Richard Baum

The Conservatives recently introduced new rules which restrict the ability of Councillors to ask questions of the Leader and Executive at Council meetings. The deadline for receipt of questions for verbal response has now been extended to four clear working days (in effect, a week). The public now have to submit questions even further in advance, and no longer have the right to ask a supplementary.

I think this was a bad move, and have campaigned vocally against it since it was introduced. Last night’s questions were ridiculous, and showed just how silly the situation now is.

We have become used recently to seeing only a small percentage of the total number of questions received actually answered. Maybe half on a good night. Last night there were 16 questions received. Unfortunately, the first of five from the Lib Dems was number 7 on the order paper. We are told that the order is determined by the time of submission, but this is not strictly true because the first Lib Dem question on the list last night was actually the last one submitted!

It seems unfair that one group could have 6 of its questions answered before another has any answered. It was made worse though last night because the answer provided for the first question was insanely long. Almost twenty minutes, in fact, which meant that almost no others could be dealt with.

I wouldn’t want to suggest that this was a deliberate delaying tactic on behalf of the Tories. But I think that something needs to be done here. I appeal to the Mayor to intervene more at Question Time, and more effectively chair the meeting at what can be a tricky point. Answers and supplementary questions need to be brief and to the point. Officers shouldn’t provide answers which take five minutes or more to read out, and the Mayor should intervene to allow more questions to be reached. Members are allowed a supplementary, but no more than one. Yet the Mayor refuses to intervene as a second, third, fourth supplementary is asked and then answered. It’s no wonder we get no further down the list. It’s very frustrating.

A further concern relates to verbal questions to the Leader. These can be raised on the night, but the new rules state that they must relate only to the work of the Executive since the last meeting. I think this is a silly rule in itself, since the Executive are responsible for the entire Council. But the application of the rule is sillier still, as there is an insistence on the topic not just being related to the work of the Executive, but actually being directly related to a topic discussed at a meeting of the Executive! It’s just stupid, and once again restricts our rights to properly carry out our duties. And last night it was made worse because this rule appeared to be relaxed for a Conservative member who asked a planted question which had nothing to do with an Executive meeting. Such inconsistency drives me mad. The lack of clarity could, again, be solved with more effective actions from the Mayor in the chair. But, alas, each time such action is lacking.

The rules are unfair, silly, and need to be changed for the good of democracy.

Rick