Questions about town and parish councils
Follow Councillor Q&A on X/Twitter

Follow us on X/Twitter

0 votes
If a Clerk receives written correspondence for a Committee or Council meeting, should that written correspondence be included in the meeting even if the correspondence is not in the form of a question?  The agenda of the meeting uses the specific phrase "Written Questions".
The standing orders state: "Members of the public may make representations, answer questions and give evidence at a meeting which they are entitled to attend in respect of the business on the agenda".

If the Clerk receives correspondence from a member of the public for a meeting which is not in the form of a written question what would you expect the Clerk to do if this means the correspondence will not submitted to the meeting.
by (1.5k points)

1 Answer

+1 vote
When I was a clerk I received a huge amount of correspondence, much of which was not relevant to the work of the council!  I'd deal with whatever I could deal with directly (reporting potholes for example), add an agenda item about anything that needed a decision by council, note some in an "information only" item where relevant and bin the rest.  Sometimes you have to rely on the experience of the Clerk to avoid being inundated with dross but I guess it depends upon the experience of the Clerk.
by (18.0k points)

Welcome to Town & Parish Councillor Q&A, where you can ask questions and receive answers from other members of the community. All genuine questions and answers are welcome. Follow us on Twitter to see the latest questions as they are asked - click on the image button above or follow @TownCouncilQA. Posts from new members may be delayed as we are unfortunately obliged to check each one for spam. Spammers will be blacklisted.

You may find the following links useful:

We have a privacy policy and a cookie policy.

Clares Cushions logo Peacock cushion

Clare's Cushions creates beautiful hand made cushions and home accessories from gorgeous comtemporary fabrics. We have a fantastic selection of prints including Sophie Allport and Orla Kiely designs and most covers can be ordered either alone or with a cushion inner. Buying new cushions is an affordable and effective way to update your home interior, they're also a great gift idea. Visit our site now

2,896 questions
5,619 answers
7,951 comments
10,028 users
Google Analytics Alternative