Agenda item - Oral questions from councillors

A list of Councillors who have indicated their desire to ask an oral question at the meeting along with the subject matters has been listed in the agenda papers.

 

9.1             The Mayor reminded the Council that councillors’ oral questions would be taken in the order as listed in the council agenda and that a period of 30 minutes was set aside for the item.  Should any questions not be reached at the end of the time period, those councillors would have the opportunity for their question to be carried over to the next council meeting.

 

9.2             The Mayor then called on Councillor G. Theobald to put his question to Councillor West as Cabinet Member for Environment & Sustainability.

 

9.3             (a) Councillor G. Theobald asked, “Should residents expect a weekly refuse collection?”

 

9.4             Councillor West replied, “Some residents have different collections to others. Residents living in the city centre using communal bonds for example compared with black sacks or wheelie bins. Our intentions regarding how food waste may change things, we haven’t yet decided on what scheme we will employ. We are discussing a variety of options.”

 

9.5             Councillor G. Theobald asked the following supplementary question, “Is it your policy to take away a weekly collection from residents?”

 

9.6             Councillor West replied, “It’s our policy to drive up the recycling rates from the powerless level they are at, that we inherited from your administration and to improve the general service to residents that is problematic and some residents are unhappy with. It could be done so much better, that’s no disrespect to your office at all. We intend to improve the situation considerably, in order to improve cleanliness, recycling and rates.”

 

9.7             (b) Councillor MacCafferty asked, Can the leader of the council tell me what progress has been made with the Green Party’s manifesto commitment to work towards the introduction of a living wage in Brighton and Hove and a reduction in the salary ration to 10 to 1 between the highest and lowest paid employees working for the City Council?”

 

9.8             Councillor Randall replied, “I can announce that we are taking 2 steps towards the introduction of a living wage in Brighton and Hove which is one of our key manifesto pledges and is part of our wider commitment to reduce the inequality in the city where 22,000 children live in poverty for instance. Step 1 the consulting from today on introducing a 59p an hour rise this September to the council’s lowest paid workers which should bring them up to a rate of £7.19 an hour. This will cover around 250 staff many of them women and part time workers. We propose to offer the same rise to the lowest paid workers in school; the council will cover the cost of the rising schools in the current financial year. The full year cost of our proposals is £109,000 on council services which represents 0.05% of the council’s budget and £70,000 for schools. The average secondary school increase is £2209 a year for primary schools the average £652 a year.  Assuming a September implementation, the cost for 2011-2012 will be £63,500 for the council and £40,800 for schools. Our plans are being discussed with Unison and the GMB who have given their support. Indeed Unison is very supportive of the initiative and has said they will give whatever assistance they can to take it forward and the next part which is step 2 is the setting up of a living wage commission for Brighton and Hove, which will look at the benefits, risks and opportunities of establishing a living wage in the city public, private and 3^rd sectors.

 

            This initiative has the support of the GMB, Unison, the Brighton & Hove Chamber of commerce which represents 450 businesses in the city, CBSF, Brighton University, Brighton and Sussex University Hospital Trust and the Sussex Police Authority. We will draw on the experience of other local authorities, here and abroad and the work carried out for the Living Wage foundation by Loughborough University, work that is funded by the Joseph Ramsey Foundation. The director of the Living Wage Foundation has agreed to sit on the commission which will start work in October and report in March 2012. The full terms of reference will be published next week. In particular the commission the will be charged with establishing a living wage based at an hourly rate of the City of Brighton and Hove by ensuring that local businesses remain effective and competitive. Many people in our city are paid low wages and one avenue to ending this situation is to do everything we can to bring more high value jobs to the city. However we believe it is important to establish a realistic and fair living wage for the city and I urge the other parties to join us in this important work and hope that each would nominate a member for the commission. National research shows that paying a living not only lifts people out of poverty but also increases productivity and reduces days lost to sickness.

 

            Finally another of our manifesto pledges is to reduce the pay gap between the highest and lowest paid workers in the council to a ratio of 10 to 1 and I am pleased to announce that the Chief Executive John Barradell has agreed to forego 5% of his salary which brings the ratio down to just above 11 to 1 and I thank him for his help. I am also taking a voluntary reduction of 5% in my leader’s allowance. The money saved by these reductions will be ear marked to help protect frontline services.”

 

9.9             (c) Councillor Cobb asked, “Last year, Councillor Duncan wrote on his blog that the stealing of public money through benefit fraud is a petty crime and that sending benefit fraudsters to jail is another way in which the poorest in our society are discriminated against. Does the new cabinet member for finance and central services share his view?”

 

9.10         Councillor J. Kitcat replied, “Recent figures are released by the DWP and the Office of National Statistics show that the level of fraud relating to benefits is about a third of the level of moneys lost relating to error. So when one puts things in perspective the amount of time that the party on that side of the chamber talk about fraud when the error in the current systems costs the tax payer so much more it leads one to wonder what are their priorities? The careful spending of tax payer money or making cheap political points?”

