Agenda item

 

(i)        Questions on Notice to the Executive:-

 

None received for this meeting.

 

(ii)          Questions without Notice to the Executive and the Chairs of Committees.

 

A.     Questions on Notice

 

No questions on Notice from Elected Members had been received for this meeting.

 

B.     Questions Without Notice

 

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 15.2, the Chair of Council sought questions from Elected Members during Question Time.

 

A.     Questions to the Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones

 

Q.   Councillor Lani-Mae Ball asked the following question:-

 

“We can all agree here today that the last ten years have been very difficult in relation to the continued cuts to Local Government.  In relation to these cuts, have they been evenly spread across the country and how does Doncaster fare in the severity of cuts since austerity began in 2010?”

 

A.     The Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, gave the following response:-

 

“I think we all know that the cuts have been there for a number of years and the figures that I am going to quote are facts and not political. If you look at the Centre for Cities report, 2019, Doncaster has had its spending cut by £107m since 2010-11. This equates to 29% less funding to provide services for our residents, and equates to £350 per person, whereas the national average is a spending power reduction of just 22%, which equates to £271 per person, so as you can imagine, it is a massive cut for us all.  Cuts for Local Government have led to a small amount of the shortfall being picked up by the local taxpayer, which is wrong as National Government should properly fund Local Government, and I want to see the levelling up being done properly with funding mechanisms without having to go through continual bidding rounds so we can plan properly for the residents in this Borough.”

 

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 15.7, Councillor Lani-Mae Ball asked the following supplementary question:-

 

Q.   “You mentioned having to apply for bids and the fact that it is a circle and it obviously takes time so can you can inform me how much has actually been brought in by the work you have done while you have been Mayor, in receiving capital sums?”

 

A.   The Mayor gave the following response:-

 

“It is in the order of £260m and we will also keep pushing Government to fund us for a new hospital which will add up to another £100m.  Our residents deserve it and we will keep pushing. It is in the order of £260m so far.”

 

Q.   Councillor Jane Cox asked the following question:-

 

“The Mayor stated in the Free Press this week that the Council was in deficit of £18.9 m.  It was then reported that the Council had received less than £3m from Central Government despite enormous pressures on the Council.  Is the Mayor mistaken or is the Mayor misleading the residents of Doncaster, as the Council has received more than £65m to support Council services over the last 12 months and over £125m to support business.  If the Mayor was so unhappy with the Local Government Financial settlement, why did her Labour MPs allow this to go through unopposed in Parliament?”

 

A.   The Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, gave the following response:-

 

“No, the Mayor was not misleading the public.  Figures were quoted when some tweets had been put out that we had received £11.4m and that was on the Government’s assumption that we would be levelling a 5% rise in Council Tax.  We were never going to do this, as we appreciate how hard it is for our residents and try to mitigate this.  That is why we are the 11^th lowest Council, so no misleading at all, but it has been perhaps interpreted wrongly by someone who has picked up figures without fully understanding them and I am here for the people of Doncaster.  We need to get as much funding as we can get and I am tired of hearing about the levelling up, we are devoid of hospitals that need 21st Century care when we know we have health inequalities here.  We were encouraged to bid for a new hospital and we will keep that fight for the residents and I will ask our MPs to support us in that and we will petition until Government listen to us.  This is one way they can start levelling up.  We need the right type of hospital and the training and support, and all the other things that come from it.  Where we would propose to put it would actually be a huge economic boost.  The person looking at those figures, I do not think was certain of what they were looking at.”

 

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 15.7, Councillor Jane Cox asked the following supplementary question:-

 

Q.   “The quote from the Free Press states that people would be interested to know that Doncaster Council has received less that £3m extra despite the enormous pressures on the Council due to the coronavirus, so make of that what you will.  I am interested to know though as I have been sat in this Chamber now for more than 6 years and it is the first time I have heard mention of a new hospital in the last 2 Council meetings?”

