PLANS to hold a public "question time" involving all the parties on the council has been temporarily scuppered.

The Green Group hoped to increase openness and accountability at the town halls by enabling members of the public to quiz leading councillors and the chief executive about any of the council's activities.

But some publicity-shy councillors have pulled the plug on the idea!

Cllr Jon Barry, the Green Group leader, originally proposed that a public question time should be held during Local Democracy Week in mid-September.

This was postponed due to the John O' Gaunt by-election so Cllr Barry suggested to Group Leaders that it should be held in October instead.

Labour and Conservative representatives would not agree to this, claiming that it might as well wait until the next Local Democracy Week in September 2001.

Jon Barry was dismayed at this reaction but has decided to persevere with the idea: "Local democracy should be a priority in the Lancaster district all year round. I am astounded that Labour and Tory councillors have blocked this proposal with the feeble excuse that we have missed Local Democracy Week.

"Perhaps they are afraid to face the public and answer difficult questions.

"We will persevere with this idea, by taking it to the community affairs sub-committee in October. We will be proposing that the council holds public question times every three months. This type of open forum has worked well at other local authorities - it is time to try it here and encourage the public to come and find out for themselves who's who and what's going on at the city council."