The Committee received a report that focused on Overview and Scrutiny’s Review of the Council’s Response to COVID-19 which was a culmination of the Committee’s work over the last 6 months in relation to the response to the pandemic in LBTH and to reflect local feedback on the plans in place to support residents.  The Chair thanked Committee Members for their contributions; the officers for all their hard work; and all of those who had participated. The main points on the discussion maybe summarised as follows:

The Committee:

• Agreed that the report provides a particularly good summary of the work undertaken in providing an overview and scrutiny of the Council’s COVID response.
• Recognised as with any unprecedented event, we can learn from it, and hopefully the report can add to that learning.
• Noted that the recommendations are intended to build on the Council’s pandemic response, review issues revealed and improve outcomes for residents and stakeholders in the borough’s ongoing recovery.
• Noted that with regard to Recommendation 7 of the report concerning  support for market traders to ensure (i) that they are provided with business development support to increase their resilience; and if future grants become available better support market traders to ensure their COVID-19 costs are covered in the same way as was offered to other businesses.  The view was expressed that compared to some other London Boroughs Tower Hamlets needed to be brought more into line with what other councils offer. However, the Committee was pleased to note that this has now been addressed.
• Noted that there had been an underspend of £1.5m sum on the original £3.7m but this underspend has now been allocated and it shows the value of the Committee asking questions about it over the course of the past three to four months.
• Noted that several queries had been received from businesses that are currently not paying rates about the process for review or appeal and that they would some clarity around this.
• Noted that the £1.5m that was underspent has now been allocated and that includes another payment to market traders so in the first round of the grant market traders those that were full time were paid £720.00  and those that were part time were paid £300.60 and those eligible market-rate from the second round were paid another Same amount again. Therefore, in total full-time market traders were paid £1,480.00 and those that part-time in total were paid £612.00. Accordingly, it was agreed that the report needs to be amended to present the most up to date position.
• Agreed that this recommendation should stand to ensure that market traders to get fair; equitable and reasonable support at the time that it is available. Also, the Committee wanted clarity from the Council as to why it had not been set at the higher rate. As this meant that market traders had been expected to live on £720.00 over a six-month period and that clearly was not sustainable.
• Agreed that there was also an issue about the about the overall proportion of funding that was allocated to market traders and that it is worth reflecting on if we if we are to face a similar situation in future.
• Agreed the appeals or review mechanism referred to earlier needs to address these cases swiftly.
• Was reminded that regarding Recommendation 8 and the support to community organisations to ensure that vulnerable and isolated residents have adequate access to a hot meal. It was accepted that some of this responsibility resides with the Council that it is really important issue.
• Was concerned about the amount of support that is being made available to the Borough’s most vulnerable constituents due to the absence of the “meals on wheels” and illustrates what such a service can do beyond just providing a hot meal.
• Hoped that the Council could learn from this and develop a compromise solution for the future, especially if there should be a second wave of the pandemic.
• Agreed that the Chair with Committee Members would go away and look at how to strengthen Recommendation 8 with reference to: (i) to the Councils statutory responsibility to deliver hot meals to those in need; (ii) where the funding came from to provide hot meals in the school holidays; and (iii) better appreciate the value to mental health of hot meals and social interaction.
• Agreed that to keep driving progress on the report’s recommendations there needs to be an update report at every meeting with evidence on the progress to date and that this issue should be built into the Committees and Sub-Committees work programme.
• Welcomed the level of evidence in the report especially (i) the testimonies provided by members of the community; and (ii) the high level of information that had been submitted.
• Agreed that many of the recommendations could be implemented now before there is another lockdown.
• Wished to see as referenced in Recommendation 1 that the Council should establish a commission to collate and disseminate information (including specifically to Overview and Scrutiny and other members) on impacts of COVID-19 on residents and stakeholders, service users and services and develop an understanding on long term trends of COVID-19, including differing demand for office space and housing and health services.

The Chair Moved and it was: -

RESOLVED to:

1. The Overview & Scrutiny Committee noted the report and recommendations; and
2. Authorise the Divisional Director Strategy, Policy & Performance to amend the report following comments by the Committee, in consultation with the OSC Chair, following agreement of the report at OSC.

ACTION BY: Sharon Godman, (Divisional Director, Strategy, Policy and Performance)