Suspend restrictions that prevent Council meetings using videoconferencing.

Rejected 14 signatures

What the petition asks

The 1972 Local Government Act does not allow councils and other local authorities to meet using videoconferencing, although this is the subject of a recent Government consultation. We urgently ask the Government to put temporary measures in place to allow councils to meet during the COVID-19 crisis.

Parish, Town, District and County Councils (together with other local authorities) are currently unable to meet in person because of Government guidance on public meetings put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At this time of crisis, where the communities that we represent need us the most we need the Government to put temporary measures in place that allow Councils to meet using telephone and videoconferencing during the remainder of the pandemic.

Why it was rejected

The UK Government or Parliament was already taking the action it asked for.

Since you started your petition the Government has handed local authorities in England new powers to hold public meetings virtually by using video or telephone conferencing technology from 4 April 2020: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/councils-given-new-powers-to-hold-public-meetings-remotely

You can find out more about coronavirus and how you can protect yourself and others here:

NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
UK Government website: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

You can read NHS tips to help if you are worried about coronavirus here: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-anxiety-tips

Timeline

17 Mar 2020	Petition opened for signatures
6 Apr 2020	Rejected by the Petitions Committee

Key facts

Signatures 14

Status Rejected

Rejected 6 Apr 2020

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