Health and Personal Social Services Act (Northern Ireland) 2001

Public access to meetings of certain bodies

54.—(1) Sections 23 to 27 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 (c. 9) (which provide for public access to meetings of a district council and for the publication of information concerning such meetings) shall, with the modifications set out in subsection (2) apply in relation to meetings of—

(a) a Health and Social Services Board;

(b) the Agency;

(c) a special agency;

(d) an HSS trust;

(e) a Health and Social Services Council; and

(f) the Northern Ireland Social Care Council,

as they apply in relation to meetings of a district council.

(2) The modifications are—

(a) any reference to a district council shall be read as a reference to a body mentioned in subsection (1); and

(b) any reference to councillors or members of the council shall be read as a reference to members of such a body.

(3) At the end of paragraph 6 of Schedule 4 to the Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 (NI 4) (proceedings of the Mental Health Commission for Northern Ireland) there shall be added—

“(3) Sections 23 to 27 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 (which provide for public access to meetings of a district council and for the publication of information concerning such meetings) shall, with the modifications set out in sub-paragraph (4), apply in relation to meetings of the Commission as they apply in relation to meetings of a district council.

(4) The modifications are—

(a) any reference to a district council shall be read as a reference to the Commission; and

(b) any reference to councillors or members of the council shall be read as a reference to members of the Commission.”.