The district council refused permission for a set of questions regarding the suspension of three Conservative politicians to be read out at a meeting last month, it has been revealed.

Councillors and members of the public are given the opportunity to ask questions at full council meetings if they have formally submitted them beforehand.

However when Conservative councillor George Sandy submitted two questions to South Bucks District Council (SBDC) ahead of the July meeting, he was told they would not be read out to members.

In April Cllrs Barry Harding, Roger Reed and Jacquetta Lowen-Cooper were suspended from the Conservative group that sits on SBDC amid a mystery investigation.

In emails seen by the Free Press Cllr Sandy demanded to know why the district council “failed” to provide appropriate support for the politicians after they suffered “even deeper political damage and personal embarrassment.”

He asked: “In view of the fact that three members were suspended, due process ignored, and their suspensions leaked to the press, could the council please say what remedial action will be taken to restore their reputations and make unreserved apologies for having done so?”

However the councillor was told by SBDC’s director of public resources, Jim Burness, that the questions could not be raised at full council as the issue is “an internal Conservative group matter”.

Spokesman for SBDC, Rachel Prance, added: “The Constitution (CPR 10.2) allows members to ask a question at council meetings on “any matter in relation to which the council has powers or duties or which affects the district.

“Whether a question meets these criteria is considered by the director of resources. In this case the director noted that Cllr Sandy’s questions did not relate to actions taken by the council itself or council officers, in carrying out the Council’s powers and duties.

“Therefore the questions did not meet the criteria and Cllr Sandy was informed of that decision at the time.”