Members of the public will soon be able put questions to their local leaders at more meetings as part of a trial scheme — but they’ve been told to keep it clean, respectful and on topic.

Medway Council cabinet meetings will now allocate 20 minutes for them to be quizzed on every agenda as part of an effort to offer more interactions with residents.

Previously public questions were able to be asked only at Full Council meetings, but a six month trial will now allow questions to be posed directly to members at every cabinet meeting.

The cabinet meeting next Tuesday (June 3) will be the first time the option is available.

Questions which are related to items on the agenda of the next meeting will be prioritised, but any question relating to functions of the cabinet or on cabinet decisions will be allowed.

Members will answer as many questions as they can within the 20 minute allotment and any left unanswered will receive a written response after the fact.

Questions should be submitted to the council’s website at least three working days before the meeting.

Attendees will be able to ask their question, plus a supplementary question following the cabinet member’s answer to the first.

The council’s website has a full list of all the meetings when questions are able to asked as well as the deadlines for submitting questions.

However they can be rejected by the council if they are not about a matter for which the council has responsibility, or which does not affect the area.

Questions considered frivolous, defamatory, offensive, racist, sexist, homophobic or otherwise improper will also not be permitted..

They can also be rejected if it is substantially the same as a question which has been put at a meeting of the council in the past six months, or requires the disclosure of confidential or exempt information.

If a question is rejected an explanation will be given as to why.

All questions and their answers will be recorded and published for public view after the meeting.

Those who submit a question but can’t attend in person can send a representative to ask the question on their behalf.