Guide: Public Participation at Committee Meetings
- Introduction
- Part 1Can I attend a meeting?
- Part 2Public Participation
- Part 3Are there any restrictions on what questions I may ask?
- Part 4How do I table my question?
- Part 5How much time is allowed for petitions and/or questions?
- Part 6How many questions may I ask?
- Part 7If I put in a question do I actually have to be there?
- Part 8Is there a limit on the length of any question?
- Part 9How will the answer to my question be given?
- Part 10Once my question has been asked, may I ask another?
- Part 11Presentations to Council, Scrutiny, Development Management, Highways and Traffic Orders and Public Rights of Way Committees
- Part 12Representations to Council
- Part 13Representations to the Scrutiny Committee Meeting
- Part 14Presentations to Development Management, Highways and Traffic Orders and Public Rights of Way Committees
- Part 15How will I know what is on the agenda for a meeting?
Part 4
How do I table my question?
If you wish to submit a formal, written question then you must put it in writing (by letter or email) before 12 noon on the fourth working day before the date of the meeting (i.e. if the meeting is on a Friday then the question must be submitted by the preceding Monday, taking into account any Bank Holidays). The contact details for the Democratic Services and Scrutiny Secretariat are shown on the back of this leaflet. Where your question relates to a report on an agenda for a meeting and that report is not available by this time you may nonetheless be entitled to ask a question in certain circumstances. Please ring the number referred to above for clarification.
All questions will be printed in the order received and will be circulated to everyone at the meeting together with a written response. You will not be asked to read out your question but you will be entitled to ask one supplementary question arising from the answer you have received. This must be a question, not a statement.
When you submit a question it would be helpful if you could also provide a telephone number so that we can contact you if there is any ambiguity in your question or if for some reason no reply can be given.