▁inhabitants ▁of ▁the ▁local ity . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁Local ism ▁Act ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁and ▁with ▁effect ▁from ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁the ▁stat ut ory ▁Model ▁Code ▁was ▁abol ished , ▁although ▁all ▁local ▁authorities ▁in ▁England ▁were ▁still ▁required ▁to ▁adopt ▁a ▁code ▁of ▁conduct ▁which ▁was ▁consistent ▁with ▁the ▁seven ▁N olan ▁Princi ples ▁of ▁public ▁life ; ▁they ▁were ▁not ▁prevent ed ▁from ▁adopt ing ▁the ▁former ▁code , ▁after ▁its ▁abol ition , ▁on ▁a ▁volunt ary ▁basis . ▁Since ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁authorities ▁have ▁not ▁been ▁required ▁to ▁appoint ▁standards ▁comm itte es , ▁but ▁they ▁retain ▁the ▁power ▁to ▁do ▁so . ▁ ▁Crit ic ism ▁The ▁Stand ards ▁Board ▁for ▁England ▁was ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁repeated ▁criticism ▁by ▁the ▁magazine ▁Private ▁E ye ▁for ▁alleg edly ▁exceed ing ▁its ▁powers , ▁investig ating ▁pre post er ous ▁cases ▁and ▁d eter ring ▁wh ist leb low ers . ▁The ▁Liberal ▁Dem ocrat ▁peer ▁Lord ▁Ty ler ▁raised ▁similar ▁concerns ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁L ords , ▁saying : ▁“ I ▁have ▁seen ▁that ▁happen ▁time ▁and ▁again ▁with ▁large ▁and ▁small ▁authorities ▁– ▁when ▁apparently ▁dis re put able ▁actions ▁of ▁a ▁few ▁leading ▁members ▁or ▁officers ▁of ▁a ▁council ▁have ▁been ▁exposed ▁by ▁a ▁wh ist leb lower , ▁but ▁their ▁reaction ▁has ▁been ▁to ▁seek ▁to ▁silence ▁him ▁or ▁her . ▁ ▁“ Inst ead ▁of ▁wel coming ▁trans par ency ▁and ▁rem ed ial