Decision details

39.1     The Committee considered a report by the Director of Law and Assurance on the annual viewing figures for Council/committee meetings webcast during 2022/23 (copy appended to the signed minutes). It was asked to review the one-year trial of webcasting Health and Wellbeing Board meetings and recommend to the County Council that they should continue to be webcast.

39.2     The Head of Democratic Services introduced the report and said that in paragraph 4.1 the text should read ‘In 2022/23 this was exceeded by 10 hours’. She commented that, although the proposal was to continue to webcast Health and Wellbeing Board meetings, there would not be an obligation to webcast meetings if the venue chosen for a particular meeting is not suitable for this.

39.3     The Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing attended the meeting as Chairman of the Health and Wellbeing Board. He commented that he believed that since the pandemic there is a much greater awareness of health and wellbeing and the County Council is a much more of an equal partner with the Health and the voluntary sector. The webcast viewing figures for the Health and Wellbeing Board put it ahead of all the scrutiny committees. This showed there is a real public interest which the Council should capitalise on to improve the public heath agenda.

39.4     Whilst there is a cost to webcasting, members recognised the importance in terms of openness and transparency of the work of the Council which benefitted both residents and staff as well as reducing travel to meetings.

39.5     The Committee supported the continued webcasting of Health and Wellbeing Board meetings and noted that this does not commit the County Council to webcasting in a venue where is it not currently available.

39.6     Resolved –

(1)         That the webcasting viewing figures for 2022/23, as set out at Appendix 1, be noted;

(2)         That the review of the one-year trial of webcasting Health and Wellbeing Board meetings be noted; and

(3)         That the County Council be recommended that Health and Wellbeing Board meetings should be added to the list of meetings where there is a presumption that they will be webcast.