A DISCUSSION on how the Prevent strategy is implemented in Bradford is one of several being delayed until after the General Election.

Bradford Council’s Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee were to discuss the issue at a meeting tomorrow, but it has now been announced that this, and other discussions, would be delayed due to strict election rules.

The committee were also due to discuss how the Council collects its business rates and its property investment strategy.

A Council statement said: “Due to a General Election being called for June 8, the Council has now entered a pre-election period which means we have to comply with the provisions of the Local Government Act 1986 and observe the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity.

“This means the Council must not publish any material which appears to be designed to affect public support for a political party or influence voters. It also means officers must not issue any publicity (defined as any communication) on controversial issues or report views or proposals that identify those issues with any individual councillors or group of councillors.

“It has therefore been decided that some items should be withdrawn from agendas at certain meetings over the coming weeks, and other meetings will be adjourned when it is not possible to consider any of the reports that are on the published agenda of those meetings.

“This decision means that the items on the agenda for the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee, including the report on the Prevent programme, will no longer be discussed tomorrow and the meeting will stand adjourned.

“If a Council committee considers regulatory matters, such as planning applications, then the meeting will continue to be held as normal, although items which are caught by the above rules, for example, concerning matters of policy which may be controversial, will not be published or considered.”