The Richmond and Wandsworth Joint Staffing Committee met to discuss the appointment of a new Chief Executive for Richmond and Wandsworth Councils. Because the meeting was held in private, the reports pack does not contain much information about what was scheduled to be discussed, however, the agenda indicates that the committee was scheduled to consider a report about the appointment from the Executive Director of Change and Innovation.

Appointment of the Chief Executive

A report, number 24-373, on the proposed appointment of the Chief Executive was scheduled to be discussed. The agenda indicates that the report was provided to attendees at the meeting, but it was not included in the public reports pack. The agenda also says that the committee was scheduled to discuss whether to exclude the press and public from the meeting during the discussion of the report:

“That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, members of the public and the press be excluded from the meeting whilst the following items are being considered, because it is likely that exempt information as described in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act would be disclosed to them if they were present; and it is considered that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.”

The agenda goes on to say:

[Note: In the circumstances of this case, matters which are considered relevant to maintaining the exemption in the public interest include: the information is personal and it relates to an identifiable individual; disclosure of the information would inhibit (a) the free and frank provision of advice or (b) the free and frank exchange of views for the purposes of deliberation.]