Local Government Act 1972

228 Inspection of documents. E+W

[F1 (A1) A copy of the minutes of proceedings of a community council must, so far as reasonably practicable, be supplied on request to a local government elector for the area of the council; and a reasonable fee may be charged for providing a copy of the minutes.]

(1) The minutes of proceedings of a [F2 parish F3 ... council] shall be open to the inspection of any local government elector for the area of the [F2 the council] and any such local government elector may make a copy of or extract from the minutes.

(2) A local government elector for the area of a local authority may inspect and make a copy of or extract from an order for the payment of money made by the local authority.

(3) The accounts of a local authority and of any proper officer of a local authority shall be open to the inspection of any member of the authority, and any such member may make a copy of or extract from the accounts.

F4 (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(5) Subject to any provisions to the contrary in any other enactment or instrument, a person interested in any document deposited as mentioned in section 225 above may, at all reasonable hours, inspect and make copies thereof or extracts therefrom on payment to the person having custody thereof of the sum of 10p for every such inspection, and of the further sum of 10p for every hour during which such inspection continues after the first hour.

(6) A document directed by [F5 any of subsections (1) to (5) of] this section to be open to inspection shall be so open at all reasonable hours and, except where otherwise expressly provided, without payment.

(7) If a person having the custody of any such document—

(a) obstructs any person entitled to inspect the document or to make a copy thereof or extract therefrom in inspecting the document or making a copy or extract,

(b) refuses to give copies or extracts to any person entitled to obtain copies or extracts,

he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding [F6 level 1 on the standard scale].

[F7 (7A) This section shall apply to the minutes of proceedings and the accounts of a joint authority [F8 , an economic prosperity board, [F9 , a combined authority or a combined county authority]] F10 ... F11 ... F12 ... as if that authority were a local authority and as if, F13 ..., references to a local government elector for the area of the authority were a reference to a local government elector for any local government area in the area for which the authority is established.]

F14 (7B) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(8) This section shall apply to the minutes of proceedings and to the accounts of a parish meeting as if that meeting were a [F15 parish council].

[F16 (9) In relation to the Broads Authority, the references in this section to a local government elector for the area of the authority shall be construed as references to a local government elector for the area of any of the local authorities mentioned in section 1(3)(a) of the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act 1988.]

[F17 (10) Subsections (2) to (7) apply to a corporate joint committee as they apply to a local authority and, in that application, references to a local government elector for the area of the authority are to be read as references to a local government elector for any local government area in the area specified as the corporate joint committee’s area in regulations under Part 5 of the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 establishing the corporate joint committee.]

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 228(A1) inserted (W.) (temp.) by virtue of S.I. 2020/442, reg. 24(a) (with reg. 19) (as inserted (21.7.2020) by virtue of The Local Authorities (Coronavirus) (Meetings) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/653), regs. 1(2), 3)

F2 Words substituted by Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 (c. 43, SIF 81:1, 2), s. 3, Sch. 2 para. 6(2)(a)

F3 Words in s. 228(1) omitted (1.5.2021) by virtue of Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 (asc 1), s. 175(7), Sch. 4 para. 11; S.I. 2021/354, reg. 2(c) (with reg. 3)

F4 S. 228(4) repealed by Local Government Finance Act 1982 (c. 32, SIF 81:1), s. 38(5), Sch. 6 Pt. IV

F5 Words in s. 228(6) inserted (W.) (temp.) by virtue of S.I. 2020/442, reg. 24(c) (with reg. 19) (as inserted (21.7.2020) by virtue of The Local Authorities (Coronavirus) (Meetings) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/653), regs. 1(2), 3)

F6 Words substituted by virtue of Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), ss. 38, 46

F7 S. 228(7A) inserted by Local Government Act 1985 (c. 51, SIF 81:1), s. 84, Sch. 14 para. 24

F8 Words in s. 228(7A) inserted (17.12.2009) by Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 (c. 20), ss. 119, 148(6), Sch. 6 para. 27; S.I. 2009/3318, art. 2(c)

