Legislation – The Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020

Part VA of the 1972 Act23(access to meetings and documents of certain authorities, committees and sub-committees) applies as if, after section 100K (interpretation and application of Part VA) there were inserted—

“100L.

Supplemental provision on public access to meetings and documents

In this Part references (however expressed) to—

(a)

a meeting being “open to the public” include access through remote means including (but not limited to) video conferencing, live webcast, and live interactive streaming and where a meeting is accessible to the public through such remote means the meeting is open to the public whether or not members of the public are able to attend the meeting in person;

(b)

being “present” at a meeting include access through remote means mentioned in paragraph (a) above;

(c)

a document being “open to inspection” includes being published on the website of the council;

(d)

the publication, posting or making available of a document at offices of the council include publication on the website of the council.”.