Cambridgeshire Tories say no to open meetings

11.44.29am BST (GMT +0100) Sun 28th Jun 2009

At the Cambridgeshire County Council meeting this week the ruling Conservative Group voted against a Lib Dem motion to open up Policy Development Groups (PDGs) to the press and public. The Labour group also voted against the motion.

PDGs are Council committees which meet to discuss the Council's developing policies. They are cross party and chaired by Cabinet Members. Although their agendas are published they meet in private. This is contrary to the practice in most other councils where such meetings are open and input from third parties is encouraged.

Councillor Sebastian Kindersley who proposed the motion said: 'the public mood is for more openness and even David Cameron has called for the 'near-total transparency of the political and governing elite. He has said that this is important so that 'people can see what's being done in their name'.

'People worry that if PDGs were to meet in public they would not be able to discuss sensitive issues but this is nonsense. There is ample provision in our constitution to close meetings should this be necessary.'

Councillor Michael Williamson who spoke in support of the motion said: 'scrutiny committees already meet in public; this model works well and Cambridgeshire is recognised as a model of good practice. The worry that public PDGs would not work as well and somehow result in councillors 'playing to the gallery' is unfounded and making them public is a logical development in favour of more open government in Cambridgeshire.'