Council Question Time . . . Your chance to ask Councillors questions directly . . .

You can now ask members of the Council Cabinet questions about Council functions and services at full Council meetings. At Area Panel meetings you can ask any of the local councillors questions.

How to ask a question at Full Council

• Get your questions to the Director of Corporate and Adult Social Services by 12 noon, five clear working days before the meeting. This means that for a Council meeting on a Wednesday you will need to submit questions by 12 noon on the Tuesday in the week before the meeting. We can’t accept questions after the deadline.
• You can write, fax or e-mail your questions. For contact details and a downloadable form see ‘Further information’.
• You must give your name and address.

Guidelines

• You must be on the Derby Register of Electors, or be a Derby Council Taxpayer or Non-Domestic Ratepayer to be eligible to ask questions.
• We may reject a question if it:
  • is not about something for which the Council has responsibility or which does not affect the city
  • is defamatory, frivolous or offensive
  • is similar to a question that has been put to the Council within the previous six months
  • requires the disclosure of confidential information.
• We will record each question in a file which is open to public inspection. Any rejected questions will include the reasons for the rejection.
  

At the Meeting

• The maximum time for questions is usually fifteen minutes, near to the start of the Council meeting.
• The Mayor will invite you to put your question to the relevant Council Cabinet Member.
• We may answer in writing any question not answered in the first fifteen minutes.
• You may ask one supplementary question without notice. It must relate to your first question. The Mayor may reject it on the grounds of refusal listed under 'Guidelines'.
• Your question could be referred to the Council Cabinet or appropriate Committees, Sub-Committees, Commissions or Area Panels.
• If you cannot attend the meeting in person, you may ask the Mayor to ask the question on your behalf.
• If the relevant Council Cabinet Member who should answer your question is absent, we will send you a written reply.
  

How to ask a question at Neighbourhood Forum meetings

Derby residents are also able to ask their local councillors questions at Neighbourhood Forums. Thirty minutes during each Neighbourhood Forum meeting will be for people to ask any question relevant to the local area. Visit the neighbourhood dates and venues webpage for further information.

Further information

For details of Council Cabinet Members, dates and times of Council meetings and Area Panels please contact:

Constitutional Services
Corporate and Adult Social Services Directorate
The Council House
Corporation Street
Derby
DE1 2FS

Telephone: 01332 255472
Textphone: 01332 256666
Fax: 01332 255500
E-mail: committee.cor@derby.gov.uk

Full Council Public Question Time form to complete and post 

Please tell us if you need this document in large print, on audio tape, computer disc or in Braille.