Issue - meetings

That Cabinet:

a)       note the report, with those items considered as no longer exempt by report authors being released into the public domain; and

b)       this annual review report continue to be brought to the Cabinet going forwrard.

The Business Manager – Elections & Democratic Services presented a report which detailed the exempt business considered by the Cabinet for period 11 July 2023 to date. The report set out those reports taken as exempt business and identified which items, in the opinion of report authors, could be released into the public domain.

AGREED      (unanimously) that Cabinet:

a)            note the report, with any items being released into the public domain if considered no longer exempt by report authors; and

b)            the annual review of exempt items continues to be brought to the Cabinet going forward.

Reasons for Decision:

To review previous exempt reports considered by the Cabinet over the previous 12 months and to continue receiving this report in order to release reports into the public domain if appropriate.

Options Considered:

This report reviews previous exempt items of business considered by the Cabinet over the previous 12 months, in order to release any information into the public domain if appropriate.

Ggiven the report only reviews confidential items over the previous 12 months it is limited in scope and an alternative approach to taking this report on an annual basis is to utilise the Freedom of Information regime which enables the public to request reports / information to be released at any time which would then be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

There is also provision under the Access to Information Procedure Rules for Members to request the Monitoring Officer to release exempt information into the public domain if there are substantive reasons to do so (paragraph 1.3 of the report refers).