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