FOI Request - Meetings of Council Accessibility
Request 101003692891
1. How many full Council meetings were held in each of the three calendar years of 2022, 2023 and 2024 ?
2. How did the Council ensure that members of the public were aware they could attend and access meetings ?
3. When was this method of inviting the public/raising awareness of the public that they could attend meetings, last reviewed by the Council
4. Each year, how many members of the public asked to attend in-person at the meetings of the Council ?
5. Each year, how many members of the public asked to attend, virtually, meetings of the Council ?
6. Each year, how many members of the public who asked to attend in-person also asked for arrangements to be made so that the meeting experience for them was barrier-free and fully accessible [such as but not limited to - large print papers, BSL signer, electronic notetaker, loop systems etc.] ? Please provide a list of each different form of particular needs identified and those which were met/unmet.
7. Did the Council allocate a budget each year to meet the costs of making full Council meetings accessible to the public ? If so how much for was budgeted for in each of the three years ?
8. What was the actual expenditure by the Council in each year for meeting the particular needs of members of the public in making the meetings they attended fully accessible ?
9. What accessibility arrangements are routinely in place for Council meetings [such as but not limited to loop systems]?
10. When did the Council last conduct an Equality & Diversity Impact Assessment of the accessibility of Board/Council meetings to the general public [including arrangements on how the public are invited to attend]?
Response 27-01-2025
1. This information is published and accessible on the Moray Council website. This information is therefore exempt under section 25 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, information otherwise accessible. For ease of reference please find a link to the web page here: https://moray.cmis.uk.com/moray/CouncilandGovernance/Committees.aspx
2. The calendar of meetings is published for each 5 year term and agendas for each meeting are published online at least 7 days in advance of each meeting. This information is therefore exempt under section 25 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, information otherwise accessible. For ease of reference please find a link to the web page here: https://moray.cmis.uk.com/moray/CouncilandGovernance/Committees.aspx
3. It was reviewed during and after Covid.
4. Not held. Information that is not held falls under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Information not held.
5. Not held. Meetings are webcast and available to members of the public to view without permission being sought. Information that is not held falls under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Information not held.
6. Not held. We are not aware of any such requests. Information that is not held falls under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Information not held.
7. No
8. Not applicable
9. The Council Chambers has a loop system installed. All Council meetings are webcast live and then available for viewing for a year after. The published webcasts from November 2024 have subtitles on them.
10. Not aware of this having been done.