Public engagement

Forms for public engagement:

Bringing views to the attention of an Overview and Scrutiny Committee (opens in new tab)

Suggest topics for consideration by an Overview and Scrutiny Committee (opens in new tab)

Under Section 62 of the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011, anyone who lives or works in Pembrokeshire can:

Submit views on a matter being considered by an Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
Suggest topics for future scrutiny by an Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee work programmes are flexible and may be amended to consider matters raised by residents, businesses and other stakeholders where appropriate.

Privacy information can be found at the bottom of this webpage.

Guidance for public submissions

Members of the public can ask to speak at an Overview and Scrutiny (O&S) Committee meeting about an item on the Committee's work programme or a specific agenda item.

Meeting dates, agendas and reports are published on the council's website - Committee Structure. Agendas and reports are usually available at least three clear working days before a meeting.

Forward work programmes for each committee can be found at via our Web Library.

How to request to speak

To request to speak, please submit written representations to the Democratic and Scrutiny Services Team via the links above at least two clear working days before the meeting.

Your request should include:

The committee you wish to address
The agenda item or topic
A brief outline of what you wish to speak about
Your language preference (English or Welsh)

Requests can be submitted by:

email: Democraticservices@pembrokeshire.gov.uk

Post:

Democratic Services

Pembrokeshire County Council

County Hall

Haverfordwest

SA61 1TP

Requests received after the deadline cannot be considered.

How requests are considered

All requests are acknowledged and passed to the chair of the relevant committee.

Permission to speak is not automatic. The chair will decide whether a request is relevant to the committee's work programme or the agenda item being considered.

Where several people wish to speak on the same issue, they may be asked to nominate a spokesperson.

If you are invited to speak

If your request is approved, you will be contacted and sent formal confirmation of the meeting details.

At the meeting you will:

Be invited to speak by the chair
Have up to five minutes to address the committee
Be able to ask one supplementary question
Have the opportunity to respond to questions from Committee members

Any supporting documents, photographs or surveys must be submitted to Democratic and Scrutiny Services at least 24 hours before the meeting. Documents cannot be distributed during the meeting.

Providing evidence to a committee

A committee may invite residents, businesses, community groups or other stakeholders to provide evidence as part of a scrutiny review.

If invited, you will be given information about:

The issue being considered
Any questions the committee would like you to address
Any written information required in advance

Attendance is voluntary and can be outlined within the form.

Called in executive (Cabinet) decisions

Members of the public may also request to speak when an executive (Cabinet) decision has been called in for scrutiny.

The same application process and deadlines apply. Due to the short timescales involved in call-in meetings, anyone wishing to participate should monitor meeting information published on the council's website.

Meeting conduct

When speaking at a meeting, you should:

Keep comments relevant to the matter being considered
Respect the chair, committee members and other attendees
Avoid personal, offensive or defamatory comments
Respond politely to questions

The chair will determine matters relating to public participation and may rule comments out of order where appropriate.

Webcasting

Overview and Scrutiny Committee meetings are webcast and open to the public and press.

Unless you specifically request otherwise, your contribution may be recorded as part of the webcast.

Welsh language

Facilities are available for anyone wishing to speak through the medium of Welsh. Please indicate your language preference when submitting your request.

Information notice for Overview and Scrutiny Committees

Why do we collect and keep your personal information?

We collect and use your personal information so that we can confirm you are a resident of the county. This entitles you to suggest topics for consideration at an Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting or to bring your views on any matter under consideration by a committee to their attention. The processing of your data is necessary for the performance of this task under the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011 (Part 6 Chapter 1, Section 62).

For more details regarding the Pembrokeshire County Council privacy statement, you can find all information here (Privacy Notice – Law and Governance and Democratic Services - Pembrokeshire County Council)