Agenda item
TO RECEIVE WRITTEN QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
- Meeting of Council, Wednesday, 23rd January, 2013 7.30 p.m. (Item 6.)
- View the background to item 6.
The questions which have been received from members of the public for this Council meeting are set out in the attached report.
A maximum period of 20 minutes is allocated to this agenda item.
Decision:
6.1 Question from Mr Brian Nicholson regarding progress in recruiting a CEO for the Council.
6.2 Question from Mr Victor William about Weavers Adventure Playground.
6.4 Question from Ms Claire Harrisson about the ‘Old Flo’ Henry Moore sculpture.
6.6 Question from Mr Muhammad Shafique Islam about the Local Government Boundary Review.
6.7 Question from Mr Mohammed Mufti Miah about the impact of the Government Housing Benefit cap.
6.8 Question from Ms Lilian Collins about Poplar Baths.
6.9 Question from Mr Muhammad Haque about the Tower Hamlets People’s Education Life and History Archive.
The above questions and in each case (except where indicated) a supplementary question were put and were responded to by the relevant Executive Member.
Questions 6.3 and 6.5 were not put at the meeting as the questioners were not present. Written responses would be provided to the questions.
(Action by: John S Williams, Service Head, Democratic Services – to arrange written responses)
Minutes:
6.1 Question from Mr Brian Nicholson regarding progress in recruiting a CEO for the Council.
Can the Mayor tell us how the council is progressing with the recruitment of the CEO?
Response by Councillor Alibor Choudhury, Cabinet Member for Resources
Thank you for your question Brian. After 18 months, numerous processes and a number of legal actions at great cost to the Council, the Council has not appointed a CEO despite having good candidates amongst our senior officers.
The good thing is the Council has coped well and the Mayor has been able to continue to deliver on his key priorities. Despite not having a CEO and with the help of a strong senior management team of officers the Mayor has been able to deliver his manifesto pledges, fight the Government cuts, protect front line services and protect residents’ pockets. He has:-
· reintroduced EMA
· frozen Council Tax for four years
· built more homes than any other council in the country
· introduced a replacement 'Aim Higher' scheme
· established an energy cooperative to save residents hundreds of pounds on utility bills; and
· become the first Living Wage borough and is now campaigning for a Living Rent
In these circumstances the Mayor has written to the Group Leaders suggesting that the Council consider saving money by reviewing the need for a CEO post and investing those savings in front line services.
Summary of Supplementary Question from Mr Brian Nicholson
Whilst I am glad to hear that savings are being made, can you confirm to me whether an elected member recently settled a case out of court for a six figure sum and who the officer and Member concerned were?
Summary of Councillor Alibor Choudhury’s response to the Supplementary Question
[Officer note: In responding to the supplementary question Cllr Choudhury proceeded to name a member of the Council and alluded to the identity of a member of staff so as to make them easily identifiable and set out what was a highly inaccurate account of a confidential employment matter to which he, as a member of the executive, was party.
Confidentiality rules prevent the replication of Cllr Choudhury’s answer verbatim.]
6.2 Question from Mr Victor William about Weavers Adventure Playground.
First of all I would like to thank the Mayor for supporting the Weavers Adventure Playground with the MSG grants. We provide an exciting and stimulating environment for children and young people to play, learn, develop and increase their health and wellbeing. We would obviously like to continue our work given the safe, secure and multi-cultural environment that we offer.
It is precisely because of the current climate that our provision is of increasing importance. The impact to families and the community if Weavers has to reduce their opening hours will be enormous. We provide training opportunities for volunteers, many of whom have moved on to full time employment and we encourage participation from parents at all times. Indeed, it is not simply a playground but a vibrant community resource.
In these times of austerity, how can the council support our project to ensure that we continue to provide these services to the local community?
Response by Councillor Oliur Rahman, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services
Thank you for bringing this question. We recognise that Weavers Adventure Playground provides a valuable resource to the local community which is evident from our continued investment in the facility albeit at a reduced level of funding.
The Mayor and his administration are committed to supporting the local voluntary and community sector and we have maintained our grants programmes at a time when other authorities have cut theirs. Indeed, we have invested significantly more funding overall in our MSG programme, which means that projects such as Weavers can continue to provide much needed support to local residents, which is particularly important during these times of Tory-led austerity. I was very disappointed to see some of Labour Group tactics and increasingly strange behaviour from their Leader over this matter.
