Questions in the chamber: 'Five parties are determined to have their say'

IT is difficult to have much sympathy with city council officials over their complaints that they are being asked too many questions by councillors. After all, if they do not attend council meetings to give guidance and information to elected representatives debating issues of some importance what is the point of their presence in the first place?

First the administration has tried to gag parents wishing to address them over school closures. Then a member of the public was invited on – and then thrown off – a working group examining the same issue amidst claims she was passing information to the Evening News. Now it appears they are trying to silence opposition councillors.

But surely where elected representatives are in the dark over certain issues, or as pertinent questions arise during debate, they must be given the opportunity to ask questions? They would be failing in their duty if they lamely put their hand up and voted one way or the other if they did not have a full understanding of the implications of their decision.

And with the accusation that many key policy decisions are now being taken behind closed doors and presented almost as a fait accompli at a late stage, it is only during debate that backbench councillors get the opportunity to raise such points.

For Thursday – the last meeting of the full council before the summer recess – 31 written questions have been submitted. That equates to only one for every two councillors and does not seem particularly excessive when important issues like the Wave 3 schools rebuilding programme, the future of hot meals in schools, the Usher Hall modernisation and a host of other controversial subjects will feature on the agenda.

Nevertheless, if things run true to recent form then councillors will be in the debating chamber for around ten hours on Thursday – far longer than under previous administrations.

But it is not only the number of questions that appear to be slowing business down.

Five political parties are now represented in the chamber and it would appear – quite rightly – that they are determined to have their say and put forward their own motions for debate and a vote. Using a "traffic lights" system might well speed up the process and there is nothing worse than councillors grandstanding for no good reason. But whether officials or the administration like it or not, the ability to speak freely is part of the democratic process and within reason it is the right of elected representatives to ask whatever questions they like.