Agenda item
TO RECEIVE WRITTEN QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL
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.
Minutes:
The following questions and in each case (except where indicated) a supplementary question were put and were responded to by the relevant Executive Member:-
8.1 Question from Councillor Danny Hassell
Given the issues raised by the inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham, what steps has this administration taken to ensure that procedures and services are robust in safeguarding young people here in Tower Hamlets?
Response by Councillor Gulam Robbani, Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Services
Thank you Mr Hassell, Councillor Hassell for your question.
This is a very important issue, a very sensitive one, and recent revelation around Rotherham is rather shocking and sad.
In terms of our administration, we place safeguarding children as our top priority and on that end Mayor earlier on he said Mayor and I have commissioned an independent investigation, independent review of our safeguarding process and also we asked for officers to carry out an extensive audit of our safeguarding process and procedure.
We are committed to provide the best service in terms of safeguarding and therefore I would recommend all our Councillors to attend a future safeguarding meeting coming up some time in October and therefore I could assure the Chamber is that we have a very robust safeguarding board in place and we have an independent Chair who chairs this safeguarding board and we have a very good record on safeguarding children in this authority.
Supplementary question from Councillor Danny Hassell
I thank the Lead Member for his response and am sure we all welcome the review that he’s mentioned. I understand the review will be looking at the arrangements, the procedures and processes for dealing with child sexual exploitation.
I wonder if in addition I could ask the Lead Member to request that there is an independent audit of some of the previous cases that have been dealt with by the Council and partners so that we can identify direct lessons from these to be implemented for the future.
Councillor Gulam Robbani’s response to the supplementary question
In terms of I say that we also asked for an extensive audit of safeguarding process and safeguarding cases and am happy to ensure any lesson to be learned from Rotherham experience we will do so.
8.2 Question from Councillor Mahbub Alam
Will the Council join me in congratulating Cllr Rabina Khan in being nominated for the ‘Hero of the Year’ award in the 2014 European Diversity Awards and also wish her the best of luck?
Response by Councillor Oliur Rahman, Deputy Mayor
Thank you Mr Speaker it gives me great pleasure to respond to this question. Well done to Councillor Rabina for being shortlisted for 2014 European Diversity awards which celebrates individuals, organisation and businesses excellence and promoting equality and diversity across Europe.
Councillor Khan is a fantastic asset to this Council.
She has rightly has been shortlisted for her engagement in local community, wider society through her writing directing and producing work.
Her support in delivering government regeneration initiatives such as Bethnal Green City Challenge and management of education and empowerment project for the local women and young girls from ethnic minority communities were particularly praised, especially round challenging perception of muslim women and advocating integration of muslim women in mainstream society across Europe. So I do join Councillor Alam congratulating Councillor Rabina Khan for this nomination and I think she may be able to teach one or two Councillors in this Chamber about some of the diversity that they should be following when it comes to serving residents of this borough.
(No supplementary question was put)
8.3 Question from Councillor Andrew Wood
The Mayor has stated repeatedly that Tower Hamlets has some of the best urban schools in the world, can he explain why over the last five years the number of children attending primary schools rated by OSTED as Outstanding in the Bethnal Green & Bow area has declined so sharply; and why the percentage of children attending LA primary schools in the borough rated as Inadequate by OFSTED is twice as high as any neighbouring borough?
Response by Councillor Gulam Robbani, Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Services
Yes thank you Councillor Wood I know am not sure you asked question or you made a lot of statements.
I know some of you would like to say negative things about our children and our education of our schools. You would know that our borough has been increasing the result year on year, every year. You have compared some of the stats you are trying to confuse people.
In 2009 you talk about our results. In 2009 we had 75% of our schools either outstanding or good and now we have 86%, therefore there is increase or improvement of 11% and also level 4 children on day when they leave primary school it has risen by 6% therefore our school performance is improving and by all the administration, the current administration, the last administration had invested on education and this we are currently investing on education particularly on our free school meal just recently started and also the Mayor’s education allowance, the higher education allowance, lots of things happening in this Borough.
