Questions from members – changes to standing orders

Report: 8
Date: 18 November 2002
By: Clerk

Summary

This report invites the committee to consider changing Standing Orders to enable MPA members to ask questions at Authority meetings.

A. Recommendations

1. That the Committee indicates whether it wishes to introduce a facility for members to ask questions at full Authority meetings.
2. That, if so, it recommends to the full Authority that provision be included in Standing Orders as proposed in paragraph 2 below.

B. Supporting information

1. At present the only facility for Authority members to ask relevant questions at full Authority meetings is in relation to issues appearing in the minutes of committees being presented to the Authority for information. In this event, members can ask questions, without notice, of the Chair of the relevant committee.

2. Members may feel that, like some local authorities, there should be a facility for members to ask questions relevant to the Authority’s business. If so, the following process is proposed:

• questions should be received by the Clerk in writing 10 working days before the Authority meeting (the same as for questions from members of the public)
• the questions will be responded to by the relevant committee Chair, or by the Chair of the Authority if a question does not fall readily within the terms of reference of one committee
• if not specified by the member asking the question, the Clerk to be authorised to decide which committee Chair (or the Authority Chair) should respond
• the Clerk also to be authorised, in consultation with the Chair of the Authority, to decide that a question should not be accepted, for instance if it is not relevant to Authority business, uses inappropriate language or if the answer would divulge exempt information
• questions will be asked in the order that they were received
• the number of questions which may be asked by any one member at each meeting shall be limited to two
• the time allocated for members’ questions at each Authority meeting shall not exceed 30 minutes. Any questions not answered within this time will be replied to in writing
• The member asking the question may ask one supplementary question, which must relate to the subject of the original question. One further supplementary question may be asked.

3. Any changes to Standing Orders will need to be approved by the full Authority. If the above proposals are acceptable they will be reported to the next Authority meeting for approval.

C. Equality and diversity implications

4. None

D. Financial implications

5. No specific financial implications

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Simon Vile, MPA Head of Secretariat.

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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