The Local Authorities (Coronavirus) (Meetings) (Wales) Regulations 2020

20.—(1) Section 1 of the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 M1 has effect in relation to a meeting of a local authority to which that Act applies (by virtue of any enactment) held before the end of 30 April 2021 as if—

(a) subsection (1) M2 were omitted;

(b) in subsection (2)—

(i) for “A body may, by resolution, exclude the public from a meeting” there were substituted “ Where a meeting is open to the public, a body may, by resolution exclude the public from the meeting ”;

(ii) the words from “and where such a resolution” to the end were omitted;

(c) in subsection (4)—

(i) for the words before paragraph (a) there were substituted “ The following provisions apply in relation to a meeting of a body— ”;

(ii) for paragraphs (a) and (b) there were substituted—

“(a) public notice of the time of the meeting and, if the meeting is to be open to the public, how to access the meeting, must be given by publishing it electronically at least three clear days before the meeting or, if the meeting is convened at shorter notice, then as soon as reasonably practicable;

(b) the agenda for the meeting as supplied to members of the body must also be published electronically in advance of the meeting (but excluding, if thought fit, any relevant item), 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, any reports or other documents supplied to members of the body in connection with the item;”;

(iii) in paragraph (c), the words from “and duly accredited” to the end were omitted;

(d) before subsection (5) there were inserted—

“(4B) In subsection (4), “relevant item” means—

(a) where a meeting or part of a meeting is not likely to be open to the public by virtue of section 1(2), an item that would be considered while the meeting is not open to the public;

(b) where a meeting is not to be open to the public other than by virtue of section 1(2), an item which, in the opinion of the proper officer, would have been likely, had section 1(1) applied, to have been considered while the meeting was not open to the public by virtue of section 1(2).”;

(e) in subsection (5), for the words from the beginning to “publication thereby” there were substituted “ Where a document is published under subsection (4), the publication thereby ”;

(f) subsection (7) were omitted.

(2) Section 100 of the 1972 Act (committee meetings) has effect in relation to a meeting of a local authority to which that section applies (by virtue of any enactment) held before the end of 30 April 2021 as if—

(a) for subsection (1) there were substituted—

“(1) The Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 (“the 1960 Act”) has effect in relation to meetings of committees of local authorities, subject to subsection (2).”;

(b) subsection (3) were omitted.

Commencement Information

I1 Reg. 20 in force at 22.4.2020, see reg. 1(3)

Marginal Citations

M1 1960 c. 67.

M2 Subsection (1) was amended by section 3 of, and Schedule 2 to, the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 (c. 43).