19 September 2021
A Joint Statement from Ben Price, Chair of the Audit Committee and James Wright, Chair of the Scrutiny Committee on Norwich City Council.
We are very disappointed that a proposal has been made to put an end to the opportunity for questions to be asked of the chairs of the Audit and Scrutiny committees at full council meetings. This proposal, which is being put forward by Labour councillors makes this council less democratic and less accountable. We were not consulted on any potential changes and we can see no reason for them. We suspect that Labour councillors are seeking to restrict debate and to make the council less transparent and open. If the administration is embarrassed by public exchanges of information about the council’s work, it should carefully consider its working practices and the decisions that come from them rather than making an effort to prevent information about these working practices and decisions being made public. We hope that councillors will see fit to reject the proposal that has been made and retain the opportunity for us, as chairs of the two committees which hold the council’s cabinet to account, to be questioned by other councillors and by members of the public on the work that we do.
Note: This statement was published in response to proposals made at Norwich City Council’s constitution working party on 16th September.
