The questions which have been received from Councillors to be put at this Council meeting are set out in the attached report.  A maximum period of 30 minutes is allocated to this agenda item.

 

 

The following questions and in each case supplementary questions were put (except where indicated) and were responded to by the Mayor or relevant Executive Member.

 

9.1       Question from Councillor Dipa DasCan the Mayor update members on the pledge to welcome 10 unaccompanied child refugees to our borough, under the Dubs scheme?

 

The response of Mayor John Biggs:

 

•           I am pleased to say that all 10 young people that we pledged to accommodate via the Dubs arrangements have arrived and are being actively supported.

•           The young people have a range of complex needs and trauma from their life within an active war-zone.

•           Despite these challenges most have settled well and are engaged in education and training with a view to obtaining employment in the coming months.

•           The Government provides only a fraction of the cost to host unaccompanied refugees. We estimate that the shortfall is over £2,500 a week and so my budget proposals include a growth bid to meet this.

•           Despite the squeeze on the Council’s budget I’m proud we are doing the right thing continuing the legacy of the East End welcoming refugees.

•           In contrast last week the government voted to water down their commitments. Children should not be bargaining chips in any EU negotiations: child refugees should be with their families and the UK government should be fighting for them.

•           We will continue to lobby government through London councils to properly fund this scheme in the future.

 

No supplementary question was asked.

 

9.2       Question from CouncillorPeter Golds Will the Mayor comment on how the Council will use the recently announced £5.1 million homeless grant from the Government?

 

•           The response of Councillor Sirajul Islam Statutory Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Housing:This funding is to support the implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act and the new responsibilities that fall on councils as a result of the Act as well as to tackle rough sleeping. This funding is used for various purposes including staffing, homelessness prevention initiatives and securing temporary accommodation. This includes the conversion of empty/redundant buildings for use as temporary accommodation.

 

Supplementary question from Councillor Peter Golds: (i) In 2018/2019 the Council used £140m from reserves to buy new properties please can we be provided with the details on the outcome of that expenditure; and (ii) Can we also be provided with details of what the £5.1 million Homeless Grant from Government will be spent on.

 

Response of Councillor Sirajul Islam: I will undertake to provide you with that information.

 

9.3       Question from Councillor Sufia Alam How is the Council preparing for any forthcoming inspection of Youth Justice Services?

 

The response of Councillor Danny Hassell Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Young People:

 

·                We are committed to ensuring that the work of the Youth Offending Team ensures that young people leave the service with improved circumstances and aspirations, in line with our ambition to give ‘Every Chance for Every Child’.

·                Since the new inspection framework was introduced in 2018 by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation in 2018, the Youth Justice Service has done a lot of work to prepare for inspection, in line with the current guidelines.

·                This work has been aided by the Youth Justice Management Board and the scrutiny of the independent Chair in driving improvements forward.

·                In a recent example of this performance monitoring work, the Youth Justice Service looked into the health needs of children in partnership with Public Health and highlighted areas where we can improve our health offer.  There have also been other deep dives on children looked after, school attendance and exclusions and further are planned later this year.

·                The service has worked hard to adapt to the new inspection framework and we should be pleased with their efforts.

 

 

Supplementary question from Councillor Sufia Alam: How is the Youth Justice Management Board working to support the Youth Offending Team?

 

The Board under the new independent Chair has been driving improvements forward with spotlight sessions to focus on specific areas; looking at the impact of services upon young people’s lives and how more can been done to support them. This will help to develop the plans to improve services and assist Board Members when they visit the front line providers.

 

9.4       Question from Councillor Andrew Wood Has the Council been involved in or signed off on the large salary increases granted by Veolia to staff before they transfer to Tower Hamlets Council from the 1st April 2020?

 

The response of Councillor David Edgar Cabinet Member for Environment:

 

·                The Council has not been involved in or signed off any salary increase to Veolia staff in advance of the transfer to Tower Hamlets Council. The latest pay round for Veolia staff was agreed in winter 2019 and covers pay from 1 April last year.

·                Under TUPE, Veolia staff will transfer into the Council on 29th March this year. They will transfer at their current pay point and in line with their contract of employment. From that point they will receive the same annual increments as other LBTH staff for the 2020-21 financial year.

 

Supplementary question from Councillor Andrew Wood: Did Veolia not discuss the pay increase with the Council?

 

The response from Councillor David Edgar: The pay negotiations are between Veolia and the TU representing the workforce. It is therefore not appropriate for LBTH to be involved.

