The Privileges and Procedures Committee want to amend the code of practice on public access to information to make sure that controversial items cannot be put on the secret part of a committee agenda to keep them from public view.And the committee want meeting agendas drafted to allow the maximum possible disclosure of information.At present, only the ‘A’ part of a committee agenda is open to the public, while the ‘B’ part of the agenda remains secret.
This has led to fears that the system is open to abuse, because there is no independent scrutiny of where an item sits on the agenda.Committee vice-president Deputy Jennifer Bridge said: ‘It seems to me that there is a lack of parity in the system whereby some committees are able to develop policy behind closed doors on a ‘B’ agenda, without the scrutiny of the public by the media on their behalf.’
