Agenda item

To follow when available

For many years, 30 minutes had been available at Council for questions about the business of the Council and matters affecting the borough.  Members, having given notice of their main question and received the initial answer may then ask without notice a supplementary question.  The number of questions put down for answer is invariably over 20 and often near 30, but it was now rare for more than nine or 10 questions to be answered.  As well as the number of questions, the complexity of many meant that a considerable amount of research had to be undertaken in a patently short period as questions currently had to be submitted six working days before the Council meeting.

The reduction in the size of the officer structure together with the number and complexity of questions was resulting in answers being completed very close to the Council meeting and often required Cabinet Members to consider the draft replies at very short notice.

To address this problem, the Committee suggested that the notice period for the deposit of questions should be extended to 11 working days before the Council meeting.  This would enable answers to be prepared in a comprehensive manner, including sufficient time for Cabinet Members to include their input into the final replies.

The Mayor would still be able to permit the asking of an urgent question where a matter of importance had arisen after the normal closing date for questions.  In order that more questions could be answered orally, the Committee also suggested that the number of questions be limited to a maximum of 15.  There would be no time limit.

Currently, questions that did not receive an oral answer received a written answer instead.  This was appropriate when there was uncertainty about the number of questions that would receive an oral reply.  If the Council decided to fix the number of questions that would receive an oral reply then there was no need to have a ‘reserve’ list that might or might not receive an oral response.  It was proposed that once the 15 questions had been submitted, any subsequent questions would be treated as “member enquiries” and would receive a written response in the normal manner.

Vote 1:  Proposal to defer the report:

For the motion: Councillors Clarence Barrett, Gillian Ford, Keith Darvill and Paul McGeary. 

Against the motion: Councillors Frederick Thompson, Becky Bennett, Steven Kelly, Eric Munday, Roger Ramsey, Ted Eden, Georgina Galpin and Garry Pain.  Councillor Jeffrey Tucker abstained. 

The motion was LOST by eight votes to four.

Vote 2:  Proposal to limit the number of questions to 15:

For the motion:  Councillors Frederick Thompson, Becky Bennett, Steven Kelly, Eric Munday, Roger Ramsey, Ted Eden, Georgina Galpin, Garry Pain and Jeffrey Tucker. 

Against the motion: Councillors Clarence Barrett, Gillian Ford, Keith Darvill and Paul McGeary. 

The motion was CARRIED by nine votes to four.

Vote 3:  Proposal to have a maximum of 15 questions within 30 minutes:

For the motion: Councillors Clarence Barrett, Gillian Ford, Keith Darvill, Paul McGeary, Becky Bennett and Jeffrey Tucker.

Against the motion: Councillors Frederick Thompson, Steven Kelly, Eric Munday, Roger Ramsey, Ted Eden, Georgina Galpin and Garry Pain. 

The motion was LOST by seven votes to six.

Vote 4: Proposal to return to the original propositions set out in the recommendations (with 15 questions and no time restriction):

For the motion: Councillors Frederick Thompson, Becky Bennett, Steven Kelly, Eric Munday, Roger Ramsey, Ted Eden, Georgina Galpin and Garry Pain. 

Against the motion: Councillors Clarence Barrett, Gillian Ford, Keith Darvill, Paul McGeary and Jeffrey Tucker. 

The motion was CARRIED by eight votes to five

There were already provisions in the Council Procedure Rules to ensure a fair distribution of questions.  These provisions would be retained.

The Committee RESOLVED to RECOMMEND to Council that:

1.            Rule 10.2(i) of the Council Procedure Rules (Notice of Questions) be amended to read:

“They have given 11 clear days’ notice in writing to the Proper Officer signed by the Member or by the Group Leader on behalf of that Member” and the timetable in the Appendix to the Rules be amended accordingly.

2.            Rule 10.6 of the Council Procedure Rules (Time for Questions) be amended to read:

“Number of Questions

A maximum of 15 questions can be submitted for a Council meeting all of which together with any supplementary questions under rule 10.5 will receive an oral reply at the meeting.  Any questions in excess of the maximum number that are submitted will be treated as a Member enquiry and receive a written response.”