DEAR editor,

I was shocked to hear that some councillors were watching the rugby on their mobile devices during a recent Vale Planning meeting.

This should have been ruled out of order by the chair of this committee as this practice is totally unacceptable during meetings.

Following on from this, I have now asked for a formal report to be presented at the next Full Council meeting and for guidance then to be issued for all members.

However, we do need our mobile devices to research information at meetings, to get feedback from others, to look up minutes and for social media purposes so a total ban would go against the grain of being more open and transparent. I hope that members of the public would support the use of mobile devices for the right reasons and not for personal reasons.

Furthermore, I have asked the head of legal and the head of democratic services to put this in our standing orders the rules in which we follow along with a rule that all devices must be switched to ‘silent’ during proceedings.

It should be advised that mobile devices should be used by council members sparingly, discreetly and with common sense at meetings. Playing games, watching sports or doing shopping should be ruled as unacceptable. But members should be allowed to use social media to inform the public exactly what is going on in meetings.

These rules should make it easier for all to understand and inform members how they should conduct themselves in meetings when it comes to mobile devices. I trust that all members will sign up and support putting these rules under standing orders and I look forward to the debate at the next Full Council meeting.

The idea of using mobile devices in meetings is to go paperless and to help save the environment. There is some way to go, but yes we do use these devices to look up previous minutes and agendas.

Councillor Richard Bertin

Independent

Vale of Glamorgan Council