Publication of meeting and agenda items

All papers for the main LEP Board and sub-boards, which involve decisions or recommendations about public money, will be made available on the LEP website.  The LEP is committed to meet the timelines as set out in the National LEP Assurance Framework in accordance with the Local Government Act 1972. These timelines are:

  • Meeting agendas and papers to be published 5 clear working days before the meeting takes place;
  • Minutes of Board meetings to be published within 10 clear working days of the meeting taking place. This may be in draft if internal LEP processes require clearance before the minutes are finalised. The final minutes of Board meetings will be published within 10 clear working days of being ratified at the subsequent Board meeting.

In addition:

Any declaration of interest made at the meeting must be included in the minutes of the Board meeting. A new declaration of interest should be updated on the relevant member’s register of interest.

 

Handling confidential and exempt information

The LEP complies with The Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 when it is aware that it holds confidential information.  This includes:

  • Information provided by a government department on terms which forbid the disclosure of the information to the public;
  • Which disclosure to the public is prohibited by a court; or
  • Where the LEP holds ‘exempt information’ under Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. This includes information relating to an individual, relating to the financial or business affairs of a particular person, negotiations, labour relations, legal professional privilege and in connection to the investigation or prosecution of a crime.

The press and public must be excluded from Board meetings whenever it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that confidential information or exempt information would be disclosed.

In this regard, the LEP utilises a part I (non-confidential) and part II (confidential) approach for Board meetings.  All Part I papers are published on the LEP website 5 clear working days before the meeting takes place, in accordance with the Local Government Act 1972.  Part II papers are only accessible to Board Directors and LEP Executive.