Therefore it is a surprise that you want to paint a misleading picture for this Borough. You talked about Mayor talking about the world class education and that is not just Mayor it is the Department for Education and we have some of the best urban schools in the world.
Supplementary question from Councillor Andrew Wood
All I can suggest is that when you are next on the internet go to Ofsted Data View. Do the analysis for yourself, you can see basically what the numbers look like. It is very clear that there are some outstanding schools in Tower Hamlets as I said earlier. But there are not enough of them.
Again I did not get an answer earlier so I repeat the question, what has changed in the last five years which has basically resulted in outstanding schools becoming good and good schools becoming inadequate.
What has happened? This is really important issue ok it is not a political issue. It is about the future of our children and I expect a better answer than that to be honest. Thank you.
Councillor Gulam Robbani’s response to the supplementary question
Yes Councillor it is your party it is Michael Gove who moved the goalpost.
In the past we didn’t have this inadequate, it was we had a different system so he changed the goalpost because too many people are performing. Therefore also it is the Tory Party who has shamelessly cut budget and funding for lots of schools so it’s not just Tower Hamlets right because nationally some of these performance gone down not because people are not performing, it’s because the way Tory has moved the goalposts.
8.4 Question from Councillor Rachael Saunders
Please could the Mayor make a statement about the Leaving Care service following the details of failure in the service in UNISON’s Tower Power publication?
Response by Councillor Gulam Robbani, Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Services
Again misleading Councillor Saunders nothing surprise me, I read the Tower Power articles nothing nothing nowhere says failure, it does however talk about individual concern, individual victim of bullying victimisation and therefore I share their concern in terms of our staff who are victim of victimisation and bullying and therefore as I understand Officer has assured me that we have carried out a thorough independent investigation of those allegation and therefore appropriate action has been taken.
In terms of our young people you would know, or you may not know, that if you care to know that most recent Ofsted inspection so to labelled us as a good authority and good rating. Particularly they praised, commended our children and care and also they said our model best practice therefore these are the good things, we are committed and I am committed and we will continue to provide best service for our care leavers.
Supplementary question from Councillor Rachael Saunders
As Councillors we are corporate parents and if had a child and what was happening in an institution that where my child was in care was what happened as set out in the UNISON publication I would be furious and I would go and you know I would fight really hard to try and make sure things were sorted out. I was really surprised when I read the account of what happened in Tower Power that I heard nothing more from the Council because we are all corporate parents and all of us should be asking those questions to make sure those children are looked after in the best possible way.
I am glad to hear now that there was an independent investigation. I would be grateful if that investigation should be published because all of us as corporate parents need to take on that responsibility.
Councillor Gulam Robbani’s response to the supplementary question
Just to reiterate Mr Speaker that a report has been carried out. These are personal HR issues therefore that cannot be published. There is something called confidentiality and we will continue to provide best service for this authority and I am as a Corporate parent we are doing a fantastic job and we commend our staff as hardworking.
8.5 Question from Councillor Shah Alam
Will the Mayor join with me in calling on the Prime Minister to grant asylum to the Christian and other religious minorities suffering persecution at the hands of Islamic State in Northern Iraq?
Response by Councillor Oliur Rahman, Deputy Mayor
Thank you Councillor Alam for your question.
I echo everything the Mayor has said in his statement and call on Prime Minister the call which has also been supported by a number of bishops and I also want to say that those people who also beheading the journalists we condemn that in the strongest term and those people who use their name Islam and religion for that purpose I want to say absolutely clear these people do not represent any law abiding decent muslim, they do not represent Islam as a religion and they are nothing to do with the religion whatsoever and far as I am concerned and I would go as far as saying that are not even classed as Muslim and we will continue to stand and oppose such a horrendous act against any religion and against any human being we may disagree and we not agree to something that does not mean you take the weapon and start attacking innocent people, children, men and women right across the world wherever they may be.
