5.—(1) A decision made by a decision-making body to hold a meeting in private is a prescribed decision for the purpose of section 9GA(5) of the 2000 Act (regulations requiring prescribed information about prescribed decisions).
(2) At least 28 clear days before a private meeting, the decision-making body must—
(a)make available at the offices of the relevant local authority a notice of its intention to hold the meeting in private; and
(b)publish that notice on the relevant local authority’s website, if it has one.
(3) A notice under paragraph (2) must include a statement of the reasons for the meeting to be held in private.
(4) At least five clear days before a private meeting, the decision-making body must—
(a)make available at the offices of the relevant local authority a further notice of its intention to hold the meeting in private; and
(b)publish that notice on the relevant local authority’s website, if it has one.
(5) A notice under paragraph (4) must include—
(a)a statement of the reasons for the meeting to be held in private;
(b)details of any representations received by the decision-making body about why the meeting should be open to the public; and
(c)a statement of its response to any such representations.
(6) Where the date by which a meeting must be held makes compliance with this regulation impracticable, the meeting may only be held in private where the decision-making body has obtained agreement from—
(a)the chairman of the relevant overview and scrutiny committee; or
(b)if there is no such person, or if the chairman of the relevant overview and scrutiny committee is unable to act, the chairman of the relevant local authority; or
(c)where there is no chairman of either the relevant overview and scrutiny committee or of the relevant local authority, the vice-chairman of the relevant local authority,
that the meeting is urgent and cannot reasonably be deferred.
(7) As soon as reasonably practicable after the decision-making body has obtained agreement under paragraph (6) to hold a private meeting, it must—
(a)make available at the offices of the relevant local authority a notice setting out the reasons why the meeting is urgent and cannot reasonably be deferred; and
(b)publish that notice on the relevant local authority’s website, if it has one.