Agenda item

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 3rd January, the following motion had been proposed by Councillor McReynolds and seconded by Councillor O’Neill:

“This Council recognises the important role that transparency, accountability and openness play in strengthening the trust of the public in their representatives; notes the important role audio recording of committee meetings since January 2016; acknowledges that the Area Working Groups perform a vital function in allocating sums of money to worthwhile projects across Belfast; that they will have an additional important role with the upcoming local area plans; and, agrees to commence recording of all Area Working Group meetings to demonstrate to the public that resources are being allocated openly, fairly and transparently”

            In accordance with Standing Order 13(f), the Motion had been referred to the Committee for consideration.

            In order to provide some relevant background, the Committee was requested to take account of the following points when considering the Motion.

            At the first Annual Meeting of the Council in April 2015, it had been decided that a traditional Committee style governance system would operate for the duration of the Council Term.  That type of system provided for the establishment of a number of Committees which considered the operation of the Council services and (except where the Council delegated its powers to the Committee as in the Planning and Licensing Committees) make recommendations to the full Council which was, ultimately, the decision-making body.

            The Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014, at Section 47, required the Council, so far as was practicable, to make an audio recording of so much of any Council meeting which was open to the public and required that the audio recording must be available to the public at the Council offices for a period of 6 years from the date of the meeting.  The Council had, for a number of years, gone further than that requirement by providing for a live webcast of the Council meetings through the Council website.

            There was no requirement within the 2014 Act for the proceedings of Committee meetings to be audio recorded.  However, the Council, in September, 2015, had agreed to provide for the audio recording of all of its Standing Committees which took place in the Lavery Room in the City Hall.  That decision had been extended further in December, 2015 to allow for the audio recording of the Planning Committee meetings which routinely took place in the Banqueting Hall in the City Hall.

            Accordingly, the Council had been audio recording its Standing Committee meetings since January, 2016 based upon an operating protocol.

            For a number of years, pre-dating the establishment of the new Council in 2015, the Council, in addition to the establishment of its Standing Committees, had formed a number of Working Groups, the purpose of which was to allow for early deliberation of matters by the political process before reports were submitted for formal consideration by the Standing Committees and ultimately the full Council.  Those Working Groups were not decision-making bodies and could only make recommendations for a Standing Committee to consider.  They were not governed by the rules set out in the 2014 Act and were entirely discretionary.  Therefore, the Council decided itself upon the membership, remit and procedures for these Working Groups.  Accordingly, the reports to be considered by Working Groups were not publicly available in the way in which Committee reports were published, as required under Part 8 of the 2014 Act.  As such, officers could include details in Working Group reports which would, if the same reports were to be presented to a Standing Committee, require to be restricted from public view due to the confidential nature of the information provided.  The Working Groups were a less formal way in which discussions could commence on matters which would, ultimately, come before a Standing Committee for formal approval.

            There were not any technical issues involved in the audio recording of Area Based Working Groups as the equipment used was portable and could be set up for meetings which took place in the Conor Room as easily as for those which took place in the Lavery Room.  There would not be any significant additional expenditure involved should the Committee decide to proceed with the audio recording of those meetings.

            Should the Committee decide to proceed with the audio recording of the Area Based Working Groups then this would be subject to the already established protocol.  Therefore, if those meetings were receiving presentations from any third parties or deputations, then the prior approval of those persons would have to be obtained prior to the audio recording of that part of the meeting for which they were in attendance.  If such approval was not forthcoming, then the audio recording would be paused during that person’s presentation.

Moved by Councillor Long,

Seconded by Councillor Attwood,

      That the Committee agrees to the audio recording of the meetings of the Area Based Working Groups.

            On a vote by show of hands, ten members voted for the proposal and one against and it was declared carried.