Virtual Meetings March 23rd – June 23rd 2020

2.a. Since March 23, 2020, have you held any virtual meetings of the full council?

No

b. If the answer to a) is Yes, please state on what date the first meeting took place?
c. If the answer to a) is Yes, please state how many such meetings took place in total between March 23 and June 23.

3.Since March 23 2020, has the council made it possible for the public to participate in council meetings virtually? If Yes, please give a brief description.

Yes – Members of the press and public are sent an invite to join the meeting remotely. A meetings protocol has been written with a full section on public participation. We have made clear that all the mechanisms where the public can speak at meetings still stands https://www.devon.gov.uk/democracy/guide/public-participation-at-committee-meetings/part-1-can-i-attend-a-meeting/ so speaking and / or asking formal questions and / or making representations at various Committee in line with the scheme.

Members of the public can also just listen to or observe the proceedings of a committee. We have had some do this and the press regularly join virtual Cabinet and Scrutiny meetings.

Officers at the meeting can hear them and if they have video capability on their laptop / device, then they turn this on so the Committee can see them.  

For those with no access to the internet, the Democratic Services Officer can dial the member of the public into the meeting using either a mobile or landline phone number.  In the absence of access to a PC, Mobile or landline, Members of the public can participate in those meetings where they would have made verbal representations by submitting their representation in writing. Those submissions, petitions or questions can then be read out by the Chair or the Democratic Services Officer.  

The meeting is also recorded and uploaded to the website so it can viewed shortly after the meeting.