Mayor to host new ‘question time’ slot

Peter Davies said he planned to introduce a “question time session” at the beginning of the council’s cabinet meetings with the first to take place at the meeting this Wednesday.

Council bosses said any member of the public who lives in Doncaster and has a question about the work of the council or the mayor was welcome to take part.

Mr Davies said: “I am always happy to answer questions from any member of the public and am committed to being open and honest with people.

“Whenever I’m out and about I get stopped and asked questions so I thought it would be good to offer people a regular slot to come and talk to me.

“Having a slot at cabinet meetings means it will be relaxed and without the stringent constraints imposed at full council which stifle discussion.

“If for any reason I can’t answer questions at the meeting I will reply in writing as soon as possible after the meeting.

“I look forward to hearing the questions local people want to ask.”

Under the new policy questions do not need to be submitted in advance.

But a council spokesman said: “If the question asks for detailed information, for example figures or statistics, it would be helpful to put the question in writing to the mayor prior to the meeting, to enable the question to be answered at the meeting.

“Elected members are not able to ask questions via this route, they are able to question the Mayor at full council meetings.”

The council said questions would be limited to one per person but added that the mayor was happy to take questions on any subject apart from planning or licencing, which are the responsibility of a separate committee of the authority.