County Councillors and Committees

Public Questions at Full Council - Guidance Notes

Public Questions at Full Council - Guidance Notes

Guidance Note for Members of the Public Submitting Questions at Ordinary Council Meetings

Members of the public residing or working in Pembrokeshire are permitted to ask questions at an Ordinary Council meeting. No person may submit more than two questions at any one meeting.

To ask a question please complete the form below: 

Submission of questions to Council by a member of the public  

The form must be received by the Head of Democratic Services at least ten Clear Working Days before the date of the meeting at which it is to be put.

Questions will be put orally by the Presiding Member on behalf of the relevant member of the public in the order in which they have been received. The Presiding Member may group together similar questions if considered appropriate to do so.

The Presiding Member, in consultation with the Head of Law and Governance, may reject a question if it is considered that the question:

• Does not relate to a matter for which the Council has a responsibility or  which does not affect Pembrokeshire;
• Is defamatory or vexatious;
• Discloses Confidential or Exempt information, or the response would be likely to disclose such information;
• Is substantially the same as a question which has been submitted in the past six months.

Questions will only be considered by members of the public who are:

• A local government elector for Pembrokeshire;
• Over the age of 16 but would otherwise qualify as an elector;
• An occupier, owner or tenant of any land or other premises in Pembrokeshire; and has been for the whole of the preceding 12 months;
• Employed or have had his/her principal or only place of work during the whole of the preceding 12 months in Pembrokeshire;
• Or have been a resident in Pembrokeshire during the whole of the preceding 12 months.

If a question is rejected for not meeting the above criteria, the question will be returned together with the reasons for rejecting it. The decision of the Presiding Member, in consultation with the Head of Law and Governance, shall be final. 

The Presiding Member shall invite the Leader, the appropriate Cabinet Member or the Chairman of an appropriate Committee to reply to the question. The person replying shall either provide a substantive oral answer to the question or undertake that a written answer will be given within ten Clear Working Days of the date of the meeting.

A maximum of 30 minutes will be allowed for all questions to be put and answered.

Where a question is not reached during the meeting, the Presiding Member will, immediately following the meeting, allocate each question to the Leader, the appropriate Cabinet Member or the Chairman of an appropriate Committee, and that person shall send a written reply within ten Clear Working Days of the date of the meeting, the reply then forming part of the Minutes.

We will need to see evidence of your identity eg, passport, driving licence or a recent utility bill. A scanned copy may be submitted.