Agenda item

14.1    Urgent Questions (Part 4 - Paragraph 9.2.(b) of Constitution – Page 4-9)

 

With the permission of the Mayor, questions on urgent issues may be tabled with the proviso of a subsequent written response if the issue requires research or is considered by the Mayor to be minor.

 

Please note that the Mayor will decide whether a question is urgent or not. 

 

The definition of an urgent question is “An issue which could not reasonably have been foreseen or anticipated prior to the deadline for the submission of questions and which needs to be considered before the next meeting of the Council.”

 

Submission of urgent questions to Council requires the Member when submitting the question to specify why the issue could not have been reasonably foreseen prior to the deadline and why it has to be considered before the next meeting. 

 

A supplementary question is not permitted.

 

14.2    Councillors’ Questions (Part 4 – Paragraph 9.2(a) of Constitution – Page 4 - 8)

 

The thirty nine questions and responses are attached to the agenda.

1.         Urgent Questions (Part 4 - Paragraph 9.2.(b) of Constitution – Page 4-9)

 

One urgent question had been received, but the Mayor had ruled that the question did not meet the criteria set out in the constitution and the Councillor concerned would receive a response by e-mail.

 

2.         Questions by Councillors

 

NOTED

 

1.         the thirty eight questions, on the Council’s agenda, which received a written reply by the relevant Cabinet Member.

 

2.         the amendment to the response to Question 2 tabled at the meeting.

 

3.         the following supplementary questions received for the questions indicated below:

 

Question 1 from Councillor Lamprecht to Councillor Taylor, Leader of the Council

 

“Can you confirm that existing staff will also be informed and will Councillor Taylor perhaps consider apologising to the Council for this abuse?”

 

Reply from Councillor Taylor:

 

”My response to the question is clear and I believe that the asking of such questions is an abuse of process and a waste of Council Taxpayers money and perhaps the Councillor would like to apologise for putting down such a ridiculous question.”

 

Question 2 from Councillor Hamilton to Councillor Stafford, Cabinet Member for Finance, Facilities and Human Resources

 

"Can Councillor Stafford comment on the cruel in year cuts imposed by the Con-Dem government and the anticipated impact on services?”

 

Reply from Councillor Stafford:

 

"No, we were not anticipating these cuts and as they have come mid-year, the effect is even worse than widely publicised as the full year cost is likely to be £14m"

 

Question 3 from Councillor Kaye to Councillor Orhan, Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Services

 

“Are you going to be a member of the Safeguarding Board and the Corporate Parenting Group?”

 

Reply from Councillor Orhan:

 

“Yes.”

 

Question 4 from Councillor Brett to Councillor Taylor, Leader of the Council

 

"Can the Leader inform the Council of the other activities in the borough that took place to mark Armed Forces week?"

 

Reply from Councillor Taylor:

 

“The Mayor has already referred to this in her announcements, but a march past was held, unfortunately attendance was affected by world cup football.  I and other local dignitaries took the salute and marched via the Civic Centre to the Royal British Legion in Enfield.  I would like to place on record our support for the armed forces and those serving their country.  Perhaps we can look in future with the British Legion at other imaginative ways of demonstrating our support for our armed forces.”

 

Question 5 from Councillor Hall to Councillor Stafford, Cabinet Member for Finance, Facilities and Human Resources

 

“Can you confirm the cuts to be made and when they will be implemented?”

 

Reply from Councillor Stafford:

 

“I have a detailed briefing on this and will provide a written answer to your question.”

 

Question 7 from Councillor Maynard to Councillor Orhan, Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Services

 

“What responses have been received to date on this and I hope that this process will be conducted in a spirit of openness?”

 

Reply from Councillor Orhan:

 

“We have had 5 expressions of interest and only one school is interested in becoming an academy.”

