Lib Dems Lone Voice For Councillor Attendance Information

12.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 15th Jun 2007

North Yorkshire Conservative and Labour councillors joined forces yesteray to scupper Liberal Democrat attempts to give the public full information on councillors' attendance.

Lib Dem Councillor John Marshall (Harrogate Central), is concerned that under current procedures it is possible for councillors to be recorded as having attended meetings of the County Council, even if they were only present for a few minutes.

However, Tory and Labour members of the North Yorkshire County Council's Standards Committee threw out a proposal to record the exact times that councillors were present at meetings.

Cty Cllr John Marshall said " It is totally unacceptable that members are able to walk into meetings late, leave early, and be seen to have been present for the whole meeting. Councillors are there to represent their electors, and the electors have a right to know if they are doing a proper job."

" I was trying to introduce into our council a system that already works in Harrogate and Craven councils, and neighbouring councils such as Cumbria and Newcastle."