Democracy - Committees
What Happens when there is a Confidential Item?
Very few matters are discussed in private, but sometimes it is necessary to exclude the public and press from a meeting. This is usually for legal, commercial or financial confidentiality reasons.
If there are items which need to be discussed in private session, the Committee has the right to vote to exclude the public and members of the press from the meeting. For this reason, these items are usually placed at the end of the agenda.
The reasons for excluding the press and public are laid down by law and the public must be advised of the reasons for their exclusion. The Council has a policy of encouraging openness and, even when items are discussed in private session, the Committee may decide to make its decision public later.
In any event, the Minutes of the meeting will contain a summary of the confidential item and record the decision taken.