Ms Bridget Boyle:

Regarding the engagement with local authorities, part of the sectoral plan was that councils appoint an access officer within each county council. That access officer would have been seen as possibly an add-on to an existing post and it is varied from council to council. Having been in each county around the country launching our guidelines, we have found that the existence of that access officer post appears to have diminished. To maintain the engagement with local authorities, there must be the definite appointment of access officers in each council.