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

Additional rights of access to documents for members of overview and scrutiny committees

29.—(1) Subject to paragraph (3), a member of an overview and scrutiny committee of a relevant council is entitled to a copy of any document which—

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

(b) contains material relating to–

(i) any business that has been transacted at a meeting of a decision-making body of that council; or

(ii) any decision that has been made by an officer of the council in accordance with executive arrangements.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), where a member of a relevant overview and scrutiny committee requests a document which falls within paragraph (1), the executive must provide that document as soon as reasonably practicable and, in any case, no later than 10 days after the executive receives the request.

(3) No member of a relevant overview and scrutiny committee is entitled to a copy of any such document or part of a document as contains exempt or confidential information unless that information is relevant to —

(a) an action or decision that that member is reviewing or scrutinising; or

(b) any review contained in any programme of work of the relevant overview and scrutiny committee or sub-committee of that committee.

(4) Where the executive determines that a member of an overview and scrutiny committee is not entitled to a copy of a document or part of any such document for a reason set out in paragraph (1) or (3), it must provide the relevant overview and scrutiny committee with a written statement setting out its reasons for that decision.