It’s up to them
Local Authorities Minister
With Carmarthenshire County Council continuing to show the rest of Wales how to avoid scrutiny and stifle the democratic process, I received a response from my regional AM concerning filming at council meetings. Ok it wasn’t a response from my AM as such, rather it was a relaying of the Local Authorities Minister’s view. Here’s Carl Sargeant reply.
It would seem that the minister thinks that filming without prior consent shouldn’t be allowed; fair enough say you, however this is just licence for controlling chief executives, mayors and chairpersons to avoid transparency which suppresses local democracy. The minister also explains that he disagrees with filming people without their knowledge and permission, again fair enough; however, councillors are public representatives and are acting publicly in council meetings, so should be ready for people to film them while debating and voting on matters that will affect their constituents.
However, I contacted the AM regarding her view on the principle of filming should be allowed in council meetings. However, the principle isn’t expressly discussed in the reply, but the minister does outline that the Welsh Government does support councils’ engagement with the public. The minister has not, as of yet, set out guidelines for councils on this issue as shown in my recent FOI request, he does encourage councils to make the maximum effort in engaging the public in their proceedings. However without guidelines councils won’t do anything they don’t have to. This is all ambiguous stuff, with the minister relying on good will, and as we have seen, some councils are short of that.
It was good to see that the minister commends Carmarthenshire’s plans to webcast proceedings, and that it is an example to other councils. However a similar idea (Carmarthen TV) has been mooted for a while and as of yet is still to be seen. I suppose time will tell.
Carmarthenshire take their sweet time.
Well, it’s not a huge surprise that Carmarthenshire County Council has failed to comply with the Freedom of Information and provide information they hold on tweeting, filming and blogging at their meetings. Remember this was the council that had @caebrwyn arrested for filming at their meeting. I’m glad that an internal review to this delay is being held and *should* be responded t by the 9th of August! Hmm… we’ll see.
By the way I will have a map of council’s attitudes to filming at meetings up and running over the next few weeks.
Swansea, filming, photography and councillors’ privacy
Tonight I received a reply from Swansea council regarding filming and photography at council meetings. It would seem that a councillor has already fallen foul of their policy of taking photographs at meetings, where he was forced to remove photos he had taken down from his Facebook page.
This isn’t something unusual with our local authorities. Neither is the standing order requiring permission form the chairperson to take photographs or film at council meetings. However, after asking, and gaining permission to take photographsother Swansea councillors objected to this claiming that it would be an invasion of their PRIVACY!!!
Below is the relevant part from the minutes of the meeting where this was discussed (31/3/11)
201. PHOTOGRAPHY AT A COUNCIL MEETING
The Leader of the Main Opposition Political Group stated that Councillor R Speht had breached Council protocol and had taken photographs at a Council meeting and had published them onto his Facebook account. He asked Councillor R Speht to remove the images and to apologise for his actions.
Councillor R Speht stated that the images had now been removed and offered a full apology to Council for his actions. He also sought permission from the Chair of Council for him to be allowed to take photographs at this Council Meeting.
The Chair of Council allowed the request.
(Note: A large number of Councillors objected to this and stated that they wished to maintain their right to privacy and that no image taken by Councillor R Speht should be published without those Councillors in the picture giving their consent.)
Surely standing, and getting elected isn’t the best idea if you want to protect your own privacy! These people claim public money in expenses and yet are quite content in blocking transparency in their meetings!
Plaid Cymru councillors to challenge filming rule
@caebrwyn @Plaid_Cymru in Wrecsam will seek to revoke Standing Order 44 which prohibits recording of council meetins without chair's consent—
Arfon Jones (@ArfonJ) June 21, 2011
I’m glad to hear that there are some movement out there on the issue of filming at council meetings. It would seem that Plaid Cymru councillors in Wrexham will seek to scrap Standing Order 45 (page 4-18), which prohibits council meetings without the chair’s permission.
Here’s what the standing order says,
“45 *PHOTOGRAPHS AND RECORDING AT MEETINGS
Proceedings at meetings may not be photographed, videoed, sound recorded or transmitted in any way outside the meeting without prior permission of the Chair. Failure to comply with this Standing Order may invoke Standing Orders 14 and 15 relating to Disorderly Conduct and Disturbance by members of the public.”
This is something Rhondda Cynon Taff should consider doing also.
Rhondda Cynon Taff, says maybe if you ask
After submitting nineteen FOI requests to Welsh councils, I have heard back form one. Rhondda Cynon Taff have recently amended their constitution (20.1) to include the following rule on filming and taking photographs at their council meetings:
“Proceedings at meetings may not be photographed, videoed, sound recorded or transmitted in anyway outside the meeting without prior permission of the Mayor. Failure to comply with this rule may invoke Rule 19.4 (Members to leave meeting) and 20.1 (Removal of members of the public).”
So what would happen to you under rule 20.1? Well the following…
“If a member of the public interrupts proceedings, the Mayor will warn the person concerned. If they continue to interrupt, the Mayor will order their removal from the meeting room.”
It is unclear how holding a phone (or any recording equipment) up in the public gallery could “interrupt proceedings”. It is also unclear on what criteria the mayor will allow or disallow filming at council meetings. I have replied to the council to clarify this point, and I am currently awaiting a reply.
