6.6.5 Confidentiality

 

  1. One of the foundations of local government is openness and transparency. As a general principle all local board elected members are entitled to have access to all information, for which there is good reason to have such access [1]. This access enables local board elected members to properly discharge their duties.

  2. Some information needs to be kept confidential, where good reason exists under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA).

  3. While most decisions of a local board are taken in public, there are some reasons under LGOIMA which allow the public to be excluded from part of a meeting to enable a confidential item to be discussed.

  4. Under their Code of Conduct all local board elected members are expected to not disclose confidential information (whether or not it is subject to a resolution to exclude the public at a formal board meeting). Failure to observe this requirement may expose the council to litigation. It may also inhibit the information flows and undermine confidence in the council.

 

 

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