The leader of Douglas Council has criticised committee minutes presented to councillors.

He says they provide no great detail for them or ratepayers.

David Christian raised the issue during the section of the council’s December meeting when it was discussing the housing committee’s minutes.

Douglas councillors vote on decisions made by each committee. The minutes also provide a record for rate payers to be able to see what work is being done on their behalf.

However, when the housing committee’s minutes for its meeting on November 13 were presented at the December sitting, Mr Christian stated his dissatisfaction at the lack of detail contained in the little over one page of information.

Mr Christian said: ’I understand why private minutes exist, but these minutes tell us nothing.

’We should be sharing detail with the media and the public. We need to put information on minutes so that residents can see what has been achieved.’

The council leader added that he wasn’t singling out the housing committee, but that it was a issue affecting several committees.

The chairman of the housing committee, Councillor Clare Wells, said she agreed with Mr Christian that more information should be provided when possible.

However, Mrs Wells noted that all committees deal with commercially sensitive information on a regular basis and that much of the information and work ’has to be dealt with before it can be made public’.

Councillor Ritchie McNicholl, whose environmental service committee’s minutes ran for four pages and largely dominated proceedings at the council later made the point of the detail it provides.

Mr McNicholl said: ’We’ve heard from the council leader about the lack of detail in some committee minutes, well look at this, four pages and plenty to debate.’

However, the eastern district civic amenity committee, which Mr McNicholl represents the council on alongside members of other eastern district local authorities, provided only one page of minutes from its most recent meeting.