Section 48 and Schedule 18: Powers to act for the protection of public health: Northern Ireland Section 78: Local Authority Meetings
This section provides a power for the Secretary of State (in England), the Welsh Minister and the Northern Ireland Department for Communities to make provision, by regulations, in relation to Local Authority meetings. These can include provisions in relation to the requirement to hold meetings, the requirements on timing and frequency of meetings, the place at which meetings must be held, the way in which people should attend, speak at and vote, and public admission and access to meetings and documents in relation to council meetings.
	This includes the ability to make provision for meetings being held without any or all of the persons being together in the same place, which would enable local authorities to hold meetings remotely.
	Subsection (3) states that the regulations will only refer to meetings held or required to be held before 7th May 2021. This gives Local Authorities the flexibility to carry on with vital business needs.
	In this provision, meetings are defined as meetings of the Authority, a committee or sub-committee of the Authority, an executive of a Local Authority or a committee or sub-committee of an executive. There is a broad definition of Local Authority which includes principal councils, combined authorities, parish councils, and national park authorities.
	The territorial extent and application of the section is England and Wales and Northern Ireland only.