No it's not a "fair question", it's a weasel way of saying "I bet you haven't/won't/can't get the paperwork sorted".
But it is a perfectly fair question! I, for one, would be a bit hacked off after travelling from the E. Midlands, to find that the campsite I had booked did not exist. Since there have been allegations from Sydmouth resident(s) that the council will not licence various sites, it is important for us to know that the allegations were either false or out of date.
Personally I can check these things with Lynne (who knows about these things) but not everyone knows a member of the committee.