PART 5

Meetings and proceedings

Access to agenda and connected reports
18
1
Copies of the agenda for a CJC meeting and copies of any report for the meeting must—
a
be published by the corporate joint committee—
i
electronically, and
ii
in accordance with paragraphs (3) to (5), and
b
remain accessible electronically to members of the public until the meeting has ended (see regulation 20 for provision about access to documents after a CJC meeting).
2
If a proper officer thinks fit, there may be excluded from the copies of reports published under paragraph (1) the whole of a report which, or any part which, relates only to items during which, in the officer’s opinion, the meeting is likely not to be open to the public.
3
A document required to be published under paragraph (1) must be published at least three clear days before the meeting, or, if the meeting is convened at shorter notice, then at the time it is convened.
4
Where an item is added to the agenda for a CJC meeting in accordance with standing orders, the corporate joint committee must, at the time the item is added, publish—
a
a revised agenda, or
b
an addendum to the agenda,
specifying the additional item.
5
Nothing in paragraphs (3) and (4) requires a document or copies of an agenda, item or report to be published until the document or copies are available to members of the corporate joint committee.
6
An item of business may not be considered at a CJC meeting unless either—
a
paragraph (1) or (4) has been complied with in respect of an agenda containing the item, or
b
by reason of special circumstances, which must be specified in the minutes, the chair of the meeting is of the opinion that the item should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency.
7
Where the whole or part of a report is excluded under paragraph (2)—
a
every copy of the report or of the part must be marked “Not for publication”, and
b
if the proper officer has decided that the public is likely to be excluded from the meeting by virtue of regulation 16(6), there must be stated on every copy of the report or of the part a description, in terms of Schedule 12A to the 1972 Act as applied by regulation 26, of the exempt information by virtue of which the public is likely to be excluded during the item to which the report relates.
8
Where a CJC meeting—
a
is required by regulation 16(2) to be open to the public during the proceedings or part of them, and
b
is not held through remote means only,
the corporate joint committee must make available for the use of members of the public present at the meeting a reasonable number of copies of the agenda and of the reports for the meeting.
9
The corporate joint committee must, on request and on payment of any necessary charge for transmission, supply by electronic means for the benefit of any news media organisations—
a
a copy of the agenda for a CJC meeting and a copy of each of the reports for the meeting,
b
such further statements or particulars, if any, as are necessary to indicate the nature of the items included in the agenda, and
c
if a proper officer thinks fit in the case of any item, copies of any other documents supplied to members of the corporate joint committee in connection with the item.
10
Paragraph (2) applies in relation to copies of reports provided under paragraph (8) or (9) as it applies in relation to copies of reports published under paragraph (1).
Reg. 18 in force at 3.12.2021, see reg. 1(2)