 

9.11         Councillor Cobb asked the following supplementary question, “The previous administration made tackling benefit fraud in the city one of its top priorities recovering between £800,000 and 1 million pounds a year. Through improving procedures and better coordination between the different agencies involved. Can the Cabinet Member reassure residents that the new Administration will continue with this zero tolerance approach to the theft of public money?”

 

9.12         Councillor J. Kitcat replied, “We continue to treat every penny of public money carefully and we will investigate any reports to us of alleged benefit fraud. The conservative led government are actually implementing a change to the way benefit fraud is handled and from April 2013 all benefit frauds will be centralised into a single DWP unit known as the Single Investigation Service so some of this will actually be taken out of our hands but I can assure the residents of this city and the councillors that we believe in value for money and treating all public money extremely carefully.”

 

9.13         (d) Councillor Farrow asked, “Have this administration acknowledged a recent e-petition from Mr Christopher Kifft chair of Brighton and Hove Tenant City Wide Assembly regarding the state of some of the city’s dropped kerbs and what will they be doing to address the concerns raised?”

 

9.14         Councillor Davey replied, “I am aware of the petition but normal protocol dictates to wait for the petition to come forward from the person who raised it before I can offer a particular response to that. On the matter of dropped kerbs in general I recognise that they are of great importance to people in the city. Particularly, but not exclusively to those with disabilities. I understand that the program is normally funded through the local transport plan but is significantly supplemented by section 106 money where those opportunities arise. Last year for example when the local transport funding was removed for this project as a result of the cuts imposed by the government’s in year funding cuts, 80 were actually achieved through section 106 money.  In this years budget there is a budget of £25,000 which although helpful, at £2,000 per pair will not stretch very far.  So we are going to have to seek whatever monies we can to extend the program but improving the general environment for walking in the city is an absolute priority for us.”

 

9.15         Councillor Farrow asked the following supplementary question, “Are the administration aware that the disability discrimination act 2005 requires the council to make reasonable adjustments to physical features such as kerbs which make it impossible or unreasonably difficult for a disabled person to make use of and will the administration promise to comply with this legislation and also promise to involve as much as possible, disabled residents in planning any future work?”

 

9.16         Councillor Davey replied, “Of course we will include disabled people.  There is the transport partnership which all parties here are represented on, so at times there hasn’t been a disability representative on that and I hope there will be in the future.”

 

9.17         (e) Councillor A. Norman asked, “The war memorials in the city are dedicated to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in 2 world wars and more recent conflicts.  What plans does the Green Administration have to protect the war memorial in the Old Steine from those who see it as a place to relax, eat sandwiches and allow children to play games?”

 

9.18         Councillor J. Kitcat replied, “As I understand it there has actually been only one incident of damage to that war memorial in recent years, the council had been made aware of and was dealt very quickly.  The fact that people move around the area where the war memorial is actually improves the security as it means there are people passing by. If it was left isolated and not visible to all, there would be more room for anti social behaviour to occur.”

 

9.19         Councillor A. Norman asked the following supplementary question, “I wasn’t specific in referring to damage to war memorials; I was referring to people who don’t respect the war memorial. So my supplementary was going to be, would it be an idea to leave the reef that was laid on Remembrance Sunday form the Lord Lieutenant and perhaps the one from the Mayor in situ because if people can see it’s a war memorial it does tend to deter them from what I would call anti social and insensitive  behaviour?”

 

9.20         Councillor J. Kitcat replied, “It sounds like a good idea, we will have to discuss that with the British legion and see if that is possible.”

 

9.21         (f) The Mayor noted that in Councillor Morgan’s absence his question would be held over to the next Council meeting.

 

9.22         (g) Councillor Mears asked, “Will the cabinet member confirm her support for the work undertaken and brought forward by Tenant working groups and HMCC under the previous Administration?”

 

9.23         Councillor Wakefield replied, “I recognise the work that you and your predecessor did in the involvement of resident groups in this area to have the tenants voices is very important.  I also hear you referring to the question on care on care leavers and housing, this was addressed in the cabinet meeting the answer is they’re in the cabinet papers.

 

            On tenant involvement we want to see the wider involvement of everyone in this city.  We want to see the involvement of residents in the procurement and continued management of all properties. We recognise the important contribution of sheltered housing action group and how it’s developing the services that have been developed by the tenants in our 23 sheltered schemes across the city.  Personally I’ve been involved in quite a lot of the different tenant groups and quite a lot of the different consultations that have gone on.  I firmly believe that all residents including care leavers should be given the opportunity to be involved in the shaping of our housing policies and priorities.  I am also committed to continuing resident involvement through initiatives such as excellent monitoring of services that are delivered.  Including the services that we as a council deliver, this includes such processes as mystery shoppers which has been very successful.  I want to thank the officers for there extremely hard work in this area.”

 

9.24         Councillor Mears asked the following supplementary question, “Care leavers sit under CYPT who have a duty of care until they are 25 costing approximately £600 per week per client.  On reading the new format for the Green Administration’s TBM month 2 report it would appear they had agreed to un-ring-fence the homeless, housing benefit and adult social care budget which will affect the most vulnerable in this city.  So therefore can the cabinet member for housing confirm that this is not another budget cut by the Green administration?”

