Agenda item

12.1    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.

 

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

 

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

 

The Council may decide to set aside more than the 30 minutes provided in the Constitution for questions.  Any extension to the time allowed must be moved and seconded, with the duration of the proposed extension being stated at the time.

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

 

NOTED

 

1.         that the following urgent question had been received and accepted by the Mayor in accordance with the criteria set out in the constitution. 

 

2.         that the written response from Councillor Bond set out below was tabled at the meeting.

 

Urgent question from Councillor Prescott to Councillor Bond (Cabinet Member for Environment, Street Scene & Parks)

 

“In the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny yesterday evening Cllr Bond announced the council had taken a decision to open a new civic amenity site “in the eastern side of the borough”

 

Where is the report that this decision was made from and more importantly what is the location?”

 

Reply from Councillor Bond:

 

“The draft minutes of Overview & Scrutiny meeting last  night stated that Councillor Bond was looking into the reprovision of a HWRC (Household Waste and Recycling Centre) in the north east of the Borough.   This is to replace the closed Carterhatch Lane site closed by the previous administration which has proved exceedingly unpopular in the eastern part of the Borough.  Officers have been discussing options to take this forward with NLWA as part of the replacement of the main waste disposal contract in 2014.  The NLWA procurement work has identified that one of the value for money approaches to achieving high recycling rates is through the provision of further HWRC's in the north of the NLWA area, based upon a 2 mile distance for residents to travel to the nearest HWRC.  The current provision shows one of the areas currently not covered by this would be North Enfield.

 

At the NLWA meeting on the 30th June 2010 it was agreed that the NLWA adopt the following policy for HWRC provision:

 

"The Authority aims for 95% of residents to live within a two mile radius of a Household Waste and Recycling Centre (or Reuse and Recycling Centre as referred to by the London Mayor)".

 

All options will be looked at to fulfil the known need for a new HWRC in Enfield.  There is no report as there is no decision, therefore there is no location agreed and when there is, hopefully sooner rather than later, the proper procedures will be followed by this administration.  The residents of Enfield were clear in May that this was one of their main concerns which we are responding to and hopefully be able to bring recommendations forward as soon as we can.”

 

2.         Questions by Councillors

 

NOTED

 

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

 

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

 

Question 2 from Councillor Simon to Councillor Georgiou, the Cabinet Member for Public and Service Delivery

 

“Would Councillor Georgiou agree with me that spending Council money for political advantage in an election year is a serious matter and would he ask the Monitoring Officer to undertake an investigation to ensure there was compliance with the Council’s agreed procedures?”

 

Reply from Councillor Georgiou:

 

“The observations of Councillor Simon do appear to be valid, the last Conservative Administration did increase the number of editions of the Council’s magazine from six to ten and we must question if this was appropriate and I would hope the Monitoring Officer will look at this issue.”

 

Question 5 from Councillor Neville to Councillor Bond, Cabinet Member for Environment Street Scene and Parks:

 

“Will Councillor Bond comment further on the suspension of the de-cluttering schemes and how does their axing link to the election campaign of the Labour Councillors in the Palmers Green Ward?”

 

Reply from Councillor Bond:

 

“I have no idea what went on during the campaign in Palmers Green, as I was busy fighting the election in Southbury Ward.”

 

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

 

“Would the Cabinet member agree that this capital spend on our schools is a fine record and will she undertake to at least match this?”

 

Reply from Councillor Orhan:

 

“Your question gives me an opportunity highlight the funding provided by the last Labour government on schools, however in view of the impending cuts in public expenditure I doubt it very much that their will be similar amounts of money to invest in our schools in the future.”

 

Question 13 from Councillor Rye to Councillor Orhan, Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Services

 

“Is the Cabinet Member aware of the lobbying of the last Labour Government on the need to fund Primary School places in London, undertaken by all three parties represented on London Councils, in 2009 and that Ed Balls first failed to provide any additional money and then a paltry amount. Would she agree with Mayor Sir Steve Bullock (Labour) who at London Leaders Committee on 10^th November 2009 said, “It was not only the Government that needed to be persuaded of London Councils` case and its root causes, but parents needed to be aware of this issue in order to counter a view that boroughs should be blamed for the absence of sufficient funding?”

 

Reply from Councillor Orhan:

 

“The last Labour government provided additional resources to this Council to provide additional school places in the borough.  I am concerned about the current government’s cuts in education capital funding and I hope that he and other members of the Conservative Group will join me in lobbying the government to provide the resources required to enable this Council to plan ahead and provide the school places required by the children of this borough.”

 

Question 15 from Councillor R Haywood to Councillor Bond, Cabinet Member for Environment Street Scene and Parks:

 

“Can Councillor Bond explain to the Council why he believes these reductions in service to residents will not lead to an increase in fly-tipping?”

 

Reply from Councillor Bond:

 

“My view that fly-tipping will not increase is based on advice from independent research and the views expressed by other London Boroughs.”

 

Question 21 from Councillor Headley to Councillor Bond, Cabinet Member for Environment Street Scene and Parks:

 

“Would Councillor Bond confirm that he is in agreement with the policy of the previous Conservative Administration to provide slim-line bins in line with the demands of customers?”

 

Reply from Councillor Bond:

 

“It does not matter what I think, we have a contract in place approved by the last administration and I had to roll out the wheelie bin scheme because of the very high costs associated with revising the contract.”

 

Question 27 from Councillor Neville to Councillor Bond, Cabinet Member for Environment Street Scene and Parks:

 

“Does Councillor Bond agree with me that under the review being considered by his group, the capital schemes at Edmonton Green and Palmers Green are not the new priorities of this administration?”

 

Reply from Councillor Bond:

 

“No.”

 

Question 39 from Councillor Vince to Councillor Orhan, Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Services

 

“Can Councillor Orhan be more explicit about the visits she has undertaken including the visits to School Councils?

 

Reply from Councillor Orhan:

 

I find it amazing that Councillor Vince did not ask this in her original question, I will however provide a more detailed written response.”

 

Question 40 from Councillor D Pearce to Councillor Anwar, Cabinet Member for Community Cohesion and Capacity Building in the Third Sector

 

“Can Councillor Anwar state the names of all of the organisations he has visited and why he does not think it is appropriate to state the names; does he believe in secrecy or transparency?”

 

Reply from Councillor Anwar:

 

“I believe in total transparency, I have provided a response to your original question and do not want to add anything more.”

 

Question 45 from Councillor Smith to Councillor Oykener, Cabinet Member for Housing and Area Improvements

 

“Does the Cabinet Member think residents should be allowed to put up satilite dishes without seeking the required permission?”

 

Reply from Councillor Oykener:

 

“This is a very sensitive issue, I could not find a campaign to Enfield Homes, but I am working with officers to find alternative solutions.  I am however sympathetic to residents needs and will seek to find a way to allow these often elderly and isolated residents to receive television programmes in their own language.  I will continue looking for a solution to this issue.”