Appendix 1

Proposed response to Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government Consultation – enabling remoteattendance and proxy voting at local authority meetings

Question 1

In what capacity are you responding to this consultation:

Unitary Authority

 

Question 2

Do you agreewith the broadprinciple of grantinglocal authorities powersto allow remote attendance at formal meetings?

 

Yes/No

 

Question 3

If you answered Yes to the above question, do you think that there should be specific limitations on remote attendance? Please tick all the optionsbelow that correspond with your view and use the free text box for any other comments.

 

a)   Any formalmeeting allowing remote attendance should have at least two thirds of members in physical attendance.

 

b)   Members should only be able to attend council meetings remotely in exceptional circumstances, such as those who are medically or physically unable to attend, or for reasons of local or national emergencies.

 

c)   There shouldbe no limitations placed upon councils with regard to setting arrangements for remoteattendance of councilmeetings, up to and including full remote attendance.ü

 

Free Text:

 

It should be a matter for each local authority to determine the parameters of if and when remote meetings should take place and how they should be run.

 

Whilst there are arguments for and against remote/hybrid meetings, this Council believes that it should be a matter of local choice to reflect the views of the locally democratically elected members to serve their locality.  Councils should be able to determine locally how and when to use hybrid/remote meetings and this choice should not be mandated by Central Government.

 

Question 4 – relatesto responses from individual members

 

           

Question 5

If you are responding to this consultation on behalf of a council as a whole, what proportion of the council's current elected members are likely to seek to attend council meetings remotely over the course of a year?

·      less than 10%

·      more than 10% but less than 50%         ü

·      more than 50% but less than 90% most of them 90% to 100%

 

Question 6

The government recognises that there may be cases in which it is necessary for councils to hold meetingsfully remotely. Do you thinkthere should be limitations placed on the number of fully remote meetings councils should be able to hold?

a)   Councils should be able to allow full remoteattendance at up to half of council meetings within a twelve-month calendar period.  ü

b)  Councils should only have the flexibility to change a meeting from in-person to online, or vice versa, due to unforeseen and exceptional circumstances.

c)   Councils shouldnot have the flexibility to conduct fullyremote meetings to ensure there is always an in-person presence

 

Free Text

 

It is recognised that it is important to hold some meetings in person to ensure democracy is being seen to be implemented locally.  However this Council believes it should be a matter for each local authority to determine which meetings and the frequency of those meetings to be held fully remotely.  This Council values physical presence for the majority of meetings but does not consider Central Government should mandate how physical and remote meetings should be handled.  It was noted during lockdown that having informal remote meetings was extremely helpful and in the future it would be beneficial if those remote meetings could make binding decisions. 

 

Question 7

Do you think there are there any necessary procedural measures that would help to ensure a remote or hybrid attendance policy is workable and efficient?

 

Please tick all the options that correspond with your view and use the free text box for any other comments.

 

a)   Councils should be required to publish a list of attendees joining the meeting remotely and give notice if a meeting is being held with full remote attendance. ü

 

b)   Councils should be required to ensure that standard constitutional arrangements are followedfor hybrid and fully remotemeetings. ü

 

c)   Councils should be required to make arrangements to ensure restricted items (where a council decision is taken in private to protect confidentiality) are managed appropriately and to requireremotely attending membersto join from a private location. ü

Free Text:

 

Whilst model rules should be provided on how to hold meetings, it should be a matter for local determination about how hybrid, remote and physical meetings should be conducted. 

 

Clarity should be provided to state remote attendance at meetings counts as attendance for the six month rule whereby a councillor could be disqualified for not attending.  

 

Question 8

 

Do you think legislative change to allow councillors to attend local authority meetings remotely should or should not be considered for the following reasons?

 

Tick all the statements below that applyto your point of view.

 

Should be considered because

Should not be considered because

It is a positive modernising measure. ü

Councillors should be physically present at all formal meetings.

It would likely increase the diversity of people willing and able to stand for election in their local area, making councils more representative of the communities they serve. ü

It could lead to a significant number of councillors habitually attending remotely and ultimately reduce the effectiveness of councils.

Councils would be more resilient in the event of local or national emergencies which prevent in-person attendance. ü

It would be more difficult for councillors to build personal working relationships with colleagues, and engage with members of the public in attendance at meetings.

 


 

Free Text:

 

Having the flexibility for members to attend remotely would be a very welcome option for this Council which is the geographically largest in the country.  Allowing remote meetings in appropriate circumstances can reduce mileage, travel time, costs and reduce carbon emissions.   This flexibility will need to have the appropriate checks and balances put in place and these should be determined locally.

 

 

 

Question 9

In your view, would allowing councillors to attend formal local authority meetings remotely according to their needs particularly benefit or disadvantage individuals with protected characteristics, for example thosewith disabilities or caring responsibilities?

 

Please tick an option below:

 

·         It would benefit members ü

·         It would disadvantage members

·         Neither

 

Proxy voting

 

Question 10

 

In addition to provisions allowing for remote attendance, do you consider that it would be helpful to introduce proxy voting?

·         yes

·         no       ü

·         unsure

Question 11

If yes, for which of the following reasons which may prohibit a member’s participation in council

meetings do you consider it would be appropriate? Please select all that apply:

·         physical or medical conditions

·         caring responsibilities

·         parental leave or other responsibilities

Free Text:

 

This Council is not in favour of proxy voting as decision-makers should be physically or remotely in attendance at the meeting and hear the arguments made before a decision is taken.  Allowing proxy voting in these circumstances would show a member to have a closed mind in that they would already have determined the way they are going to vote without hearing the arguments being presented on the day.

 

Question 12

Are there circumstances in which you feel proxy voting would not be appropriate?

Yes.

Question 13

If you think proxy voting is appropriate, are there any limitations you think should be placed upon it?

Not applicable.