁England ▁or ▁to ▁the ▁relevant ▁authority ' s ▁own ▁standards ▁committee ▁for ▁determ ination . ▁Stand ards ▁comm itte es ▁( no ▁longer ▁comp uls ory ▁since ▁ 2 0 1 2 ) ▁could ▁susp end ▁members ▁for ▁up ▁to ▁six ▁months . ▁The ▁Ad jud ic ation ▁P anel ▁could ▁dis qual ify ▁members ▁for ▁up ▁to ▁five ▁years . ▁The ▁Stand ards ▁Board ▁for ▁England ▁also ▁provided ▁advice , ▁and ▁produced ▁formal ▁guidance , ▁to ▁members ▁and ▁officers ▁on ▁the ▁Code ▁of ▁Con duct . ▁ ▁As ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁UK ▁qu ango ▁re