[David Collins]

Shouldnt it be "Questions to the Leader?" I think the National Assembly for Wales used to have a small committee whose sole task was to grill the First Minister (Welsh for Prime Minister) every few months. Have a word with Fay Bowen or Sian Fipps from their scrutiny team.

[Ed Hammond]

I'd agree with David and suggest that really it should be the Leader rather than the Chief Exec attending a set-piece event like this.

I don't know about specific councils which get the CEx or Leader in to answer questions (presumably in a similar way to the way that the Commons Liaison Committee question the PM once a year?) but hopefully over the course of this thread we will find out.

[Peter Marrington]

One of our O&S Boards has a 'questions to the Leader' every quarter at the same time as taking the financial and performance quarterly report.

[Josh Mynott]

For the last couple of years, we've dedicated a full meeting in autumn to the leader (and cabinet members attend the relevant committee for their portfolio too). The idea is that we do a look back at budget / performance & a look forward to get scrutiny priorities into the next year's budget setting/ business planning at a nice and early stage.

It works OK

The Chief exec is there too, but only to support - I completely agree that whether it's every meeting, quarterly or whatever, it should be the leader, not the chief exec