Ask a question at Council meetings

The Council has agreed that at three meetings during each Municipal Year the public (ie residents of North Tyneside and persons employed in the Borough) will be able to ask questions of the Mayor and Cabinet Members.
 
Half an hour at the beginning of each of those meetings will be set aside for taking questions and for replies. The dates of the Council meetings at which public questions can be asked during the 2023/24 Municipal Years are as follows:

• Thursday 18 July 2024
• Thursday 21 November 2024
• Thursday 23 January 2025

For more information contact Democratic Services Email: democraticsupport@northtyneside.gov.uk

Questions must be received at least seven clear working days before the day of the meeting, either in writing or email.

This means that you must either send a copy of your question to:

Democratic Services
Quadrant - 3L
The Silverlink North
Cobalt Business Park
North Tyneside
NE27 0BY

Email: democraticsupport@northtyneside.gov.uk
 

Your question must include your name and address. A copy of the question will be sent to the Mayor or the appropriate Cabinet Member. Questioners will receive confirmation of receipt of their questions.

No person may submit more than one question for any meeting. In addition, no question may be subdivided into more than two related parts. Also, no more than one question may be asked on behalf of an organisation for any meeting. The Council's Proper Officer may paraphrase or edit any question if doing so would clarify the point of the question or make it more concise.

There will be no discussion by Council on your question.

A question must relate to a matter for which the Council has responsibility or which affects North Tyneside.

If your question can more appropriately be answered by an Officer (eg if it relates to an individual's particular circumstances or requires a technical answer) it will be referred to the relevant person who will reply direct to you.

A question will be rejected if it is defamatory, frivolous, offensive, unlawful or otherwise improper. If a question is substantially the same as one previously asked at Council within the last six months it will be rejected.

The question will be rejected if it requires the disclosure of confidential or exempt information. (An explanation of these terms can be found within the Council's Constitution).

Questions will be asked in the order they are received except that the Chair of Council may group together similar questions.
 
The Chair will invite you to put the question to the Mayor or relevant Cabinet Member. You may ask one supplementary question, without notice being given, to the same Member. The supplementary question must arise out of the original question or reply.
 
A copy of your question will be circulated to all Members of the Council and will be included in the agenda for the meeting, which will be made available to the public.
 
The question will also be circulated to members of the public attending the Council meeting.
 
In asking the question at the meeting you must adhere to the question as set out in the agenda for the meeting.

You will be allowed two minutes to ask a question with a further minute for a supplementary question. The Chair may reject a supplementary question on any of the grounds referred to in "type of questions that can and cannot be asked" above.
 
The Mayor or Cabinet Member will have five minutes to reply to the first question and a further two minutes for the supplementary.

If you are unable to attend the meeting, the Chair may ask the question for you or may decide that a written reply will be given.

If the Mayor or Cabinet Member does not attend the Council meeting, an answer will usually be provided at the meeting by another Cabinet Member, alternatively a written answer will be provided. Any question which can not be dealt with during the 30 minutes due to lack of time will be dealt with by a written answer provided to the questioner within five working days of the meeting.

All questions to the Mayor or Cabinet Members asked by the public at a Council meeting will be recorded in a register which will be available for public inspection.

Meetings of full Council are usually held at Quadrant commencing at 6pm. Quadrant is the main Council headquarters and is located on the Cobalt Business Park, The Silverlink North.

If you require directions please Email democraticsupport@northtyneside.gov.uk.

Please check these details prior to submitting your question in case any changes have been made.