Ask a question at a city council meeting

City council meetings include a 20 minute time allocation for members of the public to ask questions (excluding the budget meeting and the AGM).

Each member of the public is allowed to ask one oral question per council meeting. You must submit your question in writing by email to council.team@birmingham.gov.uk, or by post to The Council Team, Democratic Services, Room 331, The Council House, Victoria Square, Birmingham, B1 1BB, no later than midday on the Friday before the meeting.

Once your question has been approved, you will be contacted for you to make arrangements for you to attend the council meeting to ask it in person.

Questions will be taken in the order received, within the time available. They must be asked exactly as submitted, and no supplementary questions are allowed. Questions must also fit the following criteria:

• no question must exceed 1 minute (no answer will exceed 2 minutes)
• the question must refer to an issue which affects Birmingham or falls within the council's responsibilities
• the question must not be substantially the same as a question which has been asked at a meeting of the council in the past 6 months
• the question must not be defamatory, frivolous, vexatious or offensive — It must not insult anyone and must be serious in nature
• the question must not require the disclosure of confidential or exempt information
• the question must not refer to individual planning or licensing matters, or any matter of a personal nature