Constitution Part 5 - Public questions to Full Council meetings

1. Where notice of a question from a member of the public is received in accordance with Rule 9.2 of the Council Procedure Rules and has not been rejected under Rule 9.5, the Chief Executive may in consultation with the Chair of Council refer the question to the relevant Policy Committee for answer.


2. A list of the questions of which notice has been given shall be circulated to Elected Members of the relevant Policy Committee at, or before, the meeting at which they are to be asked.


3. Questions will be asked in the order notice of them was received, except that the Chair may group together similar questions.  


4. The question will be answered by the Chair of the Policy Committee without discussion and the answer may take the form of:
   1. a direct oral answer; or  
   2. where the desired information is contained in a publication of the Authority, a reference to that publication; orwhere the reply to the question cannot conveniently be given orally, a written answer given to the member of the public submitting the question and circulated to the Policy Committee.  
   
   
    
5. The questioner may ask one relevant supplementary question for clarification purposes only which shall be put and answered without discussion. A supplementary question must arise directly from the original question or reply


6. The Chair to whom a question, or supplementary question, has been put may decline to answer it. (See note 1 below.)  

Notes:  

1. It will not be appropriate for a Chair to answer questions under this Protocol about:
   1. a) matters which are subject to processes such as particular applications for planning permission, licences, registration, consents or other permissions, or  
   2. b) matters for which there are other processes under the Council’s Constitution, such as individual complaints or cases, personnel or disciplinary matters, ethical matters or allegations of fraud.