Agenda item

11.1    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. 

 

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

 

Please note that the list of questions and their written responses will be published on Tuesday 30 January 2018. 

1.               Urgent Questions

 

There were no urgent questions. 

 

2.               Questions by Councillors

 

NOTED

 

1.               The forty questions on the Council agenda and the written responses provided by the relevant Cabinet Members.

 

2.               The following supplementary questions and responses received for the questions listed below:

 

Question 1 (Autumn Budget and Public Sector Pay Cap) from Councillor Levy to Councillor Taylor, Leader of the Council

 

Would you agree that the Government does not value public sector workers? 

 

Reply from Councillor Taylor 

 

Yes. However this administration will continue to ensure that we recognise the vital contributions of public sector workers while also ensuring that services are affordable to taxpayers.  Public sector workers will be valued. 

 

Question 3 (Cuts to Children’s Services) from Councillor Abdullahi to Councillor Taylor, Leader of the Council

 

What is the scale of the challenge? 

       

Reply from Councillor Taylor

 

Councillor Taylor responded by saying that politics was a choice.  The government chose to spend money on cuts to the bank levy, while children’s services had a £2 billion funding gap and there were 70,000 young people in care under child protection plans.  This was not a good start for children, and cutting banking costs would not be something I would support. 

 

Question 4 (£12.50 Charge for older vehicles when accessing services at North Middlesex Hospital) from Councillor Laban to Councillor Taylor, Leader of the Council

 

When were we likely to see the Council’s response to the consultation on the proposed ULEZ (Ultra Low Emissions Zone) expansion to the North and South Circular roads?  

 

Reply from Councillor Taylor 

 

A response is being prepared and will be available in the near future. 

 

Question 6 (Reduction in Local Implementation Plan funding) from Councillor Laban to Councillor Taylor, Leader of the Council

 

Council Laban thanked Councillor Taylor for his response, but asked do you agree with the Cabinet Member for Environment that this is a kick in the teeth for the borough and will be a problem going forward. 

 

Reply from Councillor Taylor:

 

Councillor Taylor replied that this was not language that he would use and he could not agree.  He suggested that Councillor Laban ask Councillor Anderson direct. 

 

Question 7 (Local Government Finance Settlement) from Councillor Simon to Councillor Lemonides, Cabinet Member for Finance and Efficiency

 

Would the Cabinet Member agree that although Enfield staff were doing a fantastic job with less and less resources, this was becoming increasingly difficult, and services needed more funding? 

 

Reply from Councillor Lemonides

 

Councillor Lemonides replied that yes he would agree.  Enfield had lost 40% of the staff since 2010.  He thought that it was ridiculous to think that the Government could continue cutting, (this administration had found efficiencies and innovative ways of working) but still think that Councils could find more money through efficiencies and by raising the Council Tax.  The Council could not continue to cut services.  It has made over £200m worth of savings with a further £35m to come.  Eventually there would be no money left, nothing to spend on things such as lighting, cleaning the streets or emptying the bins. 

 

Question 8 (Demolition of Small Site Housing Schemes) from Councillor Laban to Councillor Taylor, Leader of the Council

 

Does Councillor Taylor regret not asking that the Jasper Close site be secured against weather damage?

 

Reply from Councillor Taylor

 

Councillor Taylor said that he had nothing more to say.

 

Question 9 (Winter Pressures in Hospitals) from Councillor Pite to Councillor A Cazimoglu, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care

 

Councillor Pite thanked the Cabinet Members for her full answer but asked her to explain why there were so many difficulties, why GP’s were overwhelmed, why there were unacceptable delays at accident and emergency centres and too many cancelled operations. 

 

Reply from Councillor A Cazimoglu

 

Councillor Cazimoglu responded that the problems were down to Government underfunding, which had led to an increase in waiting lists with over 4 million people waiting and over 60,000 people on trolleys.  In her view the problems were a result of Government austerity policies and ideology.  The Labour party would fight to save the NHS and Social Care. 

 

Question 10 (Draft London Plan) from Councillor Chamberlain to Councillor Sitkin, Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration and Business Development

 

Does the Cabinet Member agree or disagree with the proposals in the draft London Plan for Enfield to provide more strategic industrial land capacity?

 

Reply

 

In the absence of Councillor Sitkin it was agreed that the question would be passed on to him for an answer. 

 

Question 11 (Travel Assistance for Children with Special Educational Needs) from Councillor Eren to Councillor Anderson, Cabinet Member for Environment

 

Councillor Eren asked why the numbers were rising so quickly and what affect this had on costs?   

 

Reply from Councillor Anderson

 

Councillor Anderson responded that this was a demand led service and so the Council had no control over the numbers.  Efficiencies had been found to reduce costs by changing the routing and finding alternative ways to do things within the legal framework.  The situation was reviewed weekly to ensure that eligibility criteria were met.

 

Question 12 (Employment of Consultants) from Councillor Laban to Councillor Lemonides, Cabinet Member for Finance and Efficiency

 

Councillor Laban asked if the Council would be looking to reduce the amount of money spent on consultants. 

 

Reply from Councillor Lemonides  

 

Consultants were only employed with the approval of senior staff and only brought when we don’t have the in house expertise.  For example when carrying out business transformation it was not necessary to bring in permanent staff.   The Council was however continuing to reduce spending in this area. 

 

Question 13 (Sexual Health Provision in the East of the Borough) from Councillor Savva to Councillor Fonyonga, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Public Health

 

When will the new clinic open?

 

Reply from Councillor Fonyonga

 

Councillor Fonyonga replied that she was excited about the new world class facility due to open on St Valentine’s Day.  She reminded everyone that they should practice safe sex, that the clinic would provide free confidential treatment and should help reduce the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases.

 

Question 14 (Commonwealth War Graves) from Councillor Dines to Councillor Anderson, Cabinet Member for Environment

 

Councillor Dines said that on a recent visit to a local cemetery he had been saddened by the state of the war graves.  He invited Councillor Anderson to visit the cemetery with him and to work cross party to apply for funding from the War Graves Commission to carry out some restoration work. 

 

Reply from Councillor Anderson

 

Councillor Anderson said that he would be happy to work on a cross party basis. 

 

Question 18 (Enfield Highway Library Usage) from Councillor Rye to Councillor Orhan, Cabinet Member for Education, Children’s Services and Protection

 

Councillor Rye asked Councillor Orhan to provide library usage figures including number of loans and the number of people using the library.  

 

Reply from Councillor Orhan

 

Councillor Orhan said that she would be happy to provide the figures after the meeting.