The new MSG programme will provide a diverse range of services to support the changing needs of our community and meet the increased demand for specific targeted support services. We will work closely with organisations that have seen a reduction in their grants and provide support to enable them to secure alternative sources of funding; and I am happy to meet your group to discuss your needs.
Summary of Supplementary Question from Mr Victor William
Will the Mayor ensure that our group is given proper consideration in future grant application rounds?
Summary of Councillor Oliur Rahman’s response to the Supplementary Question
Information about all future funding programmes will be advertised on the Council’s website. I will also be happy to put you in touch with officers who can offer advice.
6.3 Question from Ms Kathy McTasney about the Council’s financial settlement from Central Government.
The questioner was not in attendance. The Service Head, Democratic Services advised the meeting that a written response would be provided to the questioner [see Appendix A attached to these minutes].
6.4 Question from Ms Claire Harrisson about the ‘Old Flo’ Henry Moore sculpture.
There has been lots of press coverage about the disputed ownership of the Old Flo Henry Moore sculpture and the Mayor’s attempts to sell it. What steps were taken by the Council to ensure 100% that the sculpture actually belonged to Tower Hamlets?
Response by Councillor Rania Khan, Cabinet Member for Culture
Thank you Claire for your question. I understand that you were prominent in Cambridge University Labour and are an aspiring candidate.
For your information, the Council has checked all the records and leading Counsel has reviewed this and confirmed that it is his “firm opinion” that the Council is the owner.
I find it shocking that the Opposition tried everything to stop us from selling this to raise essential funds to invest in the borough’s future; and that members of this chamber are now supporting attempts to take this community asset from the people of Tower Hamlets for nothing. They should hang their heads in shame.
Summary of Supplementary Question from Ms Claire Harrison
How much money has the endeavour to sell the statue already cost the Council, including legal advice?
Summary of Councillor Rania Khan’s response to the Supplementary Question
I do not have the detailed figures in front of me but I can assure you that the sum involved is a very reasonable amount.
6.5 Question from Mr Junnel Uddin about the number of new homes being built in the borough.
The questioner was not in attendance. The Service Head, Democratic Services advised the meeting that a written response would be provided to the questioner [see Appendix A attached to these minutes].
6.6 Question from Mr Muhammad Shafique Islam about the Local Government Boundary Review.
Can the Mayor tell us what he is doing to the fight the offensive attempt by the Conservative group to erase Banglatown & Lansbury from the borough's ward map?
Response by Councillor Ohid Ahmed, Deputy Mayor
Thank you for your question. As I mentioned earlier, we condemn in the strongest possible way the clear attempt by the Conservative Party, led by Cllr. Peter Golds, to abolish historic ward names.
Cllr. Golds has caused deep offence by his attempts to influence the Local Government Boundary Commission in this way, and by his subsequent comments in a satellite channel interview on Sky 815, aired on 22nd November 2012 where he said about Banglatown, and I quote:-
‘What will happen if every single tiny group in the country suddenly decides they want their local government ward named after it? What are we going to have, Earls Court and Kangaroo Valley for the Australians?’
For these offensive and derogatory comments, Cllr. Golds should apologise not only to the residents of Spitalfields and Banglatown for the upset he has caused, but also to Australians and Bangladeshis
Summary of Supplementary Question from Mr Muhammad Shafique Islam
Will Councillor Peter Golds say sorry?
Summary of Councillor Ohid Ahmed’s response to the Supplementary Question
I think he should do.
6.7 Question from Mr Mohammed Mufti Miah about the impact of the Government Housing Benefit cap.
As we begin to feel the full impact of the Government Housing Benefit cap, can the Mayor update in this meeting what the Council is doing to inform residents and mitigate against the adverse impact?
Response by Councillor Rabina Khan, Cabinet Member for Housing
Thank you for your question. These reforms pose an enormous risk to the residents of Tower Hamlets – they will increase homelessness and poverty in the borough. They are reckless and undermine the work of Councils like ours to support the most vulnerable in our community. We can only help residents if they understand the changes occurring and are able to reach support and advice quickly.
