To submit the report of the Cabinet Member for Corporate
Support.
Decision:
To accept
the report for information.
Minutes:
The Cabinet Member for Corporate Support submitted a
report updating the Council, following the approval of arrangements at the
previous Council meeting on 8 July, 2021, to hold Council meetings in order to
address the new requirements in Part 3 of the Local Government and Elections (Wales)
Act 2021.
The Head of Democracy Services elaborated on the
progress of background work noting that, although the original timetable had
slipped slightly, work to upgrade the Dafydd Orwig and Hywel Dda Chambers to hold hybrid meetings in future had now been
completed. He also noted that initial
trials of the technology bode well but minor elements needed further attention.
Members were given an
opportunity to make observations and ask questions.
A number of members referred
to the advantages and disadvantages of a hybrid meeting system.
In terms of the advantages,
it was noted that it would:
·
Reduce costs and travel time to meetings.
·
Reduce carbon emissions.
·
Facilitate the participation of all types of different people, namely
people who work, disabled people, carers etc.
In terms of the
disadvantages, it was noted that:
·
Members saw value in meeting on a face to face basis, and that they
missed the conversation and sharing of experiences that occurred naturally
before and after a meeting.
·
A virtual or hybrid system would change the dynamic of meetings and that
it was not possible to recognise body language etc.
·
Joining a meeting remotely could be a lonely experience.
The following matters were
raised by individual members:
·
The need to spend £130,000 on developing the hybrid system was
questioned. In response, it was
explained that this amount was for the upgrade of 17 committee rooms across the
county, and there was a need to ensure that we had a modern and reliable system
in place. It was also noted that the majority of other councils faced the same
level of costs.
·
As teachers and children were now allowed to go to schools, it was
enquired why councillors were not allowed to go to the Chamber to meet on a
face-to-face basis? In response, it was
explained that Welsh Government guidance was quite clear that we should work
from home if possible, and until that guidance would change, it would not be
possible to hold face-to-face meetings.
·
It was noted that the Senedd and Westminster
Parliament already met in a hybrid manner and the need to move forward with
arrangements in Gwynedd as soon as possible was emphasised. In response, it was explained that Welsh
Government had invested at a very early stage during the period, and that a
large number of officers were working in the background. In terms of the progress of technical work,
Gwynedd was about half way among Welsh councils, but the sooner the trialling
work etc. could be undertaken, the better so that we would be in a position to
act sooner, rather than later, should Government guidance change.
·
Whilst accepting that the current Government guidance was for everyone to
continue to work from home if possible, it was enquired whether we were truly
aiming for a hybrid meeting or a face-to-face meeting of the full Council in
March next year? In response, it was
noted that we had managed to hold virtual meetings effectively for 18 months,
and as the number of Covid cases was increasing in
our areas, there was a responsibility on us, as community leaders, to set an
example until the situation had improved.
·
It was suggested that it would be possible for the majority of meetings
to be hybrid, but the full Council and meetings where confidentiality is
important, such as appointment committees, should be on a face-to-face basis.
·
In response to a question, it was confirmed that changes resulting from
lockdown had enabled Council officers to learn a lot by holding a larger number
of national meetings than ever before, and to have more of an influence than
ever before by holding virtual meetings with the Government etc.
·
It was enquired how
much savings in travel costs had been achieved since the start of the
pandemic. In response, it was confirmed
that 2020-21 travel costs figures had been published on the website, and it was
believed that the saving was close to £40,000.
RESOLVED to accept the report for
information.
Supporting documents: