Obligations to keep minutes of meetings

Question

Hi

I would be most grateful if anyone could advise me of any relevant statutory obligations for the keeping of minutes of meetings held by a parish council.

Many thanks

Sam

Answer 1

Minutes of meetings are a public record and should be kept for eternity.

Comments

Many thanks ParishCouncillor.

Answer 2

They should certainly be kept for some considerable time. It is the signed hard copy that is the only lawful and authentic record. If you have older paper records and nowhere to store them, principal authorities can often provide archive facilities, usually at no cost.

It's usually not a problem to let the computer record accumulate, as storage space gets ever cheaper.

The relevant statute is the good old Local Government Act 1972, Schedule 12, para 41(1). But it doesn't give a direct answer to the question of how long minutes should be kept.

Comments

Many thanks counterpoint for your explicit response.

Answer 3

Minutes should be kept "forever" as they are a legal record of meetings however it would possibly be good practice to keep a paper record archived and a digital copy recorded for ease of access.

Comments

Many thanks CG.