F9 Words in s. 228(7A) substituted (26.12.2023) by Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 (c. 55), s. 255(2)(c), Sch. 4 para. 40 (with s. 247)

F10 Words in s. 228(7A) omitted (16.1.2012) by virtue of Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 (c. 13), s. 157(1), Sch. 16 para. 110(b); S.I. 2011/3019, art. 3, Sch. 1 (with Sch. 2 para. 31)

F11 Words in s. 228(7A) repealed (1.4.2002) by 2001 c. 16, s. 137, Sch. 7 Pt. 5(1); S.I. 2002/344, art. 3(j)(m) (with transitional provisions in art. 4)

F12 Words repealed by Education Reform Act 1988 (c. 40, SIF 41:1), ss. 231(7), 235(6), 237(2), Sch. 13 Pt. I

F13 Words repealed by Education Reform Act 1988 (c. 40, SIF 41:1), ss. 231(7), 235(6), 237(2), Sch. 13 Pt. I

F14 S. 228(7B) omitted (26.5.2015) by virtue of Deregulation Act 2015 (c. 20), s. 115(7), Sch. 13 para. 6(7)(n); S.I. 2015/994, art. 6(g)

F15 Words substituted by Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 (c. 43, SIF 81:1, 2), s. 3, Sch. 2 para. 6(2)(b)

F16 S. 228(9) added by Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act 1988 (c. 4, SIF 81:1), ss. 21, 23(2), 27(2), Sch. 6 para. 10(8)

F17 S. 228(10) inserted (25.3.2022) by The Corporate Joint Committees (General) (Wales) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/372), regs. 1(2), 27

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 228 modified (7.8.1991) by S.I.1991/1773, art.8(2), Sch. 2

S. 228: certain functions transferred (7.8.1991) by S.I. 1991/1773, art. 8, Sch. 2

S. 228 applied (with modifications) (28.6.1995) by 1995 c. iii, s. 26, Sch. 1

S. 228 extended (19.9.1995) by 1995 c. 25, ss. 63(5), 125(2), Sch. 7 para. 17(2)(b)

S. 228 applied (temp. from 4.5.1995 to 31.3.1996) by S.I. 1995/1042, art. 4(1)

S. 228: power to make provisions about matters of the kind dealt with in this section conferred (1.9.1997) by 1997 c. 50, s. 44(1), Sch. 4(a)(xiii); S.I. 1997/1930, art. 2(1)(2)(m)

S. 228 extended (8.5.2000) by 1999 c. 29, s. 75 (with Sch. 12 para. 9(1)); S.I. 2000/801, art. 2(2)(b), Sch. Pt. 2

C2 S. 228 applied (with modifications) (22.7.2004) by The Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (Establishment of Conservation Board) Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/1777), art. 21(2)(c)

S. 228 applied (with modifications) (22.7.2004) by The Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (Establishment of Conservation Board) Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/1778), art. 21(2)(c)

C3 Ss. 224-234 applied (with modifications) (E.) (24.3.2011) by The Hull and Goole Port Health Authority Order 2011 (S.I. 2011/939), arts. 1(1), 7, Sch. 1

C4 Ss. 228-234 applied (with modifications) (22.11.2012) by The Police and Crime Panels (Application of Local Authority Enactments) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/2734), regs. 1(1), 3-6, Sch. Pt. 2

C5 Ss. 228-234 applied (with modifications) (22.11.2012) by The Police and Crime Panels (Application of Local Authority Enactments) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/2734), regs. 1(1), 3-6, Sch. Pt. 3

C6 S. 228(1) applied (1.4.2009) by The Charter Trustees Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/467), regs. 8(5), 9(7)

C7 S. 228(2)(3) amended by S.I. 1989/1815, art. 2, Sch. 1 para. 5(c)

C8 S. 228(7A) amended by S.I. 1985/1884, art. 10, Sch. 3 para. 1(n)

C9 S. 228(7A) modified by S.I. 1987/2110, art. 2(2), Sch. 1 para. 3(n)