▁alleg ations ▁and ▁dec iding ▁whether ▁any ▁action ▁needed ▁to ▁be ▁taken . ▁ ▁Stand ards ▁for ▁England ▁had ▁the ▁power ▁to ▁direct ▁that ▁a ▁standards ▁committee ' s ▁assess ment ▁and ▁review ▁functions ▁be ▁susp ended , ▁and ▁instead ▁undert aken ▁either ▁by ▁Stand ards ▁for ▁England ▁or ▁by ▁another ▁relevant ▁authority . ▁This ▁generally ▁happened ▁only ▁after ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁attempts ▁to ▁improve ▁performance , ▁either ▁before ▁or ▁after ▁notification ▁from ▁Stand ards ▁for ▁England , ▁had ▁failed . ▁ ▁Code ▁of ▁conduct ▁ ▁The ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁Model ▁Code ▁of ▁Con duct ▁was ▁made ▁comp uls ory ▁for ▁all ▁relevant ▁authorities . ▁It ▁was ▁later ▁re vised , ▁after ▁an ▁extensive ▁consult ation ▁process , ▁and ▁a ▁new ▁Model ▁Code ▁came ▁into ▁force ▁on ▁ 3 ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁ ▁Re vis ions ▁included ▁a ▁relax ing ▁of ▁the ▁definition ▁of ▁" person al ▁interest " ▁and ▁an ▁extension ▁of ▁the ▁right ▁of ▁members ▁of ▁authorities ▁to ▁speak ▁in ▁relation ▁to ▁matters ▁in ▁which ▁they ▁had ▁a ▁pre jud icial ▁interest . ▁ ▁Where ▁members ▁had ▁a ▁pre jud icial ▁interest ▁in ▁a ▁matter , ▁they ▁were ▁given ▁the ▁same ▁rights ▁as ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁public ▁to ▁speak ▁at ▁meet ings ▁where ▁that ▁matter ▁was ▁being ▁discussed , ▁but ▁were ▁not ▁allowed ▁to ▁vote . ▁A ▁member ▁was ▁de emed ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁personal ▁interest ▁in ▁a ▁matter ▁only ▁if ▁it ▁affected ▁them ▁to ▁a ▁greater ▁extent ▁than ▁it ▁affected ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁the