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 supplementary questions were put (except where indicated) and were responded to by the Mayor or relevant Executive Member:-
8.1 Question from Councillor Andrew Cregan:
The recent independent report into electoral fraud highlights a number of positive changes we have made to tighten up our electoral systems. Does the Mayor agree that while we have taken important steps to guard against electoral fraud, it makes a mockery of our democracy that we still have councillors whose election was benefitted by ‘corrupt and illegal practices’
Response by Mayor John Biggs:
Electoral fraud is a crime which affects everyone and I welcome any action which helps to crack down on those who set out to steal an election. There were some useful suggestions in the report – some were less useful.
In Tower Hamlets we have made significant changes to tighten up our voting systems since 2014. I'm glad to see this report recognising that good practice and recommending many of those changes be adopted more widely.
The report makes clear that the previous Mayor and his colleagues’ abuse of the electoral system was a criminal act.
What concerns me most is that not only was nobody prosecuted, but many of the candidates who benefitted from Lutfur Rahman's corrupt practices remain councillors in this chamber and remain unrepentant. In my opinion that is a disgrace.
The law should clearly be changed so that anyone benefitting from a corrupt election, particularly if they stand for a party which is then abolished because of that corruption, is removed from office or at least forced to re-run the election.
Supplementary question from Councillor Andrew Cregan:
Important work has been done but I would further commend your personal effort in cleaning up politics in this borough after the foul slurs and baseless attacks you were subjected to in 2014 by Tower Hamlets First. I would also commend the personal efforts of a member of the gallery who did far more than most at a great personal risk and did the borough an immeasurable service in delivering a post Lutfur Rahman era. So does the Mayor agree with me that this important task will only be fully complete when the rabble opposite, the shower of petulance are removed from this chamber permanently?
Mayor John Biggs’ responseto the supplementary question:
The answer to your question is yes. We do need to clean up the borough. We need to have people in this chamber who respect the rules of democracy, who respect each other in debate, who stand up without favour and any nervousness to champion the causes they passionately believe in. I think it is also important to say and you did mention that there might be someone in the public gallery, that we should pay our respect to the four petitioners who took the election petition and we should be alarmed by the headlines. If you read my written report, you will see that I am going to write to the Prime Minster about this, because I think there is an irregularity where people win a contest and then face potential bankruptcy. I think there is a serious problem with how the law works and we should as a borough pay great respect to those who put themselves on the line to challenge the bad malpractice in this borough.
8.3 Question from Councillor Sabina Akhtar:
Could the Cabinet Member for Environment list what awards our parks in Tower Hamlets have achieved?
Response by Councillor Asma Begum, Cabinet Member for Culture:
Meath Gardens recently joined Victoria Park, Mile End Park and seven other parks in the borough by earning its first Green Flag Award.
This year Tower Hamlets Council retained all of its Green Flags, and now with Meath Gardens, it brings the number of Green Flag parks in the borough to 10. This is the highest number the borough has ever had.
We have yet to hear the results from London in Bloom but last year the Borough did exceptionally well and as a result was nominated for Britain in Bloom which we will hear the results of later this year.
(No supplementary question was put.)
8.4 Question from Councillor Julia Dockerill:
Following the decision by the Mayor in Cabinet to make permanent the borough wide 20mph speed limit, will he explain exactly how this is to be enforced, as currently pedestrians, cyclists and motorists face safety problems from those who choose to ignore the limit due to the lack of enforcement?
Response by Councillor Mayor John Biggs:
I wanted to answer this question personally as I made a personal decision to confirm this policy for the time being, unless another administration changes this, as the permanent rule in this borough. I think 20 is plenty is a good slogan. I think it is also quite powerful and useful that when people travel on a road with a yellow line in towns they know that the speed limit is 20 mph. I think consistency is something that is important. So I am committed to making the streets safer and making the limit permanent is one important part of that and while it is early days the signs are encouraging with the number of fatal and serious collisions over the first nine months of the trial period down by 20 and 22 per cent respectively. We will monitor that and will invest in the roads where the inclination of drivers is to break that speed limit. I think a lot of people feel anxious and quite often we are hypocrites in our lives and we like getting places quickly. We actually want the streets we live on to be quiet and peaceful where people respectfully defer to the interests of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and those who are younger or physically less able than ourselves.
Supplementary question from Councillor Julia Dockerill:
Would the Mayor encourage the Police to undertake a series of night-time enforcement operations in areas where boy racing is a particular problem such as Wapping and Glengall Grove and other place on the Isle of Dogs?
Mayor John Biggs’ response to the supplementary question:
Absolutely and I know it’s a problem in Wapping where you and I live and I know that there is a particular problem in Westferry. The Police do need to take a greater interest. Obviously we do need more Police on our streets for this to happen. I do notice when Islington first introduced the 20 mph limit the Police more or less said that there were not going to enforce it. But know I find, not by personal experience as a driver but through people that I might know, that they have been stopped by the Police when travelling above the limit in a 20mph zone. The Police I think are taking the limit seriously as they recognise that by enforcing good behaviour in the Borough and making clear that we expect people to behave properly, we are helping to create a more civilized and safe place for everyone. It’s a sort of a version of broken windows perhaps broken tyres.
8.5 Question from Councillor Rajib Ahmed:
Can the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services update the Council on the recent school exam results?
Response by Councillor Rachael Saunders, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Education & Children's Services:
There are two issues where we are giving you a really clear answer. One is that the way in which the results are measured has changed this year. So it’s not possible to compare like for like. The other is that two schools haven’t yet chosen to give us their results – Mulberry and what was until recently the Bethnal Green Academy. My understanding is that their results are good so they should not pull the averages down.
On the new measure, secondary exam results, GCSEs were sound and consistent with last year’s results in the context of a national decline in results. So we are continuing to do really well where others are doing less well. Post sixteen performance is the same situation. Our average grade at A Level is now C so that’s a steady improvement over the last four years. But I think you would all agree that we would like to be doing much better than that and this is an area where there is more to do.
Vocational subjects also demonstrated an improvement and each entry now averages a good distinction grade. So really good results but more to do post sixteen.
We should congratulate all parents, teachers and young people for those achievements. On Key Stage 1 and 2, there were also excellent results. Well above the national average and importantly people with special education needs did better at Stage 1 than the national average which is really important to us as well.
(No supplementary question was put.)
8.7 Question from Councillor M. Abdul Mukit MBE:
Members may be aware that the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has launched a review of Boris Johnson’s cuts to London’s Fire Service. Does the Mayor welcome this review?
Response by Mayor John Biggs:
I should note that within our chamber there is a Member of the Fire Authority, Councillor Amy Whitelock Gibbs who has been appointed to represent all of the London Council’s on behalf of the Labour Party. So she will be flying the flag for Tower Hamlets as part of that. I welcome the review. Since 2009, London’s Fire Service has seen its funding cut by more than £150m, with 10 fire stations closed, 27 fire engines axed and over 500 firefighters put out of jobs.
Before leaving office, Boris Johnson set the Brigade’s current budget, cutting a further £22m over the next three years. So it’s important that the new Mayor reviews that. As a result of Boris Johnson’s cuts, we lost Fire Engines in Tower Hamlets at Whitechapel and we lost an entire station at Bow. The review of fire station cuts will be led by Anthony Meyer, the former Chief Executive of the Greater London Authority.
Cutting the number of fire fighters only increases the response times of the local fire services. In the case of Bow, we saw a dramatic increase in response times which means that when a fire does breaks out you should be a little concerned that the fire service will not get there in a quick time and a house fire quite often spreads quickly. We need to be sensitive to that. So I welcome the review and I want us to submit evidence to it so we can to help strengthen the case for good fire service for our citizens in Tower Hamlets.
Supplementary question from Councillor M. Abdul Mukit MBE:
Did you attend the re-opening of the Shadwell fire station?
Mayor John Biggs’ response to the supplementary question:
Yes I did. I met Prince Charles who I had not met before and it was a less surreal experience than I expected it to be and I mean that very respectfully. It was also attended by the Deputy Mayor of London, Joanne McCartney and Councillor Amy Whitelock Gibbs. So we opened the new state of the art facility which I feel shows some confidence in our fire service in the Borough. It is an excellent facility which will also be focusing on community safety initiatives. Its just down the road from Bluegate Fields which was burnt down by an arson attack about 20 years ago which we thought was local youngsters. So community engagement in fire safety, making sure that people are safe in their homes, making sure vulnerable people are protected as well, is all part of the work of the fire service and a new fire station in Shadwell is a very important addition that will help that to happen.
8.8 Question from Chris Chapman:
Would the Mayor comment on Lincoln Plaza, on the Isle of Dogs, being crowned winner of the 2016 Carbuncle Cup for worst new building in the UK? It was described by the judges as: the “architectural embodiment of sea sickness, waves of nausea frozen in sheaths of glass and coloured aluminium that, when stared at for too long, summon queasiness, discomfort and, if you’re really unlucky, a reappearance of lunch as inevitably as puddles after a rainstorm?”
Response by Councillor Rachel Blake, Cabinet Member for Strategic Development:
I am sure you work really hard on the Development Committee striving for high quality design in all new developments. You probably know that this was publically nominated but determined by a Panel of judges who have chosen this to be the carbuncle this year.
Supplementary question from Councillor Chris Chapman:
Is it not the fact that this award is a very sorry indictment of this administrations and its predecessor’s total lack of regard for the people on the Isle of Dogs. As a Member of the Development Committee, I am afraid I do see firsthand on many occasions the sheer level of dissatisfaction and exasperation for the people that live there that we always seem to be the ones that get the most ugly, carbuncle and nauseating buildings without the necessary infrastructure with poor construction planning that has an impact on local people and shows no real understanding. It is only because of the work of my colleague Councillor Andrew Wood under a Conservative party policy which is introducing local planning forums as part of its Localism Act, that we are actually seeing any action, certainly none from you.
Councillor Rachel Blake’sresponse to the supplementary question:
So I will answer your question and will also address the slightly more constructive question that came from one of your ward colleagues Councillor Ronald. You will be thrilled to hear Councillor Ronald that the urban design capacity within the Council’s Planning service has recently been strengthened with a view to maintaining a robust approach to high quality development design standards going forward. New members have also been invited to join the Council’s design panel, which I know you are particularly interested in, with a view to reinvigorating it and its role in terms of determining our contributions on the design of buildings.
I should also say and Councillor Chapman you will not be surprised to hear this, as you talk so much with Councillor Andrew Wood, that the Local Plan Review is underway and opportunities to strengthen existing policies will be considered within that process. I would also add that the idea that the Conservatives were the first to think about the involvement of local people in planning is absurd and if you want to talk more about what the Labour Government did to consult people on local plans before they were action plans, I would be very happy to sit down with you and explain it to you.
I would also like to draw your attention to buildings in Tower Hamlets that have been commended for excellent design to highlight that picking on this award is a rather silly way to talk about design. We have got St Andrews in Bromley by Bow, the Peabody Estate in Shadwell, St Paul’s school in Poplar that have received awards. They are not on the Isle of Dogs but if you want me to seek out designs in that area then, when we have the meeting on planning policy, I can draw them out.
8.9 Question from Councillor Helal Uddin:
Can the Mayor or Cabinet Member set out what measures the Council is taking to tackle anti-social behaviour?
Response by Councillor Shiria Khatun, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Community Safety:
The Mayor takes all queries around anti-social behaviour very seriously and as a result has commissioned an ASB strategy which we have not had before and we don’t have now. This strategy will be looking at a coordinated approach to deal with the growing number of concerned residents that have come to us to report ASB.
I will talk very briefly about some of the Council activities involving intervention. We encourage residents to report ASB through using the 101 number and if it’s an emergency to call 999. We also have the fortnightly ASB tasking group. This is a partnership group and areas are tasked to include ASB housing officers, Drug and Intervention Project workers, the Police Task Force, Tower Hamlets Enforcement Officers and Rapid Response. They are then aligned to carry out tasks that have been agreed by the group.
I mentioned the Police Task Force team, that is something that the Mayor commissioned earlier this year and this particular group of police officers work with dealing with street prostitution and drug related issues. We also have now completed twenty action plans in each of the areas in Tower Hamlets that are updated on a quarterly basis.
Supplementary question from Councillor Helal Uddin:
As the Mayor touched on earlier in his announcement about a particular incident in the Bromley North/South area, would the Lead Member be in a position to make sure that the CCTV in the area concerned is being operating effectively and to also ensure that the Police visibility is increased. Obviously the Council has a responsibility and residents will be approaching us for information so I would like a response from the Leader Member, if not tonight but after the meeting would be helpful.
Councillor Shiria Khatun’s response to the supplementary question:
The Mayor has actually gone one step further and has met up with the Borough Commander to talk about this particular incident that you have referred to. One of the things that we do encourage and this is something that the Mayor has done so through the Director of Children’s Services is for schools to report any such incidences to the Police directly and to dial 999. As for CCTV cameras this is something that we will be looking at and as I mentioned the Mayor has already gone a step further and carried out quite a bit of work already.
8.11 Question from Councillor Denise Jones:
Residents frequently raise concerns about ‘boy racers’ in Wapping, and the increasing use of nitrous oxide across the borough. What steps are being taken by the Council, working with the police, to tackle these problems?
Response by Councillor Shiria Khatun, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Community Safety:
We are very aware of this particular problem, it is something that was raised at the mayoral assembly as well as the Safer Neighbourhood Boards question time.
One of the things that the Council has recently done is purchased something called the speed gun, which some Councillors have actually used. We did actually put out in the members bulletin if any other Councillors are interested in this to take this offer up. Another thing we are also doing is looking at ways to tackle laughing gas. This is something that we get a lot of residents coming up to me, particularly women, in my surgery talking about this particular problem. It is something that the Council is working proactively with the Police to come up with a solution. It is a tricky one, but it is something that the Mayor and I are taking very seriously and hopefully soon we will come up with a solution to alleviate this particular issue.
Supplementary question from Councillor Denise Jones:
I think it will be difficult enforce a ban or monitor the use of the substance because it is right across the borough, particularly in areas like Brick Lane, where we have the nightlife and so on and it is not just our residents that are leaving those deposits or using it.
Heavy use can cause anaemia and it takes away critical vitamins from your body and can go on to cause nerve damage and if it is not used with a balloon, but is used with masks and things like that, it can actually cause death, although there have not been that many examples of things like that in this country. So will the Mayor or you consider working with the Council’s partners in the NHS and the Police to run a credible information campaign that stresses the dramatic differential in risk between the different forms of administering the canisters of laughing gas, as well as highlighting the health issues associated with its use?
If we can put out some sort of publicity about the dangers of it – I don’t for one minute believe that as people are buying it they are going to read leaflets or anything – but we just need to get that message out that prolonged use can be very dangerous.
Councillor Shiria Khatun’s response to the supplementary question:
Can I just reiterate, yes, the Mayor is taking this issue very seriously and not only are the Mayor and I working with the Police, but also with the rest of our partners from the Community Safety Partnership as well as our health friends, to look at a way in dealing with this particular problem.
8.12 Question from Councillor Andrew Wood:
Will the Mayor be encouraging support for the four residents who led the successful election petition who face financial problems due to the failure of former Mayor, Lutfur Rahman, to pay his court debts?
Response by CouncillorMayor John Biggs:
[The meeting was referred to the statement on election petitioners from the Mayor’s Report, considered at Item 8 of the agenda. The extract is replicated below.]
“Election Petitioners: I am of course here following the election petition, disqualification of my predecessor and subsequent by-election. It distresses me that following the success of their challenge they now face ruinous legal bills. I will be writing urgently to the Prime Minister on this matter, as it appears to defy the rules of natural justice that this should happen.”
Supplementary question from Councillor Andrew Wood:
Quite a few residents have written to me and asked this question: why does the Council itself not clear the debts of the four petitioners, who are in the public gallery tonight, as it has benefited financially from the better governance since the removal of Lutfur Rahman?
One thing I think we could help them with is that they have launched a funding appeal online and I think that it would be good if all of us present in this room tonight could try and re-Twitter that appeal and try and spread their message as widely as possible in our own communication with our own residents. To try and make as many people in Tower Hamlets aware that they can go online and, very quickly, in a minute or two, donate even a small amount of money to these people that have helped us so much.
Mayor John Biggs response to the supplementary question:
That is an intriguing question, to which I do not know the answer. I guess it would not ordinarily be the case that the Council would pay other people’s legal fees unless it was party to the action, but I don't really know the answer or the legalities, but I am very happy to go away and look at that as a possibility, as I feel a public service has been performed. Obviously I have a self interest in saying that, as it allows me to spend glorious hours in your company Councillor Wood, but nevertheless it has been a public service for the greater good than just that.
I agree with [the proposal to promote the petitioners’ online funding appeal] and would love it if we had the power to levy the Independent Group to help with this as I feel they played more than a simple contributory part to the circumstances in which we find ourselves in and the petitioners as well. I am planning to write to the Prime Minister on this as I think it is a very important issue. I am happy to do so alongside the leader of your group if that is helpful and if you wanted to be party to that, because I think there is a fundamental issue here. It is the sort of issue which will tend never to be at the top of the list in terms of parliamentary time, but it is a fundamental injustice if people make a sacrifice like this they are not in some way indemnified for their risk.
8.13 Question from Councillor Danny Hassell:
Can the lead member please update the council on the steps that have been taken to campaign for access to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, (PrEP) for residents of Tower Hamlets who are at greatest risk of HIV?
Response by CouncillorAmy Whitelock-Gibbs, Cabinet Member for Health & Adult Services:
As you know, the campaign around PrEP is something I have taken a personal interest in and I am pleased to report that we have been proactive locally both in engaging with the national campaign and ensuring local residents are informed. Last month, I called publicly for confirmation that local residents who have been receiving PrEP as part of the local trial will have their drugs extended. I am pleased to report three key developments:
· Unfortunately NHS England have appealed the judicial review decision, but the local Government Association is now engaging with councils, including us, in relation to that appeal;
· The participants in the PROUD study, locally and across the country who have been involved in those trials – we have just had confirmation recently that the manufacturers of that drug will extend provision of the drug for a further six months, which is really good news and I am glad they have responded to calls from charities and from local councillors like me to do that and thirdly;
· NHS England are now consulting on a future commissioning policy for PrEP (despite the fact that they also are challenging the appeal). We've been promoting that consultation and it would be great if Members could support us in promoting that to local residents.
Supplementary question from Councillor Danny Hassell:
Can I join campaigners in thanking you and the Mayor for the leadership you have shown on this issue, particularly in lobbying for the drug to be made available to those who are on the trial. Can the lead member confirm that the Council will continue to do all it can to support organisations who are campaigning and lobbying for this through the support of the information given from the LGA etc?
CouncillorAmy Whitelock-Gibbs’ response to the supplementary question:
We will continue to engage with this important issue and I want to pay tribute to the national charities that have been really leading this work and to the LGA that have been representing councils as well.
Questions 8.2, 8.6, 8.10 were not put due to the absence of the questioners. Questions 8.14 - 25 were not put due to lack of time. Written responses would be provided to the questions. (Note: The written responses are included in Appendix ‘A’ to these minutes.)
Supporting documents:
- Item 8 - Report Member Questions Council 210916, item 8. PDF 102 KB
- Appendix A Minutes 210916, item 8. PDF 264 KB