GRAHAM: MAKE PARK AUTHORITY MEETINGS MORE OPEN  

28^th June 2011  

Speaking in the Senedd this afternoon Shadow Local Government Minister William Graham supported calls to make National Park Authority meetings more open and accountable: 

‘I welcome the resolution confirming that the public are welcome to record the Brecon Beacons’ National Park Authority meetings that is to be presented to the Authority on Friday of this week. With more people than ever wishing to engage on environmental issues this would be a welcome commitment and fits well with the growing public appetite to open access to public proceedings.’ 

The Conservative AM for South Wales East continued: 

‘Having submitted a Statement of Opinion to the National Assembly encouraging the widening access of access to council meetings which has attracted cross party support there is clearly a desire both inside and outside of the Chamber to increase the transparency of public bodies’ meetings wherever possible. The Welsh Government must do more to encouraging openness in Park Authority and Local Authority meetings, such as through internet broadcasting and embracing social media.  Few people wish to see a similar scenario to those embarrassing scenes when police removed a blogger filming a Carmarthenshire Council Meeting last month.’ 

ENDS