Friday
19
April
Constitution will keep councillor in check
05/08/2020 @ 07:11
A new way of holding Powys County Council Cabinet members and senior staff to account will become enshrined in the council's constitution.
Councillors have voted in favour of continuing with the “Questions at Anytime” format.
Questions on policy and political issues go to councillors on the Cabinet, while questions of a operational nature go to the relevant head of service.
The Democratic Services Committee had discussed and backed the proposal following a review of the system back in March and had been expected to be discussed at a full council meeting in May.
Democratic Services committee chairman, Cllr Elwyn Vaughan said: “Last autumn we had a discussion about the ability to ask questions at any time to officers and portfolio holders.
“it was trialled up to March, and the consensus of opinion after holding a review is that it worked well.
“Hence the recommendation today is that is embedded in the constitution with the relevant amendments done with a further review in 12 months’ time.”
The idea follows a model working at Newport City Council.
Councillors can expect an answer in 10 days and the question and response is uploaded to PCC’s council’s website.
It was part fo a move to try an streamline full council meetings, by cutting down on the number of questions that are asked by councillors to cabinet or senior staff.
The number of questions was seen to be increasing adding time onto meetings.
The average time for a full council meeting in Wales is two hours and 39 minutes.
Some of the full council meetings PCC have held over the last couple of years, have taken over four hours and one was timed as taking six hours and 19 minutes.
The proposals was approved unanimously with 62 votes for, with no votes against or abstentions.
Councillors have voted in favour of continuing with the “Questions at Anytime” format.
Questions on policy and political issues go to councillors on the Cabinet, while questions of a operational nature go to the relevant head of service.The Democratic Services Committee had discussed and backed the proposal following a review of the system back in March and had been expected to be discussed at a full council meeting in May.
Democratic Services committee chairman, Cllr Elwyn Vaughan said: “Last autumn we had a discussion about the ability to ask questions at any time to officers and portfolio holders.
“it was trialled up to March, and the consensus of opinion after holding a review is that it worked well.
“Hence the recommendation today is that is embedded in the constitution with the relevant amendments done with a further review in 12 months’ time.”
The idea follows a model working at Newport City Council.
Councillors can expect an answer in 10 days and the question and response is uploaded to PCC’s council’s website.
It was part fo a move to try an streamline full council meetings, by cutting down on the number of questions that are asked by councillors to cabinet or senior staff.
The number of questions was seen to be increasing adding time onto meetings.
The average time for a full council meeting in Wales is two hours and 39 minutes.
Some of the full council meetings PCC have held over the last couple of years, have taken over four hours and one was timed as taking six hours and 19 minutes.
The proposals was approved unanimously with 62 votes for, with no votes against or abstentions.
By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporting Service
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