Electonically signing the Minutes

Question

Evening All

Our Parish Clerk has formally asked that our parish pays for an electronic signature facility for signing the minutes and other documents off.

As far as I am aware under the LGA and LA and under the COVID-19 legislation the minutes can only be signed in person a the next public meeting where the public are actually in attendance.

Any ideas?

Ta Muchly

Down_Here

Answer 1

I'm not aware of a specific reference to the signing of minutes in the COVID legislation, but Paragraph 41 of Section 12 of the Local Government Act 1972 states that the minutes shall be signed "at the same or next suitable meeting" so there is leeway there to determine that the first face-to-face meeting is the next suitable meeting.

To avoid a backlog, I'm presenting minutes at every virtual meeting for approval, then arranging for them to be signed privately within a couple of days.

Comments

Hi DavetheClerk.  This is very interesting. Do you know if the same legislation to physically sign minutes also applies in Wales? I am the Chair and although all minutes are approved by Council I never been asked to sign them! If it does apply in Wales, presumably that applies to committee minutes as well?
Thanks.

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Yes, there appears to be no contradictory legislation for Wales, so Paragraph 41 applies to Welsh councils and Paragraph 44 extends the same rules to committees and sub-committees.

Answer 2

The prices vary widely from £4 a month to over £20 a month.  I would be asking for 3 Quotes and questioning if it would be money wisely spent.  Couldn't the relevant chairs have the appropriate minutes dropped off and collected from their door steps and video themselves signing the docs?

Answer 3

What's wrong with Royal Mail ! I post my minutes to the Chair to sign and return.