The Local Government (Executive Arrangements) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015

Additional rights of access to documents for members of councils

28.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (5) and (6), any documents which—

(a) are in the possession or under the control of the executive of a council; and

(b) contain material relating to any business to be transacted at a public meeting,

must be available for inspection by any member of the relevant council.

(2) Any documents which are required by paragraph (1) to be available for inspection by any member of the relevant council must be available for such inspection for at least five days before the meeting except that—

(a) where the meeting is convened at shorter notice, such a document must be available for inspection when the meeting is convened; and

(b) where an item is added to the agenda at shorter notice, a document that would be required to be available under paragraph (1) in relation to that item, must be available for inspection when the item is added to the agenda.

(3) Subject to paragraphs (5) and (6), any document which—

(a) is in the possession and control of the executive of the council; and

(b) contains material relating to–

(i) any business transacted at a private meeting; or

(ii) any decision made by an officer in accordance with executive arrangements,

must be available for inspection by any member of the relevant council when the meeting concludes or, where an executive decision is made by an officer, immediately after the decision has been made.

(4) Any document which is required by paragraph (3) to be available for inspection by any member of the relevant council must be available for such inspection, in any event, within 24 hours of the conclusion of the meeting or the decision being made, as the case may be.

(5) Paragraphs (1) and (3) do not require a document to be available for inspection if it appears to the proper officer that it discloses exempt information of a description falling within Part 1 (descriptions of exempt information) of Schedule 6 (access to information: exempt information) to the 2014 Act.

(6) Notwithstanding paragraph (5), paragraphs (1) and (3) require the documents to be available for inspection if the information is information of a description for the time being falling within—

(a) paragraph 3 of Schedule 6 to the 2014 Act (access to information: exempt information) (except to the extent that the information relates to any terms proposed or to be proposed by or to the council in the course of negotiations for a contract); or

(b) paragraph 6 of Schedule 6 to the 2014 Act.

(7) The rights conferred by paragraphs (1) and (3) are in addition to any other rights that a member of a council may have.