 

Question 8 from Councillor Simbodyal to Councillor Orhan, Cabinet Member for Education and Children's Services

 

"Please can you confirm how much money was spent on consultants working on the Building Schools for the Future programme by the previous administration?"

 

Reply from Councillor Orhan:

 

“I can confirm that £1.92m was spent on consultants up to March this year.”

 

Question 9 from Councillor Neville JP OBE to Councillor Stafford, Cabinet Member for Finance, Facilities and Human Resources

 

“Can Councillor Stafford confirm how the existing earmarked and un-earmarked reserves will be spent?”

 

Reply from Councillor Stafford:

 

"There is no such thing as unearmarked reserves.  There are either earmarked reserves or balances.  The earmarked reserves as detailed on page 98 are £61m and the balances are £12.5m.  We are currently going through the earmarked reserves to reprioritise from your political agenda to our political agenda.  It is anticipated that in the current year some £26m of earmarked reserves will be spent."

 

Question 11 from Councillor Lavender to Councillor Stafford, Cabinet Member for Finance, Facilities and Human Resources

 

“How much are you budgeting to set aside to fund the freeze in council tax or will there bea double increase the year after?”

 

Reply from Councillor Stafford:

 

"We will be implementing the nil percent increase and will have to find £20m of savings next year with an additional £12.5m the year after.”

 

Question 12 from Councillor Cicek to Councillor Taylor, Leader of the Council

 

"In light of the decision to abolish the Government Office for London how will this affect the Mayor and London Boroughs?"

 

Reply from Councillor Taylor:

 

In terms of the Mayor and how boroughs may benefit from any devolution there are a number of areas were possible devolution to Councils is possible such as transport which may be welcomed and I hope that we as a Council will play a full part in the process.”

 

Question 14 from Councillor Sitkin to Councillor Charalambous, Cabinet Member for Young People and Culture, Leisure, Sports and the Olympics

 

"How much has this Council saved by not following through with the decision of the last administration to relocate the Palmers Green Library?"

 

Reply from Councillor Charalambous:

 

“It is anticipated that costs of over £2m planned for the library move will be saved and these resources will be re-invested in urgent works to existing libraries.”

 

Question 17 from Councillor Rye OBE to Councillor Stafford, Cabinet Member for Finance, Facilities and Human Resources

 

“Can Councillor Stafford confirm the number of staff directly employed by the Council at the end of next year and the likely number in 4 years time.  Can he also confirm that a Trade Union official attended a recent Labour Group meeting and will there be no redundancies of staff?”

 

Reply from Councillor Stafford:

 

"Yes, a union official attended the last meeting of our Group and we will do everything possible to avoid redundancies of staff in the current financial year arising from the in-year cuts.  Minimising the number of redundancies is a top priority of this administration.  I will provide a written response to your other questions."

 

Question 29 from Councillor East to Councillor Orhan, Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Services

 

Can Councillor Orhan provide a specific date and will the new arrangements be in place for the new school year?

 

Reply from Councillor Orhan:

 

I can confirm that the initiative to provide school uniform grants is progressing and I anticipate that grants will be available from January 2011.

 

Question 33 from Councillor Jukes to Councillor Oykener, Cabinet Member for Housing and Area Improvements

 

“What legislation and enforcement action will the Council be relying on to ensure fire safety standards are met?”

 

Reply from Councillor Oykener:

 

The answer states clearly what we are going to do.  You can get things done by partnership working and the proposed new cuts in Housing Benefit will be a factor.  It will be difficult to implement the cuts with landlords and this will be detrimental to the authority and will lead to increased levels of homelessness.

 

Question 34 from Councillor Headley to Councillor Goddard, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Improving Localities

 

“Can Councillor Goddard give an indication when he will be in a position to answer?”

 

Reply from Councillor Goddard:

 

I will let Councillor Headley know when I am in a position to answer, but as we know there are shifting sands at present with the position changing all the time.  I will however inform the Council when we have the detail from the Con-Dem government.