Changes to be Made After Concerns Westmorland and Furness Council Debate ‘stifled’

Changes could be made to the way council meetings are run after concerns were raised about debate being ‘stifled’.

The issue was raised at July’s full meeting of Westmorland and Furness Council.

Opposition and backbench councillors are currently given 30 minutes to ask questions of cabinet members at full council meetings about issues, with another 30 minutes allotted for questions by members generally.

At the end of the cabinet item at the July meeting, Councillor Tony Callister, of Dalton South, Labour, said he felt responses given by cabinet members were ‘too long’, resulting in some opposition members not being given the opportunity to ask their questions.

Chair of the council councillor Doug Rathbone, of Kendal South, Liberal Democrat, said the point was ‘valid’ and that he would look at it along with the director of law and governance.

The same point was also raised at the end of the 30 minute questions section, with not all members having been given an opportunity to ask a question.

Again, the chair asked members to email their concerns to him and the monitoring officer and they ‘would discuss’ it.

Councillor Hazel Edwards, of Hawcoat and Newbarns, Reform UK, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service after the meeting that she believed debate was being ‘stifled’.

Now the council is taking action to address those concerns.

The duration of the question section could be changed to an hour with a period of 30 minutes for questions received on notice and a further 30 minutes for questions with no notice.

The total time for questions at the cabinet section will remain 30 minutes.

Questions were already limited to two minutes duration but now answers will be limited to three minutes to allow for more to be asked – though longer answers can be provided in writing or in the council minutes.

If a supplementary question is asked, that will also be limited to two minutes and the answer again limited to three.

The section allowing for questions on cabinet or committees will now also allow questions on delegated decisions and council powers or duties.

Councillors at the upcoming full council meeting on Thursday, September 24 have been recommended by officers to approve these changes to the council’s constitution.

The meeting will take place from 1.30pm at Kendal Town Hall.

By Zach Harrison (Local Democracy Reporting Service)