 

9.25         Councillor Wakefield replied, “There has been no actual change in the allocations policy.”

 

9.26         (h) Councillor Robins asked, “Is the cabinet member aware of the potential difficulties facing local families in south Portslade regarding the shortage of local junior school places from 2013 which will affect classes from St Peters infants and Portslade infant school making the transition into junior school. Will the council be acquiring the premises next door to St Peters school as a possible remedy for future shortages of junior school places in the area?"

 

9.27         Councillor Shanks replied, “There is a bulge of places coming through in 2012.  I have met with councillors from Goldsmid this morning and Action for Kids about primary school places in the city, I’m not entirely sure about St Peters school.  We are working to try and get some extra classes in some of those schools as the bulge goes through.”

 

9.28         Councillor Robins asked the following supplementary question, “Will you acknowledge these concerns and agree to meet with myself and my fellow ward councillor to review and attempt to resolve the situation?”

 

9.29         Councillor Shanks replied, “Yes that would be a very good idea.”

 

9.30         (i) Councillor Pissaridou asked, “Can you explain your Administration’s position regarding the pressing need for primary school places, both infant and junior, in West Hove?”

 

9.31         Councillor Shanks replied, “We know that there is an issue with primary school places in Hove. In terms of building new schools; the government is not allowing us to build new schools unless we do them under free schools or academy, there is an issue with funding.  We are looking at possible sights for schools in Hove and its something we are concerned about.”

 

9.32         Councillor Pissaridou asked the following supplementary question, “In your view will the Connaught building alone resolve the pressing need for primary school places in West Hove and Portslade because the problem in Portslade is directly related to the problem in West Hove?”

 

9.33         Councillor Shanks replied, “It will not resolve the problem and we will need to be looking at other premises for it, another primary school and other intakes perhaps extra classes etc.”

 

9.34         (j) Councillor Marsh asked, “My ward has one of the highest numbers of young people not in education, employment or training. It also has the second highest rate of child poverty in this city at 45%.  What is the Council’s strategy for reducing this child poverty and reducing the rising youth unemployment with currently around 4300 young people jobless in wards like mine and across the city as a whole?”

 

9.35         Councillor Shanks replied, “I’m afraid miracles take a bit longer, we do recognise the issue in particular the 2 northern wards and the extent of child poverty is foreshown by the recent Child Poverty Needs assessment. It is something that our administration is really concerned about; inequality in the city is one of things in 4 yours we would like to say we have done something about that. We want to make sure children leave school with qualifications.  We want to create job opportunities to support young people as they come through to help them get into work.  We want to preserve front line services such as youth services and employment services.”

 

9.36         Councillor Marsh asked the following supplementary question, “What is this Council’s strategy to make this city a more active and healthier place for children and young people?”

 

9.37         Councillor Shanks replied, “We have a healthy schools team that works with schools to try and improve issues, we want to encourage the health and wellbeing in the city. The healthy schools team also develop PHSE programs.  Focus on sex and relationships, drug and alcohol education.  It would be wrong to promise that we can do something overnight but we do want to do something about that.”

 

9.38         (k) Councillor Gilbey asked, “As a party you have previously voted with the Labour and Co-operative Group on core strategies to attain green fill sites on the urban fringe.  Will you therefore confirm that Hangleton bottom is to be kept as a green fill site?”

 

9.39         Councillor Kennedy replied, “Hangleton Bottom is one of the few currently designated and unused waste sites in the city.  Although the site is shown in the Brighton and Hove Local Plan and the East Sussex and Brighton and Hove Waste Local Plan for waste use at the moment.  The process of designation of sites is under review as part of the local development framework and the waste and minerals development framework.  Accordingly it is apparent that the future designation of the site will not be resolved until at least spring 2013 because the processes are very much under way at the moment in terms of working with our partners in East Sussex around the waste and minerals development framework and also in the council.  Regarding business, we are revisiting our own local development framework.  The site is currently used for grazing and adjoins a residential area for the site; a property report was taken to the central services cabinet member meeting in January 2010 seeking to explore market interest in the site through the development of an informal developmental planning brief on the site. Currently property and planning are working on this process although the uncertainty about the designation of waste sites under the waste and minerals framework is a key factor.

 

            I will of course want to take as much information as I can from ward residents not just from your ward but from adjacent wards around these issues. We are very short of land in this city there’s a balance we must achieve between providing open space and immunity for residents and quality of life. But also other competing demands such as providing sites for housing, work and leisure.”

 

9.40         Councillor Gilbey asked the following supplementary question, “Regarding the inspection, when the inspectors did the enquiry they recommended the deletion of Hangleton Bottom as a waste site at the time the Council were only looking across East Sussex for a site and they found one in Hollingdean.  Will the Cabinet Member therefore listen to the people of Portslade and stop the market testing of Hangleton Bottom so land is left free of business development?”

 

9.41         Councillor Kennedy replied, “I was not aware that there was a campaign in Portslade around that, I would be very interested to see a petition or a deputation about that.  I am very much committed to extending and opening the process to include residents and ward council.”