(No supplementary question was put)
Procedural Motion
At the conclusion of question 8.5, Councillor Alibor Choudhury moved, and Councillor Oliur Rahman seconded a procedural motion “that under Procedure Rule 14.1.3 the order of business be varied such that Motion 12.9 “Motion regarding the humanitarian crisis in Iraq and persecution of religious minorities” be taken as the next item of business. The motion was put to the vote and was defeated.
8.6 Question from Councillor Chris Chapman
Will the Mayor tell us what steps have been taken to address the issues raised in my supplementary question at the last full council meeting, regarding One Housing’s recent track record?
Response by Councillor Rabina Khan, Cabinet Member for Housing and Development
Thank you Mr Speaker, this issue that you have raised Councillor Chapman have been raised with One Housing. They have assured us that the under floor garages have been cleared of all waste and that the area has been further secured in order to deter people from entering the premises and starting fires. This work has been done in co-operation with the Fire Brigade.
Further detail on the other three matters is still awaited and I have asked Officers to report to you directly on that matter. However, whilst One Housing may have reported to us that they have carried out the work we will still continue to monitor that they are doing so.
Supplementary question from Councillor Chris Chapman
Thank you for that answer.
In response to my supplementary question on this topic at the last full council meeting the Cabinet Member referenced the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, I thank you for that as I know that the Mayor is a great admirer of the Secretary of State.
Does the Mayor feel that we could take a leaf out of the Secretary’s book in terms of how we deal with these issues in relation to One Housing? Particularly as Mick Sweeney the Chief Executive of One Housing decided not to accept a request to appear before the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to discuss One Housing’s extremely poor record of late.
I have had numerous residents contact me in relation to the immediate demands for large sums of money relating to major works, in some cases upwards of £6,000 after years of paying manageable monthly sums and it is indeed heartwrenching to listen to a resident just this week cry down the telephone because they now face the prospect of losing their home due to this wholly disproportionate request.
You mentioned the disused car park under Headley House has now been discovered to contain anti-social behaviour.
My question is will the Mayor therefore follow the excellent example set by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in terms of his approach to dealing with rot both figuratively and in this case quite literally and ensure that One Housing are dealt with directly and urgently?
Councillor Rabina Khan’s response to the supplementary question
Actually I would like to thank the Chair of Overview and Scrutiny for requesting One Housing in an attempt to bring the RP to task. However One Housing did not attend because RPs are not compelled to attend O & S.
During my time I and the Mayor have continuously endeavoured to hold various RPs to account. One Housing is included. I have stated earlier that we have sought to use our EH powers to bring RPs and rogue landlords to account.
The Council prosecuted One Housing in 2011 and the case was heard at the Thames Magistrates Court, September 16th 2011. District Judge Ashwell found out that One Housing did not do enough to comply with the Council’s Housing Act notices and ordered them to pay fines of seven hundred pounds and the Council’s cost of £2,000 so we have actually worked really hard to bring One Housing to account.
Then you Councillor Chapman have the audacity to ask me what I do about when it is your own party that has put us in this place in the first place.
8.7 Question from Councillor Clare Harrisson
Recent reports have shown that Government cuts mean domestic violence refuge provision is at a crisis point. What is the mayor doing specifically to ensure that shelters in the Borough stay open and that services for victims of domestic violence are protected?
Response by Councillor Ohid Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Community Safety
Thank you Councillor Clare Harrisson for your question.
It is very very important point that we are going to face of course huge cuts in this borough you know probably next two years we have to find 70 million pounds worth of savings so we are in very much in trouble but we are just trying to save our complaints services particularly this kind of services which is going to affect our vulnerable women and the refugee.
So we are as a Council we are very much committed to serve this kind of services. We specifically fund organisations for domestic violence in this Borough so we are contract with Jacita Housing who deliver the domestic abuse services in this Borough.
In last financial year 146 women and 184 children access to this service and although is committed to retain its position and to make sure that this service continue and we are committed to continue this service.
Thank you for your question.
Supplementary question from Councillor Clare Harrisson
Yes and I think this is a little bit sad that this hasn’t been given this its full attention and we kind of had a bit of a petty squabble. I think it’s such a key issue and I think my supplementary is basically whether the Mayor can give a personal guarantee that he won’t see any refuges closed in the borough and that everyone leaving violent homes will have full access to things like the social fund and other council resources in order to kind of enable a smooth transition.
Thank you.
Councillor Ohid Ahmed’s response to the supplementary question
Thank you for your supplementary question item. I think you should be speaking to a colleague not to support the blue bench sitting behind us.
This is what I think needs to happen in this chamber. We should be working together to make sure that our people, particularly residents in this Borough are represented well.
As I said before I cannot add anything more but we are committed. We have to find 70 million pounds worth of savings at the same time we are very much committed to save our frontline services particularly services like this and will continue to retain this kind of service.
This is our commitment and as I said it many times before you became a Councillor we are here to represent our people and we will do in our best ability and will make sure that this kind of service continues. Thank you.
8.8 Question from Councillor Suluk Ahmed
I am sure many have
been saddened to hear of film-actor Robin Williams' tragic death
last month, as the result of suicide. Considering the large numbers
of middle-aged men who commit suicide, can the council tell us what
they are doing to promote the destigmatization of mental health issues, and our
most recent progress with the Time to Change plan?
Response by Councillor Abdul Asad, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Services
Thank you Councillor Suluk Ahmed.
The world has been saddened and shocked at the recent death of Robin Williams and his suicide highlights how depression affects the people from all walks of life.
This is why the initiatives like Time to Change which tackled the stigma of mental health are very important and in order to help and support the suffering with our staff concerned they might be aware that they are introducing a new mental health policy for staff in this Council which includes the parachute scheme to help manage mental health at work, Mental Health First.
First Aiders are being trained and HR staff are also trained in mental health awareness in October as part of the Time to Change the plan.
A detailed action plan is being pursued which involves Time to Change auditing the Council’s arrangement once they are fully implemented.
I also would like to add that this is why the Executive Mayor Lutfur Rahman in person signed the pledge Time to Change and you can be rest assured that this Council will provide the best service to resolve the problem of people with mental health. At the same time like yourself you are a very graceful campaigner. We have seen your campaign through progressive youth organization (PYO) and so on and will continue to campaign in the community to give awareness of the people how it affects the people with mental health. Thank you.
(No supplementary question was put)
8.9 Question from Councillor Julia Dockerill
Will the Mayor provide details of the change in annual costs of dealing with fly tipping since 2011, and the revenue generated each year through his £15 bulky waste collection charge introduced in 2012?
Response by Councillor Shahed Ali, Cabinet Member for Clean and Green
Thank you for your question Councillor Dockerill.
We talked, this Chamber talked a lot about, we heard a lot about being corporate parents and that takes responsibility on all services that we provide here in the Council but unfortunately judging by the performance of some Members opposite me this evening, I just hope you know where they chose to move to the vote with that debate I just hope that my kids don’t ask me to move to the vote when I try to apprehend them for any wrong doings that they may have done.
Anyhow moving to the subject charging for bulky waste is not new, it happens in other Boroughs including your friends in Croydon who also choose to charge for bulky waste collections. The Council in Westminster also charges for bulky waste collections. The Council actually spent only £2,183.00 dealing with fly tipping in the year 11/12. Slightly increased to £3,365.00 in the year 12/13 and actually reduced this year in the current year 13/14 to only £1,362.00 so overall that’s created a saving and we have seen that pattern increasing over the last three years.
You will be pleased to know, everyone will be pleased to know in this Chamber that as a result of introducing the services we have actually generated already some £120,000 of income and I am sure everybody will appreciate in this chamber that that income can go towards other projects that we strive to provide in this borough in the face of the Tory cuts that we’ve been facing over the last three or four years in particular.
Many community services such as the Work 100 programme for example which the Mayor introduced and is striving to get 100 women in this borough into full-time employment.
Also you will be pleased to know that around the corner from yourselves the Watts Grove facility has also increased in its collection of bulky items that people wish to go and dispose of personally there and that’s also helped us increase our recycling rates by some 70% so I would say that the bulky waste collection service that we started certainly working the facts and figures speak for themselves.
We haven’t received many complaints, any complaints really about the service and I hope that the collection rates and the income that we generate from that service will continue to grow. Thank you.
Supplementary question from Councillor Julia Dockerill
Thank you very much for that answer.
I don’t have a problem with the notion of charging for items but it doesn’t seem to be working in Tower Hamlets.
I think everybody, probably every candidate here tweeted pictures of themselves next to huge piles of mattresses, dumped televisions, particularly on our council estates and the one near me, Doughty Court has a real problem. My concern really is if the cost of the fly tipping costs have gone down maybe its because people aren’t actually collecting the items from the Council and so I would just like to know whether the Council would consider reviewing this policy because it doesn’t really seem to be working from the anecdotal evidence that Councillors provide from their twitter accounts and elsewhere.
Councillor Shahed Ali’s response to the supplementary question
Yes very briefly yes I too use Twitter myself and I’m sure that the majority of the public and the nation and round the world also choose to use Twitter.
But the facts that I’ve illustrated to you earlier I think to be fair they speak for themselves.
We’ve seen, I’ve explained to you that we have seen the reduction in the costs its costing us the Council to deal with the fly tipping, which is an illegal activity by the way, to counter that and obviously by introducing the charge of only £15.00 we have managed to generate an income that is much needed to provide the services that we have had to cut as a result of Tory cuts.
But I will finish by saying both to yourselves your colleagues and the colleagues opposite, especially Councillor Saunders and Khatun who are having a different conversation, obviously not interested in bulky waste at this moment in time. But please please please I encourage you all to please call up the Council if you see any of your neighbours, any of your friends and families disposing of waste illegally, the mattresses and so forth please call us up tell us to move it that way we can ensure that there’s less rubbish and bulky waste left on our streets so please do that. Don’t worry if I discover its someone that you know I won’t dob you in I won’t ring them up and tell you that your cousin rang up and told me that you got mattresses lying around don’t worry about that I can assure you discretion. Thank you.
8.11 Question from Councillor Muhammed Ansar Mustaquim
Will the Mayor join with me in offering his best wishes to the delegation of trade unionists and local community activists who are embarking on a fact finding visit to Bangladesh to meet the victims of the Rana Plaza disaster and explore how we in the UK can support them and promote safer working conditions?
Response by Councillor Oliur Rahman, Deputy Mayor
Thank you Mr Speaker as a Trade Unionist myself I fully support and I was in Bangladesh during the disaster and I seen it for first hand the scene and I also visited the victims before and after and also when I went to see the scene afterwards there was many blankets, clothes was stacked in the mud where people have lost their lives and it didn’t only affect the individual but it also affected the families, the livelihoods and I want to say the number of multi million pounds worth of companies that are based in this country that some of us go to shop they actually use the workers in Bangladesh, pay peanuts have an extremely, extremely poor working conditions their wages don’t get paid for months after months and I think we as a human being if not anything else we have a moral duty to at least raise our voice, raise our concern in support of those people and bearing in mind Bangladesh along with many other countries in the world is one of the poorest countries in the world and nobody deserve to be treated like this and I don’t believe if people were to be treated like this in this country any of us would be keeping quiet.
Supplementary question from Councillor Muhammed Ansar Mustaquim
Thank you for this answer.
I would like to know that this house wants to know what kind of relationship with the Bangladesh and the government industry in Bangladesh to protect to you know to having this sort of disaster again.
Councillor Ohid Ahmed’s response to the supplementary question
Obviously is responsibility of government of Bangladesh and I know that many politicians from whichever party when they do visit they do raise this issue, the Mayor met with the delegation this afternoon I’ve also said that I would also meet them along with my colleagues from my union to support and I know that Unite one of the largest union in the country is also going to support the Trade unionists in Bangladesh to put mechanism in place so that they can support their workers and make sure that they have a decent standard of employment and contract and so on and so forth.
Question 8.10 was withdrawn. Questions 8.12 to 8.20 were not put due to lack of time. The Service Head, Democratic Services stated that written responses would be provided. [Note: The written responses are included in Appendix A to these minutes.]
Supporting documents: