Changes to public question time at Arun District Council

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At Full Council on 13 March 2024, the council approved changes to its public question time procedure as set out in the council’s constitution at Part 5 – Rules of Procedure (Meetings) – Section 1 – Council Procedure Rules and Section 2 – Committee Procedure Rules. Click here to access the updated sections of the constitution:

PART 5 - MPR - Section 1 Council Procedure Rules

PART 5 - MPR - Section 2 Committee Procedure Rules

Here are the changes you need to be aware of:

at Full Council meetings, no more than two valid questions will be accepted from one member of the public (or their household) at one single meeting
this restriction has not been applied to committee meetings

The criteria for rejecting questions at Full Council and Committee meetings has been updated – the full criteria list for rejection is as set out below:

Questions may be rejected by the chief executive in consultation with
the chair if they:

are not relevant to matters for which the council has responsibility, or which affect the district
may be defamatory, frivolous or offensive
are substantially the same as a question put at a meeting in the past six months
relate to specific live planning applications or general planning decision upon action under the Planning Acts
relate to situations in which the committee acts like a court of law e.g. in considering licensing matters as those matters are addressed through individual legal processes and through the courts
relate to matters within the various categories of exempt information shown in Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (details of which are set out below):
- (a) information relating to any individual
- (b) information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual
- (c) information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)
- (d) information relating to any consultations or negotiations or contemplated consultation or negotiations, in connection with any labour relations matter arising between the authority of a Member of the Crown and employees of, or office holders under, the authority
- (e) information in respect of which a claim of legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings
- (f) information which reveals the authority proposes:
  - to give under any enactment a notice under or by virtue of which requirements are imposed on a person, or
  - to make an order or direction under any enactment
- (g) information relating to any action taken or to be taken in connection with the prevention, investigation or prosecution or crime

Supplementary questions will now only be allowed at the chair’s absolute discretion. A questioner who had put a question in person may ask one supplementary question without notice to the member who replied to their original question. The supplementary question must arise directly out of the original question, or the reply, and shall be limited to one minute’s duration. It must take the form of a question and not a statement in response to the original answer.

If you have any question or queries, please use the c ontact information below:

Committee Services
Arun District Council
The Arun Civic Centre
Maltravers Road
Littlehampton
West Sussex
BN17 5LF

Tel: 01903 737611

Email: committees@arun.gov.uk