The Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020

Public and press access

16.—(1) The Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012(1) has effect as set out in the following paragraphs.

(2) Regulation 2 (interpretation) has effect as if after the definition of “newspaper”, there were inserted—

““open to the public” includes access through remote means including (but not limited to) video conferencing, live webcast, and live interactive streaming and where a meeting is accessible to the public through such remote means the meeting is open to the public whether or not members of the public are able to attend the meeting in person;”.

(3) Regulation 3 (meetings of local authority executives and their committees to be held in public), has effect as if after “held in public”, there were inserted “or open to the public”.

(4) The provisions to which this paragraph applies may be complied with by publishing that notice, agenda, report, or document on that authority’s website.

(5) The provisions to which paragraph (4) applies are—

(a) regulation 5(2) (procedures prior to private meetings);

(b) regulation 5(4);

(c) regulation 5(7);

(d) regulation 6(1) (procedures prior to public meetings);

(e) regulation 7(1) (access to agenda and connected reports for public meetings);

(f) regulation 9(2) (publicity in connection with key decisions);

(g) regulation 10(1)(b) (general exception);

(h) regulation 10(3);

(i) regulation 11(2) (cases of special urgency);

(j) regulation 14(1) (inspection of documents following executive decisions); and

(k) regulation 15 (inspection of background papers).

(6) The following provisions are disapplied—

(a) regulation 14(2);

(b) regulation 21(1)(c) (inspection and supply of documents); and

(c) regulation 21(2).

(1)

S.I. 2012/2089.