EDINBURGH City Council's chief executive has offered a councillor who seriously breached a national code of conduct one month to give his side of the story.
Councillor David Brown was instrumental in securing a council tenancy for the mother of former Lothian Regional Councillor Paul Nolan, allowing her to jump the queue in front of a disabled woman.
Chief executive Tom Aitchison has accepted maladministration occurred and has recommended the council apologises to the disabled tenant.
In a report due before a meeting of the full council on Thursday, Mr Aitchison says Mr Brown should be allowed to submit a written statement by June 25.
He says: ''It is my view that council procedures on this occasion failed to provide an equitable consideration of the applicants seeking transfer to 3 Newcraighall Drive.
''In this regard, the tenant submitting the complaint was clearly disadvantaged, as were others. I believe that it would be appropriate for the council to apologise to the individual concerned.''
He added that the disabled tenant, Mrs Christina McFarquhar, 59, should be assured she will receive ''fair consideration'' for other vacant houses in the Craigmillar area.
As previously reported, the council's principal solicitor, Mr Gavin Anderson, concluded after a two-month inquiry that Mr Brown had committed a clear breach of the Local Government Code of Conduct by failing to declare an interest.
He said: ''I am satisfied that Councillor Brown's actions were seriously ill-judged and inappropriate.''
Dr Ralph Musgrave, the council's monitoring officer, found in a separate report that Mrs Catherine McVey was ninth on the list for the flat before Mr Brown's intervention took her to the top.
Dr Musgrave said: ''It is my view that the process represents maladministration which could have led to injustice.''
He also recommended the lettings and loans sub-committee, which allows councillors to make submissions on behalf of tenants, should be reformed or retained merely as an appeal body. Tenancy allocation should be left in future to the director of housing, he advised.
The Scottish Labour Party has launched an inquiry into the affair.
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