Questions by the public at Council meetings

Who can ask questions?

Members of the public who are on the Derby register of electors, or are Derby Council Taxpayers or Non Domestic Ratepayers, may put a maximum of two questions to members of the Council Cabinet of Chair of a Board or Committee at Ordinary meetings of the Council.

Questions will be put in the order received, except that the Director of Legal, Procurement and Democratic Services may group together similar questions, and that no person will have an opportunity to ask a second question before all questioners have had an opportunity to ask a first question.

How do I ask questions?

A question may only be put if notice, including the name and address of the questioner, has been given by delivering it in writing or email to the Director of Legal, Procurement and Democratic Services by no later than midday, five clear working days before the day of the meeting.

This normally means that when a Council meeting takes place on the Wednesday, the deadline will be 12 noon on the Tuesday, eight days earlier.

What happens when I put my questions forward?

Upon receipt of public or member questions, the Director Governance will immediately send a copy of the question to the member to whom it is to be put.

Copies of questions and answers will be circulated to all members, published on the council website and made available to the public attending the meeting by 5pm on the day of the meeting.

Can I ask questions at the meeting?

Where an answer has been provided to a question in the published document, the question will not be asked orally at the meeting.

Where an answer has not been provided, the Mayor will invite the questioner to put the question to the member named in the notice.

If a member of the public who has submitted a written question which has not been answered in advance is unable to attend the meeting, the member of the public may, by prior notice to the Director of Legal and Democratic Services, either require the Mayor to put the question on their behalf or nominate another person to do so.