How can I ask an MP, MLA or councillor a question that needs an answer?

A representative can be asked to explain a position, account for a public commitment or describe action taken with the responsible authority. You do not need to begin with praise, party loyalty or an accusation.

Keep the office's powers in view. MPs have parliamentary mechanisms for questioning and scrutinising ministers; that is different from directly operating every local service. 1 2

Make the question answerable

Use this template:

On [date], you or your office stated [specific commitment]. The record [document and location] shows [specific fact].

What action has your office taken on this issue? Please share the date, responsible authority and any reference or response. What remains to be done, and where can residents check the next update?

Keep a quotation exact and short. For a paraphrase, say so. Do not imply a commitment was made if you only remember a general campaign slogan.

Match the request to the recipient

Ask the representative about their intervention or policy position. Ask the responsible department about operational action. Ask for an existing record through the relevant information route when that is what you need.

A general question to an elected office and a statutory RTI request are different things. RTI concerns existing information; it does not require an official to create a new answer to every hypothetical political question. 3

Check whether the reply changes the subject

In a hypothetical example, you ask when a promised clinic will begin operating. A response listing the total health budget does not answer the opening-date question. Reply with the gap: “Thank you. Which record gives the clinic's operating date and staffing status?”

A response may also identify a genuine limit: another authority controls the decision, funding has not been approved or the date is uncertain. Record that answer and test any factual explanation rather than demanding false certainty.

Keep the record fair

Save the original question, channel, date and full reply. Distinguish “no response received by this date” from “refused to answer”. Do not edit out a material explanation when sharing the exchange.

Choose a safe and practical channel. Public confrontation is not a requirement for accountability, and no template guarantees a reply. Repeated harassment, exposure of private contact details or threats do not improve the evidence.