Access To Meetings Flashcards
What should be the first place you look to get info on local authority?
The website, which has a wealth of useful info
Should be familiar with it and know how to find it
What is a council consitution?
Under the Local Governemnt Act 2000 - each local authority must publish it
Just has everything you need to know about the local authority
What type of things are in council constitutions?
Councillor allowances
Rights of the public to access committies, sub Comiteesa and cabinet/exec meetings
Names and addresses of everyone involved in comittiees and sub comitiiees
Register of member intrest
Council standing orders - system of rules governing day to day conduct of council business
Council code of conduct - list of dos and donts for councillors
Who is the system overseen by?
A Monitoring officer and often a standards Comitee
What can people do as a last resort?
Lodge a complaint with the commission for local administration in England (more commonly known as Local Govenrment Ombudsman)
They investigate allegations of maladministration
LGO publish reports and annual reviews on its website
What does it say under the Local Governmnent Act 1985?
The public have a right to attend all meetings of full council, committies and sub committies operating under the old style committiee and full council system
What are the exemptions to the public attending meetings?
Exempt - personal or commercially sensitive information - for example commercial contracts
Confidential - information supplied by government departments, or matters disclosure of which is prohibited by the courts, for example issues of national security or anti-terror laws
What were the agendas divided into?
Two agendas
Part one - dealt with business open to public and press.
Part two - dealt with confidential and exempt items
What had to be taken among councillors to exclude press and public before part 2
A vote among them before the meeting began
What did the 2011 Localism act give and jounos right to attend?
Cabinet meetings
Full council meetings
Committee meetings
Sub committee meetings
Scrutiny and overview meetings
Press/public can still be excluded from part 2 in this act
How can cabinets meet in private to discuss part 2s
If the presence of public is “likely to result in the council breaching a legal obligation to third parties about keeping confidential information”
Or
Exclude public to maintain orderly conduct or prevent misbehaviour in the meeting
What act allows press and public to blog, tweet, film and audio record meetings that are open to the public?
The Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014
What can councils ask of filming?
That it doesn’t interfere with the good conduct of the meeting and attendees should be told as a matter of courtesy that filming is happening.
What are reporters advised to do before filming?
Liaise with council officers before meeting
What can council ask when someone is filming?
What facilities it is providing to citizen journalists