 

9.5       Question from Councillor Kyrsten Perry What steps are we taking as a Council to tackle the climate emergency?

 

The response of Councillor Rachel Blake Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Air Quality:

 

·                Since 2009 the Council has been monitoring its carbon emissions and has committed to achieving a 60% carbon dioxide emissions reduction from our own operations by March 2021. By March 2019, we had already achieved 58% reduction in carbon emission and are well on track to exceed our target;

·                Yet, with this achievement, there is still more work to be done and further dialogue needed on a national and local level;

·                As a result, the Council declared a climate emergency and set a very ambitious target to become net zero carbon by 2025 from our own operations;

·                We are developing a Zero Carbon Roadmap and a progress report to Cabinet is scheduled for the first half of 2020 which will help us achieve our goal.

·                Additionally, we have established a Carbon Fund which has delivered a number of projects helping schools, small businesses and residential homes become more energy efficient and reduce carbon emissions.

·                The Carbon Fund has received £3.8m to help fund our efforts to reduce carbon emissions in out borough.

 

No supplementary question was asked.

 

9.6       Question from Councillor Shah Ameen Can we have an update from the cabinet member on the two recent fatal incidents in Whitechapel ward and what the police and the council are doing to improve confidence amongst residents?

 

No supplementary question was asked.

 

The response of Mayor John Biggs:

 

I was shocked and saddened to learn of these two incidents. In both cases, police have made arrests and charged suspects with murder.

 

I would like to reassure Members and the community that we have been working closely with the police to do all we can to respond to these awful incidents.

 

·                The police have brought in extra officers to mount additional patrols and provide a visible police presence in the area.

·                The council has provided dedicated THEO patrols, deployed our Rapid Response Team and our CCTV suite was used in the murder investigation.

·                I attended a public meeting at Toynbee Hall along with the police, housing providers and ward councillors to listen to residents and provide reassurance that we are responding.

·                On the 19th December, 2019 the Council and police conducted operation ‘Continuum Plus’ in Whitechapel to target ASB and organised crime.

 

No supplementary question was asked. 

 

9.7       Question from Councillor Leema Qureshi What progress has been made against the commitment to plant 1,000 trees across the Borough?

 

·         The Council is committed to delivering a cleaner, greener Tower Hamlets and planting 1,000 trees across the borough is one of the Mayor’s pledges to achieve that;

·         We are making good progress with the first phase of tree planting of 300 trees being completed this month. For year one, the Poplar and Bow area have been targeted with 150 trees on scheduled to be planted in each area; and

·         The remaining trees will be planted in the Autumn/Winter 2020 and 2021. We will provide updates on the progress as we continue to improve our public spaces.

 

No supplementary question was asked. 

 

9.8       Question from Councillor Mohammed Pappu When will the identified changes that are urgently needed regarding parking around City Island & Orchard place be implemented?

 

The response of Mayor John Biggs:

 

• Officers are progressing with the introduction of 14 new parking spaces on the slip road onto the Lower Lea crossing and Orchard place beside the 339 bus stop;
• The potential for further additional spaces is limited but will be explored for creation when construction of new developments in the area is completed.
• The legal Traffic Management Order procedures will commence within the next couple of weeks and, following the necessary works, the new parking bays are expected to be operational in April/May.

 

Supplementary question from Councillor Mohammed Pappu: This has been an issue for residents since they moved into their properties. I would therefore like to extend an invitation to the Mayor to come and discuss this issue with the residents.

 

The response of Mayor John Biggs:

 

• I would welcome the opportunity and come and met with resident to discuss this matter.

 

9.9       Question Councillor Denise Jones With continued austerity for local government, what level of savings is Tower Hamlets required to make over the coming years and is there any indication from the new Conservative Government that this situation will improve any time soon?

 

The Response of Councillor Candida Ronald Cabinet Member for Resources and the Voluntary Sector:

 

• Throughout a decade of austerity, we have seen our  budgets cut year after year and the Council has had to make £190 million in savings since 2010.
• Tower Hamlets has seen a huge increase in demand for key services driven by rapid population growth and changing demographics and this is forecast to continue with the equivalent of 14 new residents every day for the next ten years. The Government is also expected to bring forward the so-called ‘Fair Funding’ review which could take money away from areas of high deprivation like Tower Hamlets and redirect it.
• These challenges combined with reduced funding mean that the squeeze on local government looks set to continue, and Tower Hamlets Council still has to save an extra £39 million by 2023.
• Next month we’ll debate our new budget proposals. We’ve worked hard to produce a budget that protects key frontline services that residents rely on – however each year this is becoming harder as demand grows and government cuts continue.

