Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to amend the requirement in the Local Government Act 1972 for a member of a local authority to attend at least one meeting of that authority every six months, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Government has no plans to amend the attendance requirements.

The Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020 enable all local authority meetings to be held remotely. Remote attendance by members of a local authority counts for the purposes of the six- month rule on attendance.

As the country responds to the Covid-19 emergency, it is vital that local authorities can continue to function effectively, dealing with essential business in line with democratic principles whilst protecting the health and safety of their members, officers and the public.