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Public question time at meetings
Use this form to submit a question online.
Who can ask a question?
A resident of, or a person who works in the Wokingham Borough Council's area may submit one question to either a meeting of the Council, Executive, Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Licensing and Appeals Committee, Scrutiny Committee, Personnel Board or Standards Committee.
What can the question be about?
Any matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties or which affects the District or which is included in the Public agenda for a meeting. However at Extraordinary Meetings of the Executive, only questions relating to the item(s) included in the Public Agenda can be asked.
What do I have to do to be able to ask a question?
Submit a copy of the question you wish to ask to the Democratic Services Section, at Wokingham Borough Council. Your question can also be emailed to democratic.services@wokingham.gov.uk.
You need to tell us who you want to put your question to. In the case of a Council or Executive Meeting this will normally be the Executive Member for the service which the question relates to. In the case of any other meetings this will normally be the Chairman of the Committee.
If you are not sure, please telephone the Democratic Services unit on the number given at the end of this form.
Is there a latest time by which questions have to be submitted?
A copy of a general question has to be with the Democratic Services Section by 10.00am on the seventh working day before the meeting, excluding the day of the meeting, Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.
A copy of a question about a Public Agenda item has to be submitted by 10.00am on the day before the meeting.
Where are the meetings held?
Meetings are held in the Civic Offices, Shute End, Wokingham.
When will the answer be given?
Questions will be answered at the start of the meeting, after the Minutes have been approved. The time allotted to answering questions is limited to 30 minutes. Any questions not dealt with in the 30 minutes will be dealt with in a written reply.
What if I don't understand the reply, or the information is incomplete?
Once you have received an answer to your question you may ask a supplementary question which must relate to your original question or the response you received but must not introduce any new subject matter.
In what order will questions be answered?
Questions will be answered in the order in which they are received, but if there is more than one question on a particular topic, one answer may be given dealing with the issues raised.
Will the questions and answers be recorded and can I have a copy?
Details of all the questions and supplementary questions and the answers to them will be recorded in the minutes of the meeting. A copy will be provided to the person asking the question within seven working days of the meeting.
Will there be an opportunity at the meeting for discussion of the question or the answers given?
No, questions will be put and answered without discussion.
Will every question which has been submitted have to be answered?
The Chief Executive and/or Mayor may reject a question if it:
- Is not about a matter for which the local authority has a responsibility or which affects the Borough
- Is defamatory, frivolous or offensive
- Is substantially the same as a question which has already been put at the meeting or at a meeting of the Council in the past 6 months
- Requires the disclosure of confidential or exempt information
Questions will not be accepted if they relate to a planning or licensing application before it has been determined by the Planning or Licensing and Appeals Committee or by Officers under delegated powers, and no questions of any description may be asked at the Planning Committee.
If a question is rejected a response will be given to the questioner setting out the reasons for the rejection.
How will the answer(s) be given?
An answer may either be given orally, by reference to a publication or, if a reply to a question cannot conveniently be given orally, by a written answer.
Can I ask questions about any aspect of the Borough’s work or its dealings with individuals, businesses, etc?
The Borough cannot be required to answer questions about confidential matters such as personal or financial information of individuals or businesses, Court proceedings, information about individual employees, etc.
Who should I contact when I get to the meeting?
When you arrive for the meeting, please ask for the Democratic Services Officer who will explain the arrangements.
What happens if I am unable to attend the meeting.
If you are unable to attend the meeting you may nominate a person to put the question on your behalf and this can be done by contacting the Democratic Services Section. Alternatively the Chairman may put the question on your behalf or may indicate that a written reply will be given.
If you need any further information or guidance about asking questions at meetings, please contact
Democratic Services,
Wokingham Borough Council,
Shute End
RG40 1WH
Telephone: 0118 974 6059/6054
Fax/24hr Ans: 0118 974 6057
