How you can ask a question at Council Meetings 

How the Council operates:

The Council has a Constitution (set of rules), which sets out how it operates. All Members meet together as the Full Council at least six times a year and these meetings are open to the general public.

The Constitution allows members of the public to ask questions of the Leader of the Council, Members of the Cabinet or the Chair of a Committee at ordinary meetings of the Council.

I want to ask a question. What do I do?

The question must be delivered in writing or by e-mail to the Director of Resources no later than 24 hours before the Council Meeting.  

Council Meetings are held every eight weeks in the Town Hall in Darlington.

View dates of Council Meetings

Each question must give the name and address of the questioner and must name the Member of the Council to whom it is to be put. At any one meeting, no person may submit more than one question on behalf of themselves or an organisation.

Questions must:

  • Be about a matter for which the Local Authority has a responsibility, or which affects the Borough;
  • Not be defamatory, frivolous or offensive;
  • Not be substantially the same as a question which has been put at a meeting of the Council in the past six months; and
  • Not require the disclosure of confidential or exempt information.

A question may be rejected if it does not comply with any of the criteria above.

Record of Questions

The Director of Resources keeps a record of each question received and this record is open to public inspection. Rejected questions will include the reasons for rejection. On receipt of a question a copy of the question is sent to the Member to whom it is to be put. Copies of all questions will be circulated to all Members of Council and will be made available to the public attending the meeting.

Asking the question at the Council Meeting

The Mayor, who Chairs the meeting, will invite the questioner to put the question to the Member named in the notice. If a questioner who has submitted a written question is unable to be present, they may ask the Mayor to put the question on their behalf. The Mayor may ask the question on the questioner’s behalf, indicate that a written reply will be given, or decide in the absence of the questioner, that the question will not be dealt with.

Supplementary Question

A questioner who has put a question in person may also put one supplementary question without notice to the Member who has replied to his or her original question. A supplementary question must arise directly out of the original question, or the reply. The Mayor may reject a supplementary question on any of the grounds in the section entitled Scope of Questions above.

Which Member should I address my question to?

To assist you to decide which Member of the Council to direct your question to please find a list of the relevant Members below.   

List of Cabinet Members

Scrutiny Committee Chairs

    Statutory Committees:

    If you would like any further information on asking a question at Council meetings or who is the appropriate Member to direct a question to, what constitutes confidential or exempt information or any other matter relating to the content of this webpage please contact the Democratic Services Team on 01325 388351 or e-mail democraticservices@darlington.gov.uk