To ask the Minister for Communities (i) to detail the reasons behind obliging councillors to attend meetings in person; (ii) whether there are mitigating circumstances in which councillors may still attend remotely; and (iii) to detail the remote working policy in the Department for Communities.

The flexibility for councillors to attend meetings remotely was introduced using enabling powers in section 78 of the Coronavirus Act 2020. This was intended as emergency legislation, and I do not believe there is justification in prolonging provisions made under the Coronavirus Act. The decision not to extend provisions of the Coronavirus Act means that remote attendance at council meetings has temporarily ceased, however, I am committed to bringing forward regulations under the Local Government (Meetings and Performance) Act 2021, within as short a timeframe as possible, to provide councils with the flexibility to hold meetings by remote or hybrid means.

There are no mitigating circumstances which would currently allow councillors to attend remotely. It will require new legislation to reintroduce arrangements for hybrid/remote meetings.

The Department for Communities follows the NICS Hybrid Working Policy, a copy of which can be found here https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/dfp/NICS%20Hybrid%20Working%20Policy%20-%20MASTER%20clean%20v1.3%20Oct22%20with%20links.pdf