Andy Sawford – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Sawford on 2014-03-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what progress he has made on measures to allow town and parish councils to send agendas electronically.

Brandon Lewis

Schedule 12 of the Local Government Act 1972 requires local authorities (both principal and parish councils) to send summonses to attend meetings by post. Reflecting the take-up of digital communications, Ministers are minded to issue an Order under Section 8 of the Electronic Communications Act 2000 to facilitate this being done electronically; although we do believe that councillors should continue to have a right to receive communications in hard copy by post should they wish, and that this should be reflected in any legislative change.

We will be undertaking an informal sounding shortly on the wording of any draft Order with key partners, including the Local Government Association and the National Association of Local Councils.