Public questions to Brighton and Hove City Council can now be submitted up to four working days before meetings of the full council after the deadline was changed.
Until now, people have had to submit questions eight working days before full council meetings – before the agenda has even been published.
There was cross-party support for the change at a meeting of the full council at Hove Town Hall yesterday (Thursday 23 July).
Questions at full council meetings are not confined to items on the agenda. They can be about any matter that Brighton and Hove City Council can act upon.
Labour councillor Theresa Mackey said that residents had called for the move and added that the administration should remove rather than defend barriers to democracy.
Councillor Mackey said: “The amendment will support better informed public questions, encourage more meaningful engagement and improve transparency.
“It removes an unnecessary procedural barrier that may currently discourage people from taking part and being involved in local democracy.”
Green councillor Ollie Sykes called for a tidying up of the council’s constitution and clarification on whether questions would be on a first-come, first-served basis, but did not oppose the proposed changes.
He recognised that the 30 minutes set aside for public questions had been extended to ensure that the 12 questions on the agenda could be heard.
But Councillor Sykes called for an end to filibustering during questions from councillors at full council meetings.
He said that the Greens would put an end to councillors from the ruling party asking questions of their own political colleagues.
Councillor Sykes said: “We will not allow members of the administration to ask oral questions at full council of their own administration. It wastes time and it shuts other people out.”
He also called for the return of a cross-party working group on the constitution.
Conservative leader Alistair McNair said: “We certainly support making it easier for residents to submit questions, giving them lots of time makes sense. It could have happened years ago.”
The change brings the deadline in line with meetings of the council’s cabinet although questions to cabinet members must relate to items of the agenda of that particular meeting.
It will remain the case that the mayor can refuse to take questions at meetings of the full council for various reasons.
These include questions that are similar to one asked in the previous six months, those considered defamatory, frivolous or offensive or questions seeking the disclosure of confidential information.
The next Brighton and Hove City Council meeting is due to take place on Thursday 23 September.
I think Cllr Sykes suggestion around filibustering is well-intentioned, and I get what he’s saying, but could it be argued that all councillors are entitled to ask questions, regardless of the party they represent? Councillors all get written answers to their questions anyway, even if there’s not time to speak it, so nobody loses out.