 

Supplementary question from Councillor Denise Jones: Has Councillor Peter Golds and Councillor Andrew Wood approached the Mayor to discuss making a joint approach to the Government regarding an end to austerity.

 

The Response of Councillor Candida Ronald: Whilst I am not aware of any approach from those Members we are on regular dialogue through London Councils with local authorities regardless of their political persuasion.

 

9.10    Question Councillor Puru Miah Can the Mayor please give an update on the implementation in the Council of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) Islamophobia definition, passed by the Council in March?

 

The response of Mayor John Biggs:

 

• It is entirely right that the Council does all it can to challenge and address discrimination and inequality faced by any and all of our faith communities. Since the adoption of the Islamophobia definition last year Cabinet has also received and agreed a refreshed Equality Policy reaffirming the Councils commitment to equality including setting out clearly the responsibility of officers and members.
• Members of staff will have seen the Council’s adoption of both the Islamophobia and anti-Semitism definitions and plans are in place in coming weeks to reiterate the text of the definitions and our wider equalities duties through our internal communications channels. This is in addition to incorporating them into the training offer for members and officers.

 

Supplementary question from Councillor Puru Miah: Is the Mayor aware that it is considered to be Islamophobia to criticise the “right of a people to self-determination”?

 

The response of Mayor John Biggs: I would be happy to sit down with the Member to discuss the implications of the definition to the Borough.

 

9.11    Question from Councillor Val Whitehead What action will the Mayor and lead Member take to ensure Clarion Housing improve their contact centre and repair service which is causing severe detriment to our Bow residents?

 

The response of Councillor Sirajul Islam Statutory Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Housing:

 

• Clarion’s performance in this area continues to be of concern, particularly with regards to repairs and responsiveness to residents and members complaints.
• Meetings have taken place with Clarion’s Head of Housing and an Action Plan has been devised which highlights key areas for significant improvement with repairs and complaint being two key components however there is clearly still a lot of work to be done.
• All of the Bow councillors have fought on behalf of residents to get Clarion to up their game and the Mayor and I remain committed to working alongside you to stand up for our residents and insist they are given the service they deserve.

 

No supplementary question was asked.

 

9.12    Question from Councillor Dan Tomlinson How are discussions with Transport for London progressing with respect to the construction of new pedestrian crossings over the A12 at Bromley-by-Bow? This scheme has been consulted on, developer contributions are available for it, and yet there has been little sign of progress over the past year.

 

The response of Mayor John Biggs:

 

• You are entirely right, the Bromley-by-Bow A12 improvements have been a long time coming, despite TfL and the LLDC beginning development work back in 2010.
• Public consultation took place in April 2017 and progress has been frustratingly slow.
• TfL report that they have completed their detailed engineering design work and I am advised that a preferred option was agreed in December. This would result in the delivery of a grade junction on the A12 to provide direct access to the development area off Hancock Road. This would also allow for new pedestrian crossings across the A12 as well as the potential for an east – west bus route crossing the A12.
• While the design work is complete there remain a number of issues regarding land ownership on the site which still need to be resolved by the LLDC before a schedule for works can be agreed. I will be writing to the LLDC later this week to urge them to expedite this.

 

No supplementary question was asked.

 

9.13    Question from Councillor John Pierce What actions has the Mayor of Tower Hamlets taken to tackle anti-social behaviour in the Boundary Estate?

 

The response of Mayor John Biggs:

 

• As you know, tackling crime and ASB are key mayoral priorities and the council has invested over £3 million to fund additional police officers. We are also enhancing our THEO and ASBs teams to help bring offenders to justice.
• On the Boundary Estate, resident’s main concerns of ASB relate to the Shoreditch night-time economy. One of the issues we have is revellers parking on the estate, playing loud music and drinking before and after using clubs and bars in Hackney. Unfortunately, this also attracts drug dealing activity.
• Following a public meeting with residents in September, the council has taken swift action including:

 

·         Changing parking restrictions dissuade revellers from using the estate.

·         Repairing the lighting at Arnold Circus and other parks. Further work is taking place to prevent ongoing vandalism. 

·         The Liveable Streets programme will improve the public realm and will design-out crime, making it harder for drug dealers to use local streets and estates.

·         The area also significantly benefits from the council-funded police who target those involved in the sale and supply of drugs.

 

No supplementary question was asked.

 

9.14    Question from Councillor James King Can I have an update on the process and funding thereof of the structural repair of Malting and Brewster Houses?

