The information below describes the way in which meetings of the Independent Financial Review Panel (IFRP) are conducted.

Chairing of Meetings and Quorum

1. The IFRP will meet in an agreed location as IFRP may determine.
2. IFRP meetings will be chaired by the chairperson.
3. If the chairperson is unable to attend any meeting, he/she will nominate a member of IFRP to act as a deputy.
4. If the chairperson has to leave before a meeting is concluded, he/she will nominate one of the remaining members to assume the chair for the remainder of that meeting.
5. The quorum of each meeting is two. The quorum is deemed to be present where members are linked by a video/telephone conferencing facility.
6. If, during a meeting, a quorum of members is not present, the secretary to IFRP must alert the chairperson to the fact, and the chairperson must suspend proceedings until a quorum is present, or adjourn the meeting to some future day.

Minutes of proceedings

7. The names of the members and all others present at each meeting will be entered in the minutes of proceedings.
8. The minutes of each meeting will be agreed/amended at the subsequent meeting.

Reports and Determinations

9. There will be clear evidence of the decisions and the decision making process in all Reports and Determinations of the Independent Financial Review Panel.
10. All written submissions made to the Independent Financial Review Panel as part of their consultation process will be published in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Data Protection Act 1998.

Voting Procedure

11. All questions in a meeting are decided by consensus and if this is unable to be achieved, by a simple majority. The chairperson will not have a casting vote.
12. Where only two members are present, both must agree or the issue will be deferred until the next meeting.

Declarations of interest

13. At each meeting before proceeding to business, the chairperson will invite members to declare any interests they may have which relate to the remit of the IFRP and in particular to those scheduled for discussion at that meeting.
14. When a person or a group is making representations to IFRP, a member is required to declare an interest when asking any questions which relate directly, or which might reasonably be thought by others to relate directly, to the financial or other interest he or she holds. Such a declaration must be made irrespective of any declaration having been made at an earlier meeting. One such declaration is sufficient for any questions asked of the same person/group.
15. In making any declaration a member should clearly identify the nature of the interest. Whilst the form in which a declaration of interest is made, and its extent, must be primarily for the individual member, a casual reference is not sufficient. A member should make a declaration in clear terms and should ensure that such a declaration is entered in the Minutes of Proceedings.

Public and media access

16. Unless agreed by IFRP, meetings will not be open to members of the public or media.
17. The Chairperson will act a principal spokesperson for IFRP. When necessary, the Chairperson will be consulted first in relation to any media enquiries received by the Secretary to IFRP. Should the Chairperson be unavailable, one of the other members will be contacted.
18. Should the Chairperson or any IFRP member be contacted directly by a member of the media, they may respond but should inform other members and the Secretary of their response.