Agenda item

9.1     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.

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

The list of questions and their written responses will be published on Tuesday 13 June 2017. 

1.       Urgent Questions

Council noted that the Mayor had agreed to accept the following urgent questions below (under Part 4 – Paragraph 9.2 (b) of the Constitution for the following reason:

This was an issue that could not reasonably have been foreseen or anticipated prior to the deadline for the submission of questions and which needed to be considered before the next meeting of the Council.  The fire at Grenfell Tower happened in the early hours of the morning of the 14 June 2017. 

1.               Question from Councillor Levy to Councillor Taylor, Leader of the Council

“Would the Leader of the Council, on behalf of the people of Enfield, please provide a statement in reaction to the horrendous fire that occurred overnight at Grenfell Tower in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea?”

Reply from Councillor Taylor: 

“Councillor Taylor began by saying that his thoughts and prayers were with the people who had been affected by this unimaginable horror.  He also paid tribute to the emergency services.  He felt it was too early to draw simple conclusions and there would be time for a proper reflection on the causes, but he wanted to give some reassurance to members.

Enfield had 52 high rise blocks which each received a fire risk assessment every year.  The Council worked in partnership with the London Fire Brigade on a Partnership Board which enabled the Council to learn from events and to share best practice. 

There was a programme to install emergency lighting in all high rise blocks which did not have them and in the interim the Council was installing photoluminescent strips pending full wired installations. 

A fire door replacement programme for all flats without fire doors was carried out between 2010 and 2012.  This included providing doors for leaseholders at no extra cost to them.  Every flat also had a hard wired smoke alarm.

Twenty blocks had been clad since 2007 and officers were double checking fire safety compliance on all of these – this would have been a clear contractual requirement. 

The fire brigade used a hydrant supply to access water in an emergency, residential low pressure issues would not affect this access.

Cleaners inspect tower blocks every day as part of their cleaning rota and liaise with residents to maintain safety standards.

Following the tragic events, officers were arranging a top to bottom audit of all tower blocks and hoped to complete this in the next two days. 

Councillor Taylor said that he would ensure that members were appraised in due course when he was in a better position to report what further actions, if any, may be required to ensure the safety of Enfield residents. 

Officers would be supporting the pan London actions arising from the temporary crisis and he shared their desire to support our London neighbours at this difficult time.  This was a terribly tragic event from which everyone must learn lessons, upon which the Council would act. 

2.               Question from Councillor Laban to Councillor Taylor, Leader of the Council

“Could the Leader of the Council commit to a review of fire safety in all our Council Housing tower blocks as a result of the horrific fire that took place today at Grenfell tower block, Kensington?”

Written response to be provided after the meeting.