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Public speaking at meetings

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2. Speaking at Council, Executive and Scrutiny Committees

Please see the next page if you would like to speak at a planning committee meeting.

Introduction

Members of the public who are registered electors within the city may ask questions at ordinary meetings of the Council, the Executive and Scrutiny Committees. These questions may be addressed to the Leader of the Council, Executive members or Chairs of the Scrutiny Committees.

Members of the public may not ask questions at Annual Council or special meetings.

Questions submitted for meetings of the Council or Scrutiny Committees, must be about something the Council is responsible for.

Questions submitted for meetings of the Executive, must relate to an item on the agenda for that meeting.

The same question cannot be asked at more than one meeting.

 

Giving Notice of questions

Questions must be submitted to the Democratic Services Manager, Democratic & Civic Support at least by 10am, three working days before the meeting. Each question must include the name and address of the person asking it showing clearly who it is addressed to.

For example, if the meeting is being held on a Tuesday, questions must be submitted by 10am on the Thursday prior to the meeting.

 

Please contact us (selecting "Other Service") if you have any questions about speaking at a Committee.

 

Number of questions

Members of the public cannot ask more than one question per meeting. If more than one question is received or a single question contains a number of component questions then only the first question will be accepted.

One supplementary question is permitted provided it is based on the response given to the original question.

 

Asking and answering the question

The Lord Mayor, Leader of the Council or Chair of Scrutiny meeting will ask the questioner to ask their question. A response to the question will be given at the meeting and will also be put in writing and circulated at the meeting.

If the questioner is not present or an answer cannot be given on the day of the meeting, then the question and response will be published on the website no later than 5 working days of the meeting.

 

Length of questions

50 words are normally sufficient to frame a clear and direct question. Therefore questions will be no more than 50 words.

 

Total length of questions

The Council, Executive or Scrutiny Committee will spend no longer than 15 minutes dealing with questions. If it cannot take all the questions, it will take them in the order that notice was given of them (except that those members of the public who have not already asked a question at previous Council, Executive or Scrutiny Committee meetings will be heard first) until there is no time left.