Local Government Act 2000

22 Access to information etc

(1) Meetings of a local authority executive, or a committee of such an executive, are to be open to the public or held in private.

(2) Subject to regulations under subsection (9), it is for a local authority executive to decide which of its meetings, and which of the meetings of any committee of the executive, are to be open to the public and which of those meetings are to be held in private.

(3) A written record must be kept of prescribed decisions made at meetings of local authorities executives, or committees of such executives, which are held in private.

(4) A written record must be kept of prescribed decisions made by individual members of local authority executives.

(5) Written records under subsection (3) or (4) must include reasons for the decisions to which they relate.

(6) Written records under subsections (3) and (4), together with such reports, background papers or other documents as may be prescribed, must be made available to members of the public in accordance with regulations made by the Secretary of State.

(7) Regulations under subsection (6) may make provision for or in connection with preventing the whole or part of any record or document containing prescribed information from being made available to members of the public.

(8) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision—

(a) with respect to the access of the public to meetings of joint committees, or sub-committees of such committees, at which decisions are made in connection with the discharge of functions which are the responsibility of executives (including provision enabling such meetings to be held in private),

(b) for or in connection with requiring written records to be kept of decisions made at meetings which by virtue of paragraph (a) are held in private,

(c) for or in connection with requiring written records falling within paragraph (b) to include reasons,

(d) for or in connection with requiring any such written records to be made available to members of the public,

(e) for or in connection with requiring documents connected with decisions to which any such written records relate to be made available to members of the public.

(9) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision—

(a) as to the circumstances in which meetings mentioned in subsection (2), or particular proceedings at such meetings, must be open to the public,

(b) as to the circumstances in which meetings mentioned in subsection (2), or particular proceedings at such meetings, must be held in private,

(c) with respect to the information which is to be included in written records kept by virtue of this section,

(d) with respect to the reasons which are to be included in any such written records,

(e) with respect to the persons who are to produce, keep or make available any such written records,

(f) for or in connection with requiring any such written records to be made available to members of local authorities or to overview and scrutiny committees or sub-committees,

(g) for or in connection with requiring documents connected with decisions to which any such written records relate to be made available to members of local authorities or to overview and scrutiny committees or sub-committees,

(h) for or in connection with requiring information to be made available by electronic means,

(i) for or in connection with conferring rights on members of the public, members of local authorities or overview and scrutiny committees or sub-committees in relation to records or documents,

(j) for or in connection with the creation of offences in respect of any rights or requirements conferred or imposed by virtue of this section.

(10) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision for or in connection with requiring prescribed information about prescribed decisions made in connection with the discharge of functions which are the responsibility of a local authority executive to be made available to members of the public or members of the authority.

(11) The provision which may be made under subsection (10) includes provision—

(a) requiring prescribed information to be made available in advance of the prescribed decisions mentioned in that subsection,

(b) as to the way or form in which prescribed information is to be made available.

(12) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision which, in relation to meetings of—

(a) local authority executives or committees of such executives, or

(b) joint committees, or sub-committees of such committees, falling within subsection (8)(a),

applies or reproduces (with or without modifications) any provisions of Part VA of the [1972 c. 70.] Local Government Act 1972.

(13) In this section—

• “joint committee” means a joint committee falling within section 101(5)(a) of the [1972 c. 70.] Local Government Act 1972,

• “prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made by the Secretary of State.