1 Admission of public to meetings of local authorities and other bodies. E+W+S
(1)Subject to subsection (2) below, any meeting of a . . . F1 body exercising public functions, being [F2a body] to which this Act applies, shall be open to the public.
(2)A body may, by resolution, exclude the public from a meeting (whether during the whole or part of the proceedings) whenever publicity would be prejudicial to the public interest by reason of the confidential nature of the business to be transacted or for other special reasons stated in the resolution and arising from the nature of that business or of the proceedings; and where such a resolution is passed, this Act shall not require the meeting to be open to the public during proceedings to which the resolution applies.
(3)A body may under subsection (2) above treat the need to receive or consider recommendations or advice from sources other than members, committees or sub-committees of the body as a special reason why publicity would be prejudicial to the public interest, without regard to the subject or purport of the recommendations or advice; but the making by this subsection of express provision for that case shall not be taken to restrict the generality of subsection (2) above in relation to other cases (including in particular cases where the report of a committee or sub-committee of the body is of a confidential nature).
(4)Where a meeting of a body is required by this Act to be open to the public during the proceedings or any part of them, the following provisions shall apply, that is to say,—
(a)public notice of the time and place of the meeting shall be given by posting it at the offices of the body (or, if the body has no offices, then in some central and conspicuous place in the area with which it is concerned) three clear days at least before the meeting or, if the meeting is convened at shorter notice, then at the time it is convened;
(b)there shall, on request and on payment of postage or other necessary charge for transmission, be supplied for the benefit of any newspaper a copy of the agenda for the meeting as supplied to members of the body (but excluding, if thought fit, any item during which the meeting is likely not to be open to the public), together with such further statements or particulars, if any, as are necessary to indicate the nature of the items included or, if thought fit in the case of any item, with copies of any reports or other documents supplied to members of the body in connection with the item;
(c)while the meeting is open to the public, the body shall not have power to exclude members of the public from the meeting and duly accredited representatives of newspapers attending for the purpose of reporting the proceedings for those newspapers shall, so far as practicable, be afforded reasonable facilities for taking their report and, unless the meeting is held in premises not belonging to the body or not on the telephone, for telephoning the report at their own expense.
(5)Where a meeting of a body is required by this Act to be open to the public during the proceedings or any part of them, and there is supplied to a member of the public attending the meeting, or in pursuance of paragraph (b) of subsection (4) above there is supplied for the benefit of a newspaper, any such copy of the agenda as is mentioned in that paragraph, with or without further statements or particulars for the purpose of indicating the nature of any item included in the agenda, the publication thereby of any defamatory matter contained in the agenda or in the further statements or particulars shall be privileged, unless the publication is proved to be made with malice.
(6)When a body to which this Act applies resolves itself into committee, the proceedings in committee shall for the purposes of this Act be treated as forming part of the proceedings of the body at the meeting.
(7)Any reference in this section to a newspaper shall apply also to a news agency which systematically carries on the business of selling and supplying reports or information to newspapers, and to any organisation which is systematically engaged in collecting news for sound or television broadcasts [F3or for programme services (within the meaning of the Broadcasting Act 1990) other than sound or television broadcasting services]; but nothing in this section shall require a body to permit the taking of photographs of any proceedings, or the use of any means to enable persons not present to see or hear any proceedings (whether at the time or later), or the making of any oral report on any proceedings as they take place.
(8)The provisions of this section shall be without prejudice to any power of exclusion to suppress or prevent disorderly conduct or other misbehaviour at a meeting.
Textual Amendments
F1 Words repealed by Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 (c. 43, SIF 81:1, 2) , s. 3 , Sch. 2 para. 4(2) , Sch. 3
F2 Words substituted by Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 (c. 43, SIF 81:1, 2) , s. 3 , Sch. 2 para. 4(2)
F3 Words substituted by Broadcasting Act 1990 (c. 42, SIF 96), ss. 4(6), 87(6), 203(1), Sch. 20 para. 5 (Cable and Broadcasting Act 1984 (c. 46, SIF 96), s. 57(1), Sch. 5 para. 9, which inserted new words after “broadcasts”, repealed by Broadcasting Act 1990 (c. 42, SIF 96), ss. 4(6), 87(6), 134, 203(3)(4), Sch. 12 Pt. II para. 1 , Sch. 21, Sch. 22 para. 4, the repeal being in force 1.1.1991 subject to the provisions of art. 3 of S.I. 1990/2347 )
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C1 S. 1 extended (E.W.) by Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) , s. 100(2)(3)
C2 S. 1(2) excluded by Water (Fluoridation) Act 1985 (c. 63, SIF 130) , s. 4(7)
C3 S. 1(2) excluded (E.W.) (1.12.1991) by Water Industry Act 1991 (c. 56, SIF 130) , ss. 89(7) , 91 , 223(2) , Sch. 7 para. 3(2) , (with ss. 82(3), 186(1), 219(3), 222(1), Sch. 14 para. 6)
C4 S. 1(4)(b) amended (E.W.) by Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) , s. 160(2)
C5 S. 1(4)(b) restricted (1.4.2005) by Public Audit (Wales) Act 2004 (c. 23) , s. 24(5) (6) 73 ; S.I. 2005/558 , art. 2 , Sch. 1