 

The response of Councillor Sirajul Islam Statutory Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Housing:

 

• We have a duty of care to residents at Malting and Brewster Houses to ensure their safety. We have shared information with residents through the process so they are aware of the structural issues with the blocks which we are seeking to resolve.
• The decision on the structural repair was deferred at Cabinet in June 2019 subject to further discussion with residents.
• Following this it was agreed to do further work to validate the structural works and the arising costs for both Malting and Brewster Houses.
• The Council has employed Arup and Potter Rappers to independently validate the structural works and the costs as they are experts in their field with experience on other similar projects. We will continue to work with tenants and leaseholders to ensure any costs are as fair as possible.
• The final reports are anticipated in January 2020 and will then go to Cabinet for a final decision.

 

Supplementary question from Councillor James King: Whilst I appreciate work with tenants and leaseholders it has now been six months since the decision to defer the structural repairs.  This has been a cause of uncertainty for both tenants and leaseholders.  Therefore, what is being done to ensure the timeline for this project is adhered to?

 

The response of Councillor Sirajul Islam: We have had to take a proper review of the works required and we will you provide you with an update in January on Malting and Brewster Houses.

 

9.15    Question from Councillor Marc Francis Will the Lead Member for Housing Services explain the rationale for the proposal to scrap Band 3 of the Choice Based Lettings scheme effectively denying those 8,000 households the chance of a move to social housing in Tower Hamlets unless they become disabled, homeless or overcrowded?

 

Written response to be provided.

 

9.16    Question from Councillor Asma Islam The Conservative Party’s general election manifesto promised to ‘continue the roll-out of Universal Credit’ – does the Mayor think this is the right thing to do given the impact of universal credit on residents in Tower Hamlets?

 

Written response to be provided.

 

9.17    Question from Councillor Kahar Chowdhury A study from the IPPR has found that social security payments are now at their lowest level since the launch of the welfare state, and the Trussell Trust reveals that the demand for food banks has risen by 3,772% over the last decade. What steps is the council taking to mitigate some of the worst impacts of austerity in Tower Hamlets?

 

The response of Councillor Rachel Blake Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Air Quality:

 

·                The need for food banks is a national disgrace and should not be a feature of society in 2020.

·                They are a symbol of a decade of austerity are impacting on the most vulnerable in society.

·                The Government’s benefit changes through its introduction of Universal Credit, the benefit cap and measures like the bedroom tax have chipped away of the welfare safety net.

·                I’m proud that as a council we have set aside £6.6 million to a flagship Tackling Poverty Fund.

·                It provides crisis grants which many councils have cut to help residents in desperate need.

·                It also funds an outreach team to work with residents moving to Universal Credit – this team has so far assisted over 900 residents to claim a projected £1.2 million p/a.

·                It has also funded new research on the policy changes which has led to work identifying unclaimed benefits - such a recent pension credit campaign which led to an extra £150k p/a being claimed by residents.

·                LBTH is working to deliver council homes and get residents into employment and training also plays a key role in helping residents.

·                We will continue to lobby government to stop its damaging austerity policies.

 

Supplementary question from Councillor Kahar Chowdhury: My thanks to Councillor Blake for being proactive and providing a much needed safety net for many of the most vulnerable residents.  However, these residents want to be able to (i) maximise their income; (ii) secure their situation financially; and no longer be dependent on food banks etc.  Therefore what is being done to help on the most vulnerable in the community?

 

The response of Councillor Rachel Blake: We have been mapping out where some of the most vulnerable residents how maybe eligible for additional benefits.  It is through this proactive approach that we are working to ensure that all residents who are eligible to claim are maximising their income.

 

9.18    Question from Councillor Rabina Khan the Community Language Service campaign held another meeting in December 2019 raising concerns that the service may not be running as promised by the Mayor?  Will the service be running as previously?

 

Response from Councillor Sabina Akhtar Cabinet Member for Culture, Arts and Brexit:

 

·                The Councils is facing increasingly difficult decisions as a result of reductions in funding.  As a result we have to explore new ways of services being delivered.

·                We value community language provision in Tower Hamlets which is why we have worked closely with parents, pupils, tutors and community groups to explore options for providing the service.

·                At last month’s Cabinet Meeting a paper was presented outlining four options. Instead of closing the service as many other councils have decided to do, the Mayor listened to representations and agreed that while the council cannot afford to continue direct funding of the CLS, we will provide funding, training and free venue space in the Council’s award winning Idea Stores for community organisations who want to continue the CLS classes they currently run.

 

As the time had expired for this item no supplementary question was asked.