F1Part IIIA Access to Meetings and Documents of Local Authorities, Committees and Sub-Committees

50F Additional rights of access to documents for members of local authorities.

(1)

Any document which is in the possession or under the control of a local authority and contains material which relates to any business to be transacted or proceedings at a meeting of—

(a)

the authority or of a committee or sub-committee of the authority; F2or

(b)

a statutory committee appointed by the authority, or any sub-committee of that committee, F3; or

F3(c)

a relevant body, any member of which was appointed by the authority, or of a committee or sub-committee of such a body

shall, subject to subsection (2) below, be open to inspection by any member of the authority and, in the case of a committee F4, sub-committee or relevant body, by any other member of the committee F4, sub-committee or relevant body.

(2)

Where it appears to the proper officer that a document discloses exempt information of a description for the time being falling within any of paragraphs 1 to 5, 7, 9, 11, 12 and 14 of Part I of Schedule 7A to this Act, subsection (1) above does not require the document to be open to inspection.

(3)

The Secretary of State may by order amend subsection (2) above—

(a)

by adding to the descriptions of exempt information to which that subsection refers for the time being; or

(b)

by removing any description of exempt information to which it refers for the time being.

(4)

Any statutory instrument containing an order under subsection (3) above shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

(5)

The rights conferred by this section on a member of a local authority are in addition to any other rights he may have apart from this section.