Why would the Monitoring Officer want to exclude any part of this conversation from the minutes
Transcript taken from YouTube video stream
34:06
Andrew Barry:
It‘s more a general point.
We had a discussion in the group this week about agreeing the minutes and
34:13
it comes up quite regularly in terms of if you’re not at the meeting I can agree it and perhaps you can give me some
34:20
another reminder what the official view is on that, but the conversation moved to if what you’re looking for is
34:26
not in the minutes, then all these meetings are all these
34:26
not in the minutes, then all these meetings are all these minutes videoed the of these particular
34:33
meetings they’re all videoed.
MO:
No, not all of them. This isn’t really a
34:41
discussion for chamber.
Observation
Another example of the Monitoring Officer not wanting to discuss a certain subject in the Full Council arena.
What we have done very clearly in the past is set out the reason why minutes have to come here
34:48
which is so that they get entered into the council’s record and that’s why they are approved here the minutes are sent
Observation
There is no legislation that requires the Full Council to approve the minutes of all meetings of the Council’s committees.
Perhaps the members should ask the MO to provide the wtitten details of such legislation
Observation
Also, the Public Service Ombudsman for Wales has ruled that any matter relating to the format of minutes lies with the members.
34:54
out to all the members of the committee for them to approve before they come
35:00
here to be finally approved and added to the record so they are the minutes as
35:05
have been agreed by the members of the Committees.
Observation
Minutes of all Council meetings, once approved, ARE the formal record of the Council.
There is no requirement to resolve that they be entered in the formal record.
AB:
The question was if
35:11
you refer to the in this world of IT if you refer to the video the videos are
35:17
sometimes edited and if we’re using that as a replacement for minutes in this
35:24
modern world which you what you’re indicating we’re not no so we don’t rely on video so the initial question that we
35:32
discussed was we get all the questions and none of the answers that are given
Observation
The Farce of recording questions in the minutes of meetings but not the answers to the questions
MO
35:37
that’s right, we have an agreed policy as to how we record in accordance with what the requirements of legislation are for
Observation
Who agreed the policy?
What is the policy?
What are the legislation requirements?
35:45
the minute and that is for there to be a record of the actions that were agreed at the meeting and that is what we
35:52
record in terms of videos, if you say that they’re edited, I’m afraid I can’t
35:58
make any comment about that at all, and I suggest that’s something that we discuss outside of the meeting perhaps with
36:03
Democratic Services I’m not aware of any videos that are that are edited um what
36:09
we do is we record minutes which are a record as we are required to keep and
36:16
they are agreed by being circulated to the members of those committees and then they come here so that they are approved
36:23
and that makes them part of the council’s formal record,
AB
so you saying is it the there is no correlation between
36:29
our constitution to ensure that if you can’t see it in a minute you can look at the videos that’s not a thing
MO
no that’s
36:36
not.
AB
okay thank you
Chair
Shall we take it to the vote then members please uh councillor Gareth Richards are you councilor Gareth Richards are you for
36:49
against or abstaining for thank you and councilor Darren Roberts, are you for
36:55
against or abstaining for thank
37:12
you and that’s carried Mr
37:20
Original post
Special Note from 2:30 : See and hear discussion between Councillor Andrew Barry and Monitoring Officer, Carys Kennedy. For some reason, there is no record of this section of the meeting included in the minutes. Video stream of the meeting of the Full Council held on Wednesday, 8th January 2025. Hyperlink to Draft Minutes of […]
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Merthyr Council Cover-up 
Have you noticed that whenever the process for the approval of the minutes has been raised, the Monitoring Officer always states that the matter can not be discussed in the Council Chamber.
There has to be a way for the matter to be discussed at the Council.
The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales has confirmed to me that any matter relating to the Minutes of Council meetings is for the Council members to decide.
How can they make any determination on the process if the Monitoring Officer will not allow it.
Merthyr Council is the only Council in Wales that does not allow it’s committees to approve minutes of their own meetings.
The Monitoring Officer stipulates that it must be done HER way because that is what the legislation requires.
Perhaps she should be asked to provide a copy of those legislated requirements for the Full Council to consider and discuss.
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