Availability of Information on Processions
13. Various changes to the law, and recommendations in the guidance, were intended to make sure that communities and march organisers could easily access information about processions and the rules and procedures governing them, and contact the local authority. These are summarised below.
- To help improve communication between organisers and local authorities, the guidance recommends the creation of local authority 'single gateways' as a consistent and clear point of contact. (Paragraph 45)
- Your local authority must keep a list of processions that have been held in their area, or which have been prevented, to allow the public to see which processions happen regularly and which are likely to happen in the future. (Paragraphs 35-37 of the guidance and Paragraph 42 of the Working Group Report)
- The guidance recommends that each local authority maintains an opt-in list of organisations and individuals who wish to be kept informed of processions to be held in their area. (Paragraphs 51-54)
- The guidance recommends that each local authority puts together a 'how to' guide for procession organisers to help them with planning and arranging events in their area. (Paragraph 41)
It also recommends that voluntary codes of conduct be created or adopted between local authorities, police, and organisers of processions, to ensure that everyone knows what is to be expected of the march. (Paragraphs 43-44)
14. The local authority or authorities with which you or your organisation regularly deals may have adopted some or all of these measures in the last year. We will collect information about their processes directly from the local authorities, but we would like to know whether you feel that the current processes are sufficient, and whether there has been a positive difference from what happened before April 2007.
Question 1 - Do you feel that there is enough information available about past and future processions in your area? If not, why not?
Question 2 - How do you access information about past or future processions in your area? This may involve the sources listed below:
- Information in local libraries
- Information in council offices
- Information in council publications
- Lists on lamp posts
- Via community representatives, interest groups or opt-in lists
- Local newspapers or newsletters
- Local authority website
Question 3 - Are you able to receive this information in a format which is easily accessible to you (for example, in community languages and alternative formats, clearly signposted through local authority websites)?
Question 4 - Have the changes made since April 2007 made a difference to the amount of information available to you on processions? If so, what difference?