We have created a £1m homelessness fund to support the most vulnerable families and residents.
I am delighted that through my and this Mayor’s
lobbying, we have ensured that the benefit cap will no longer be
implemented in Tower Hamlets in April, but later in the
year. We will be using this extra time
to ensure we reach even more residents with advice and
support.
Tower Hamlets has implemented a number of actions to mitigate the impact of the cap including:-
• Borough wide awareness campaigns of the changes
• Personalised joint housing options / employment advice visits to every household who is at ‘high’ and ‘medium’ risk
• A series of high profile drop in roadshow events (“Money Matters Month”) providing advice to over 600 residents in one month
• A short welfare reform video, booklet and practitioners guide
• Ongoing training for council, housing provider and partnership staff
• A rich number of resources for residents and practitioners on our website: www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/welfarereform
Meanwhile the Government’s response to the concerns of councils and charities up and down the country has been woeful and at the same time as working families are facing enormous problems the new Governor of the Bank of England has been awarded a £480k salary.
[No supplementary question arising from the above question or response was asked.]
Procedural Motion
Councillor Oliur Rahman moved and Councillor Ohid Ahmed seconded a procedural motion – “That under Procedure Rule 14.1.3 the order of business be altered to consider Motion 12.11 ‘Motion regarding the impact of Housing Benefit ‘reform’ on women and families” now, followed by Motion 12.13 “Motion against erasing the history of Tower Hamlets”. The procedural motion was put to the vote and was defeated.
The following Members requested that it be recorded that they voted in favour of the above procedural motion:- Councillors Kabir Ahmed, Ohid Ahmed, Rofique Ahmed, Shahed Ali, Abdul Asad, Lutfa Begum, Alibor Choudhury, Shafiqul Haque, Aminur Khan, Rabina Khan, Rania Khan, Harun Miah, Maium Miah, Oliur Rahman and Gulam Robbani.
6.8 Question from Ms Lilian Collins about Poplar Baths.
We are very pleased with the announcement made by the Mayor about the plans to bring back Poplar Baths into community use.
Can the Mayor outline the next steps and possible timescales to complete the restoration of the Baths?
Response by Councillor Rabina Khan, Cabinet Member for Housing
Thank you Lil for your question. May I take the opportunity, on behalf of the Mayor and this Administration, to thank you and your colleagues for your tireless campaigning and dedication to bring this historic site back into community use.
We are delighted to be bringing this much loved community asset back into use where residents can again enjoy first class leisure facilities and restore the baths to its former glory.
In terms of next steps, you will be consulted on the design and pre planning consultation by the end of May 2013 and we hope start on site in December 2013 or January 2014.
Summary of Supplementary Question from Ms Lilian Collins
Will the Mayor be looking to bring other heritage buildings back into community use?
Summary of Councillor Rabina Khan’s response to the Supplementary Question
The Mayor has worked to bring back or improve a number of important locations including Bancroft Library, the Cable Street mural, Stairway to Heaven memorial and Victoria Park and will continue to protect and promote the borough’s proud heritage.
6.9 Question from Mr Muhammad Haque about the Tower Hamlets People’s Education Life and History Archive.
Will Tower Hamlets Council support in principle the Tower Hamlets Peoples Education Life and History Archive that is a move to record and chronicle for present and future generations the lives of all the people who make up this community?
Response by Councillor Rania Khan, Cabinet Member for Culture
This Administration recognises the importance of local history projects and histories of all communities that make up our borough. They strengthen community cohesion and reinforce our One Tower Hamlets policy in the borough. For example the Mayor saved Bancroft Library from the previous administration’s intention to dispose of it.
The Council is aware of the aspiration of Youth Initiative UK to establish a centre in the borough. A number of organisations have already indicated their support for this project and on the basis of the information provided we will be pleased to support the initiative in principle and wish the project well for its fundraising.
Summary of Supplementary Question from Mr Muhammad Haque
As far as possible in the current economic climate, will the Council be able to offer practical support to this organisation?
Summary of Councillor Rania Khan’s response to the Supplementary Question
We recognise the importance of the project. We have a history of supporting the preservation of the Borough’s history and will offer support where we can.
Supporting documents: