Agenda item
TO RECEIVE WRITTEN QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
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.
Minutes:
The Council was informed that public question 6.7 had been withdrawn before the meeting.
The following questions and in each case a supplementary question were put, and were responded to by the Mayor or relevant Executive Member:-
6.1 Question from Ms Marie Larvin on behalf of Tower Hamlets Fairtrade Network:
[Note from the Clerk.The Council were advised of a misprint in the second line of part 2 of the question as printed in the agenda, where ‘January 2015’ should read ‘January 2016.]
Will the Mayor and Councillors support an urgent review and report back on procurement policies to ensure that:
1. Contracts for all council catering facilities maximise the ranges of fairly traded products stocked at the earliest opportunity. (Given that seven years after Tower Hamlets became a Fairtrade Town, no Fairtrade certified products have been stocked in cafes/canteens in: Ideas Stores in Bow and Whitechapel; the Brady Centre: the Shadwell Centre; and vending machines in many council offices and Leisure centres)
2. Over 60 of our local school canteens continue being supplied with Fairtrade bananas and fruit juices, under the joint contract due to be re-let in January 2016. (Given that many local students, parents and teachers have signed petitions asking for this, and for other products to be supplied if possible in future, and given that Tower Hamlets Contract Services can make requests of the lead borough, currently Havering).’
Response by Councillor David Edgar, Cabinet Member for Resources
Thank you. It is the case that the Borough has been a fairtrade Borough for really quite some time and as you say there are a number of points in which progress has been made, in schools and other locations but clearly there are still gaps and my understanding is that the contract that is talked about is one that starts early next year. The aim is to include ethically sourced products in that.
The Council’s general procurement policy is one which does feature that, that’s an important imperative within it. But I think that there is a need and there will be benefit from me sitting down with the Tower Hamlets fairtrade network in order to discuss this in quite a lot more detail than it’s possible to do so in a simple exchange of questions and answers in the Council Chamber. So I think progress has been made but clearly there are things that still need to be done. I’d be very happy to meet you and colleagues to have a much more detailed conversation about it than we’re going to be able to have now.
Supplementary question from Ms Marie Larvin
Well my supplementary question was going to be who within the Council might we be able to meet to pursue this forward because there has been a lack of progress and we would welcome that opportunity for further collaboration. So if you are the person that we will liaise with, we will take you up on that offer.
Councillor David Edgar, Cabinet Member for Resources’ response to the supplementary question
No I think we are going in the same direction really and I would just like to hand over my business card.
6.2 Question from Mr Md Sumsul Talukder:
Private Renting in Tower Hamlets is become sky high! There is no such standard guideline for Private Landlord to rent a property or Rent limit for the property. So every working class living in the Tower Hamlets borough are seriously affected & struggling to pay rent including me. Many of us facing Eviction on a daily basis in some point, so it's an important issue to think about.
1. Does council has any plan to introduce a standard policy guideline for Private Landlords to control the uncontrolled property Rent of the borough?
2. How importantly you will consider the matter and when it can be implemented to protect working class of the borough?
Council May DO;
1. Introduce landlord Registration scheme.
2. Every landlords has to register their property with council and Must get an unique registration no to put property on Rent advert
3. Council official conduct survey of every individual property and set up a limit rent for the property. Based on;
- Area, mortgage amount, property standard, age of property, size, how many bed rooms, local facilities, furnished/unfurnished etc.
4. Also Council may generate revenue from property registration & renewal scheme
So let's have all your thoughtful opinions and possible outcome in this regards. It can be a great initiative to help the local community.
Response by Councillor Sirajul Islam, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Housing Management and Performance
Thank you Mr Speaker, thank you Mr Talukder. The Mayor has delegated this response to me. So the Council recognises the high demand for private rented sector properties in the Borough and the rent increases that have occurred which makes the vast majority of such properties unaffordable for those residents on low or average incomes. At present there is no regulation of private rents. These can be set by landlords in response to market conditions. Neither central government nor the GLA supports the introduction of rent controls so the Council is not in a position to influence private rent levels.
The Housing Act 2004 gives the Council the power to introduce a housing license scheme for privately rented properties within designated areas in order to improve standards of management in the private rented sector and reduce anti-social behaviour. A License Scheme will enable the Council to impose a legal requirement in the designated area on all landlords to register, apply for licence for each property they rent out and comply with specific licence conditions thus giving the Council more power to tackle responsible lettings of property. However, licensing does not extend to rent setting.
A public consultation on the Council proposal has recently finished and the report will come to Cabinet on draft proposal for a scheme in Autumn/Winter this year. In addition, the Council is working with both Housing Association and developers on the development of bespoke new private rented schemes which will provide better quality and more responsive management and more certainty of tenancy length as part of a marketing housing offer to new developments.
Supplementary question from Mr Md Sumsul Talukder
Yes thank you Mr Mayor. We know that in the 1977 Rent Act most private sector tenants were eligible for fair rents. Later due to Margaret Thatcher’s legacy this changed.
So I’d like to thank our previous housing Cabinet Member, Councillor Rabina Khan who has committed and campaigned for the private rent management sector but I would like to ask the question to the Mayor will you take any initiative to do the campaigning to change the legislation for the fairer rent to protect the residents of the Tower Hamlets.
Councillor Sirajul IslamStatutory Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Housing Management & Performance’s response to the supplementary question
Thank you very much. There is no campaign at present. As I said in my response, it is the Government and the GLA that needs to establish rent setting proposals. If they do so the Council will comply. At the moment, as a Local Authority we cannot do that. However, a Landlord Licence Scheme will ensure that the landlords in this borough will comply with the licence agreements and will provide a good quality private sector housing to residents of this borough.
6.4 Question from Mr Mohammed Abdur-Rahman:
What action is the Council taking to deal with and clean dog litter on the streets of Tower Hamlets?
Response by Councillor Ayas Miah, Cabinet Member for Environment
Thank you Mr Abdur-Rahman for your question. Dog litter and the cleaning of it from the street is part of the scheduled cleansing regime by the street sweeper. In addition, where there is a report or complaint by residents or reports of an affected area, then an instruction is issued to the street cleansing contractor to clear it up. A street care officer within the Clean Green and Highways Team, a service division of the CLC Department, monitor the cleansing regime in the area identified as the hot spots for dog fouling.
The Council’s enforcement team, enforcement officers, the THEOS and the Animal Warden carry out the regular prevention, education and enforcement operation across the Borough to target irresponsible dog ownership and control of dogs including fouling.
The Council is also looking at implementing the new power under the ASB, Crime and Policing Act 2014 that allow for whole areas to have in place for the control of dogs and fouling, public spaces protection order and the issuing of the public communities protection notice that carries a penalty of £100. Any breach of this is considered a criminal offence.
Supplementary question from Mr Mohammed Abdur-Rahman:
Would the Council consider following in the footsteps of Barking and Dagenham Council and DNA-ing dogs and that would probably be useful perhaps and sending a ticket through the post.
Councillor Ayas Miah, Cabinet Member for Environment’s response to the supplementary question
Mr Rahman we have invested an extra £200,000 for cleansing our streets and this will improve the way in which we tackle the dog fouling issue. However it must be noted that each and every dog owner must take some responsibility for clearing up their dog’s mess and take pride in where they live.
6.8 Question from Mr Abu Talha Chowdhury:
On 29th July the Commissioners, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State, took formal decisions on the Main Stream Grants Programme. Horwood Estate Bangla School has received funding since the 1980s to run Mother Tongue classes and supplementary school. Would the Mayor make a statement on how he expects this group to continue to provide this service?
Response by Councillor Rachael Saunders, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Education & Children’s Services
Thank you and thank you for bringing this question. I think it’s really important that this issue is raised at this Council meeting. I’m told that the Council funds 1520 tutor hours per year through the Council’s Community Language Service so in as much as we can make a contribution to the Community Language Service on that estate, we are doing, and that’s a really important resource.
The decision on the Main Stream Grant Funding, the decisions were made by the Commissioners. Myself and a number of my Labour Group colleagues and Councillor Golds attended the Commissioners’ decision making meeting and we did, on this side, absolutely everything we could to make representations on behalf of a whole number of organisations, who I very much regret, lost their funding.
Unfortunately those representations were unsuccessful because the Commissioners made a decision to stick entirely with the recommendations that had been made to them by officers.
It was amazing to me that when the previous Mayor was in post, no member of his Group ever turned up to any Commissioner meeting and indeed no representative from any of the Group opposite were at that meeting of the Commissioners’ decision making meeting given it was the only the opportunity we had.
Actually local people aren’t allowed to speak at those meetings, so it’s our responsibility as Councillors to make local people’s voice heard. We did our best and it’s an obvious source of regret that our representations weren’t successful.
The way to solve this is to remove the Commissioners from the Council, to move on from the regime that we’re in, and we’re doing everything we can to achieve that.
We’re working to establish a proper grants process that will meet external scrutiny, we’re devising a new third sector strategy and we’re doing everything we can to move on from the shame, frankly, and the real tragedy of the fact that we as a democratically elected administration aren’t able to control grant funding. So we’re doing everything we can to strengthen this Council’s processes, procedures and move on.
Supplementary question from Mr Abu Talha Chowdhury
I understand to mitigate the losses and to support these organisations that lost funding an emergency funding pot was arranged. In terms of the process and when they return or reply back to you, would you be able to shed some light on this?
Councillor Rachael Saunders, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Education & Children's Services’ response to the supplementary question
So emergency funding is also within the control of the Commissioners. I’m happy to ask the Corporate Director to write to you with details of how to apply for that emergency funding. But we are in a situation where all grant funding is in the control of the Commissioners.
6.9 Question from Mr Abu Hussain on behalf of Thames Bengali Association
On 29th July the Commissioners, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State, took formal decisions on the Main Stream Grants (MSG) Programme. This has left 237 organisations without Council funding and having to consider cutting back or even stopping their services. Although the Council has no control over how the MSG budget is spent, the Mayor controls other funds, including contingency funding. Thames Bengali Association has scored 84 and 80 for two MSG grant applications but they are not recommended for funding. The children will return after summer holiday but abrupt funding decision force us to stop our services after 18 years of service.
Will he make officers available to help organisations which have not been funded under the MSG programme find a way of surviving? This could include assistance in finding alternative premises or in awarding some emergency funding so they can survive.
Response by Councillor Rachael Saunders, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Education & Children’s Services
It’s unfortunately a similar answer and it’s a desperately sad situation to be in, to be able to frankly offer very little help to organisations with a really impressive and respectable track record in our Borough that I have enormous respect for. There is very little we can do in terms of grant funding. The Commissioners did, and I supported their decision to, continue to fund the CVS so they ought to be a source of help and advice. If there is any other help and advice that we can give, then of course we will, but you have been mistaken or misinformed in your hope that the Mayor was able to give emergency funding. It’s the Commissioners that decide on the emergency funding.
Supplementary question from Mr Abu Hussain
We have already applied for this emergency funding and haven’t yet been informed of the Council’s decision. How does the new leadership intend to respond to the threat to our organisation and to so many others which will be forced to close to the detriment to our community?
Councillor Rachael Saunders, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Education & Children's Services’ response to the supplementary question
If you haven’t heard about a decision, that is unacceptable and I will do all I can to make representations to the Commissioners to make sure that they at least give you a reply. That’s the very least that should happen for you. In terms of what we can do, this Council isn’t able to give any grant of any kind to anybody without the Commissioners’ agreement. The CVS is there to help and support, if there are ways in which we can help and support any other bids or anything else that we can practically do to support in-kind terms do, then we are happy to but were are not in the situation where we as Councillors are able to give grants without the Commissioners’ agreement.
6.10 Question from Mr Abdirashid Gulaid:
Could the Lead Member for Health and Adult Services update us on what actions the Council and partners have taken since signing the Time to Change pledge on ending mental health stigma and discrimination?
Response by Councillor Amy Whitelock-Gibbs, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Services
Thank you Abdi for this really important question and I’m looking forward to working with you and the wider mental health sector in my new role. This is a really crucial question given the scale of mental health problems that we know we face in the Borough and given the level of stigma and discrimination that many people with mental health problems still suffer from.
As you will know and many will know in the Chamber, the time to change pledge was signed by the Council and all of the Health and Wellbeing Board Members back in October 2013, a decision that this group welcomed. Since that time a number of actions have taken place. The Council has reviewed its HR policies and implemented or developed a Health and Wellbeing Strategy for our internal council staff. We have implemented a programme of activities to promote mental wellbeing which range from yoga and counselling through to gym membership and training and things like resilience and time management to support our own staff. We have also done a programme of awareness-raising on mental health and crucially stigma reduction is a really key priority within the mental health strategy but also within some of the tenders that are currently underway from the Council.
So just to give one example as I know time is tight, Public Health are currently procuring mental wellbeing and stigma reduction pilot which looks at stigma reduction around 4 high risk groups including younger people aged 16-24, men who are high risk, BME groups and lesbian gay and bisexual groups and transgender groups, all of whom face often the double discrimination of their mental health problems and other issues so we’ve done those things. However I do recognise the Council needs to do more and 2013 was two years ago. There’s a motion later on the agenda which I hope we’ll get to which commits the Council to some other action around mental health stigma as well as other issues if its passed and I personally am committed to renewed commitment around this issue and I know the Mayor is too.
Supplementary question from Mr Abdirashid Gulaid
I think the Lead Councillor has answered my question in regards to working in partnership with Third Sector organisations. But one thing would be to have joined up thinking with the East London Foundation Trust as well and other partners particularly registered social landlords and to make sure that one of the biggest issues that we have in the Borough is that access to mental health is stopped by stigma and to tackle that head on would be a prevention measure.
Councillor Amy Whitelock Gibbs, Cabinet Member for Health & Adult Services’ response to the supplementary question
Thanks Abdi I completely share that view about the need to work across the full range of the council services but also with other partners. So one thing that Officers have been thinking about is around world mental health day how we can give more public profile to this issue including talking to employers again about signing up to the time to change pledge and getting more people to sign up and to support their staff but also its interesting that you raised housing, as at the next Health and Wellbeing Board at the end of September, we’ll be looking at integration of health and a range of other things and housing will be on that agenda and I’ll be certain to raise the issue of mental health there and I look forward to working with you in future to take this forward.
Question 6.3, 6.5 and 6.6 were not put due to the absence of the questioner. Questions 6.7 had been withdrawn from the agenda. Questions 6.11 and 6.12 were not put due to lack of time. The Service Head, Democratic Services stated that written responses would be provided to the questions. (Note: The written responses are included in Appendix ‘A’ to these minutes.)
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