 

A.The Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, gave the following response:-

 

“I will explain again.  It was put out there that £11.4m was received as an additional sum, and it was working on fictitious figures.  These are figures based on Government assumptions that we are going to levy a 5% rise in Council Tax and that is how it is interpreted as additional funding.  If you take that away from the £11m, it leaves £3m plus, and that is how the figure has come about; nothing misleading, just people not understanding the figures.  If you have not heard of the bid for a hospital, you have not been listening for all this time because you would be able to see where we have been looking at land in order to deliver one.  I believe it was over a year ago when I spoke to MPs asking them to back a spot we had chosen. It is about us doing what is right for our residents, for the people in Doncaster, and Labour will continue to do what is right and fight for the people as that is the right thing to do.”

 

Q.   Councillor Nick Allen asked the following question:-

 

“Could you tell me what steps have been taken to increase and improve access to the postal votes?”

 

A.     The Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, gave the following response:-

 

“Steps are always taken and we comply with what we are required to do.  I will hand over to the Chief Executive who is the Returning Officer.  I am not in charge in terms of Elections.”

 

A.      The Chief Executive and Returning Officer, Damian Allen, gave the following response:-

 

“Thank you.  We are complying with the guidance that has been issued by the Electoral Commission and as the Registered Officer in terms of Electoral Registration, we have informed all electors of the various methods for voting.  This was done at the point of registration.  In terms of the announcement from the Prime Minister regarding the Elections commencing with certain restrictions and new regulations, these have been updated including new regulations in terms of Proxy Voting.  They will be communicated to electors within the communication plan and also when we write out in respect of the polling cards, and also in terms of those who are extremely clinically vulnerable who may find they are disadvantaged.  That will be part of the communications plan that will be imminently shared.”

 

Q. Councillor Martin Greenhalgh asked the following question:-

 

“Would it be possible to see evidence of lobbying Government over the past three years for this hospital?”

 

A.     The Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, gave the following response:-

 

“We will make sure that any minutes that are available are circulated, as the evidence is there and we will ensure it is passed on to you.  Officers have worked with people from the Hospital and with Team Doncaster, so I will make sure it is passed out.”

 

Q.   Councillor Steve Cox asked the following question:-

 

“I have had numerous conversations with a Member of the Labour Group.  In these conversations, I was told that you had told them not to contact the Conservative MP.  Is this correct?”

 

A.     The Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, gave the following response:-

 

“Each Member is a Member in their own right and I am aware that many of our Members have contacted the MP for Don Valley, so I am not sure where that has come from.  I do not know what point you are trying to bring up, but I know many of our Members have contacted the MP and the MP has actually asked us to ask them to stop going to them because he found it quite aggressive.”

 

Q.   Councillor Andy Pickering asked the following question:-

 

“In view of the subject regarding a new hospital, could I ask if the Mayor would be seeking protection for Mexborough Montague Hospital.  The last thing we want to see is a new hospital built, and our hospital, which serves many people at this side of the Borough, suffer?”

 

A.   The Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, gave the following response:-

 

“It is not another hospital, this is a replacement hospital for the whole of Doncaster.  The place that we chose is on the Waterfront which was agreed by all MPs. It is not about getting rid of the hospital in Mexborough.  This is about bringing a state of the art hospital to the Town to move forward so that we are ready for any further pandemics that may come, and hopefully bring more cancer treatments back to Doncaster.”

 

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 15.7, Councillor Andy Pickering asked the following supplementary question:-

 

Q.   “I would just like to say that a new facility is welcome, but I would ask for protection for the Montague Hospital on this side of town.  It would be a dire outcome to end up with a new facility, but to lose one on this side of the Borough which is much needed?”

 

A.     The Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, gave the following response:-

 

“Andy, we were bidding for the replacement of the DRI, and that alone.  Nothing else has been mooted to me and we worked alongside the hospital and the CCG.  It is about the age of the hospital and its inappropriateness.  Officers have worked hard to deliver the bid and have been encouraged by Civil Servants.  We would seek to support Montague hospital though if comes about; it is about the whole of the Borough.”

 

Q.   Councillor Sean Gibbons asked the following question:-

 

“When will the former Windmill Avenue site in Mexborough actually receive some housing on there, having been demolished some ten, twelve years ago, and having her promised housing on there in her election leaflet both in 2015 and 2017?”

 

A.   The Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, gave the following response:-

 

“We have got a new housing programme, but I do not have the details of it in front of me.  I do not know whether the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Glyn Jones, has got those answers.”

 

A.      The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Glyn Jones, gave the following response in relation to the comments made by Mayor Jones:-

 

“I would need to refer to that document as well Chair.  I have not got those details directly in front of me.”

 

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 15.7, Councillor Sean Gibbons asked the following supplementary question:-

 

Q.   “I look forward to receiving that information as would Councillors Chapman and Pickering because we have been tirelessly trying to get that land developed for many years. It is Housing Revenue Account.  It is deriving no income and it is costing a hell of a lot of money to recoup clearing up Fly Tipping.  It is just a blight of where housing should be replaced which has been promised previously?”

 

A.   The Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, gave the following response:-

 

“Can I just answer that what we are using is the Housing Needs Assessment which identifies all the differing areas across the Borough that requires further housing, but I have not got it in front of me.  We will get that programme out to you and you can see it in there.”

 

Q.   Councillor Mick Cooper asked the following question:-

 

“Mayor Jones, starting in October, I asked one of your Cabinet Members for information relating to the activities of a digital media company and I was told that it would not be investigated unless I provided evidence.  Why do I have to provide evidence for one Cabinet Member to discuss with another Cabinet Member, what is happening throughout Doncaster and causing an enormous amount of damage.  Nearly five months have elapsed and I have no information.  I do not know why I have to provide evidence and I am a little dismayed at that.  So, I would like some guidance on that for when I ask future questions.  What have I got to provide when I say something professionally that damage is occurring.  I would have thought that would be enough to investigate it.

 

In addition to that, in late January, I asked a senior Highways Officer for information as to where these particular companies were working and I know that we have had the snow and the floods, but it is nearly five weeks.  If this was being controlled adequately, then there would have been a programme of works where these companies were working and I could have swung by and had a look to see what is happening.  I already have a vast library of photographic evidence of the damage that has been caused by these companies and this is ongoing all the time.  It is not being monitored adequately.  I appreciate that there is a resource implication here and I was quite willing to go out and talk to some of these people.  I have talked to them on occasion and they have actually gone down the pavement instead of chopping the grass roots.  So, they are happy to listen, but whether it is a lack of communication with the Officer, I do not know; I would like to know why.  The question is why do I have to provide evidence when I say that there is a problem?”

 

A.   The Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, gave the following response:-

 

“Without you asking the particular Cabinet Member directly, you are asking me to answer something when I have not got all the facts in front of me.  I would suggest Councillor Cooper that you email the particular Cabinet Member and copy me in, and if you need a relevant Officer to also respond to you, then they will.”

 

B.     Questions to the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Glyn Jones, Cabinet Member for Housing and Equalities

 

Q.   Councillor Jane Cox asked the following question:-

 

“My question was to Councillor Blake and it is a two part question.  One part was for Councillor Blake, who is not here, and one was for Councillor Jones. So, I will give you the first part that is Councillor Blake’s to give Councillor Jones context to my question.  I was asking Councillor Blake if she would review the Strategy for autistic people, people with learning difficulties, as this Strategy was written 2 years ago and it is only just going to Cabinet this week.  Lessons have been learnt over the past 12 months which have got to be recognised and form part of the Strategy.  What I want to ask Councillor Jones is, will he commit to an easy read version being published because obviously, that would be the Equalities agenda?”

 

A.     The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Glyn Jones, gave the following response:-

 

“Yes, we need to have as clear information out there as possible with regard to any Strategy, and in line with good practice and policy, I assume we would be able to provide that.  I will instruct Officers to do that if possible Jane and you are right in saying that there is an easy read version available.  This is something that we do need to have a look at with any document that we produce, so I have nothing against that at all if we can provide that quite easily and without too much difficulty, and indeed cost.  But cost should not come in to it as we are all aware when you are giving information to people.”

 

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 15.7, Councillor Jane Cox asked the following supplementary question:-

 

Q.   “I was going to say with all due respect to the cost, the people that the Strategy is aimed at need to be able to read it.”

 

A.   The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Glyn Jones, gave the following response:-

 

“Absolutely.”

 

C.     Questions to Councillor Nigel Ball, Cabinet Member for Public Health, Leisure and Culture

 

There were no questions put to Councillor Nigel Ball, Cabinet Member for Public Health, Leisure and Culture.

 

D.     Questions to Councillor Joe Blackham, Cabinet Member for Highways, Street Scene and Trading Services

 

There were no questions put to Councillor Joe Blackham, Cabinet Member for Highways, Street Scene and Trading Services.

 

E.     Questions to Councillor Rachael Blake, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care

 

In the absence of Councillor Rachael Blake, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, the Chair of Council informed Members that any questions for Councillor Blake should be submitted in writing to the Executive Office after the meeting, and a response would be provided accordingly.

 

F.     Questions to Councillor Nuala Fennelly, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Schools

 

In the absence of Councillor Nuala Fennelly, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Schools,the Chair of Council informed Members that any questions for Councillor Fennelly should be submitted in writing to the Executive Office after the meeting, and a response would be provided accordingly.

 

G.    Questions to Councillor Chris McGuinness, Cabinet Member for Communities, Voluntary Sector and the Environment

 

Q.   Councillor Duncan Anderson asked the following question:-

 

“I was glad to see in the budget that we are allocating more money to fight the Fly Tipping that has exploded over the last year in lockdown.  Could you briefly expand on what that is going to mean on the ground in terms of the difference that we are going to see, and what action can be taken or has been taken to address the systemic problems and not just treat the symptoms? Particularly, what can be done at a national level?”

 

A.      Councillor Chris McGuinness, Cabinet Members for Communities, Voluntary Sector and the Environment, gave the following response:-

 

“I am glad you added that bit at the end about a national level. Thanks for that.  There are a few bits that I have had an awful lot of correspondence on lately and one is off road bikes and quads, and I will be coming back to that in the coming weeks.  In terms of what has just gone on, I have just been going through my inbox and it is about Fly Tipping and Councillor Joe Blackham and myself had a meeting that Councillor Jane Cox was involved in with Nick Fletcher, MP.  One of the things that we raised was that a couple of years ago, at meeting on 12th November, we discussed Fly Tipping and our views have been very clear as a Council.  We have touched on this before that the fines are not heavy enough; the punishment is not heavy enough.  Nick Fletcher was going to go away in early November and speak with the Environment Agency about raising the awareness for needing a licence to carry waste.  He was going to ask about more severe heavier financial penalties for people who are caught Fly Tipping.  He was going to check the response from the Government from a major consultation launched over two years ago, about waste and recycling in general, and the regulations that hamper people.

 

It is quite timely as last week, I tried to record a Panorama show called ‘Rubbish Tip Britain’ about Fly Tipping.  Apparently, because there was a certain blonde haired gentlemen making an announcement, it was scrapped or taken off air.  It should be on tonight and I will be recording that. 

 

What will happen on the back of that may be questions about what they are going to do.  They have not approached this Council for any input, but the time has come to find out from the Government, where are they with their White Paper on Waste and Recycling.  Where are we going with it after two and a half years’.  Depending what it says on the programme tonight if it touches on financial penalties, I will be going back to not just to Nick Fletcher, but to all the MPs saying what can we do about this because we cannot set our own fines locally; they are set by Central Government.  It is pretty clear that people are fed up with it.

 

The interesting thing is that I was going to throw some figures out, but we have still got a problem with things we raised with Nick Fletcher when we prosecuted eight people this year in court for Fly Tipping.  We have still got twenty one and a backlog because of Covid and due to certain restrictions, it has not been given the emphasis that it should have been.  We need to get these people into court and get them punished properly.  I would go even further; littering from cars.  The registered owner of the car should be given three points on their licence.  So there you go, there is the answer.  I am all for, as I am sure you are, more severe penalties.  Let’s get the people that we catch in court.  There are two vehicles which have been crushed; we should be crushing more.  Like everyone else, I am getting fed up with it now, and I look forward to hearing from Nick Fletcher, Rosie Winterton and Ed Milliband, about where we are?”

 

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 15.7, Councillor Duncan Anderson asked the following supplementary question:-

 

Q.   “I just want to drag Chris back to my first part of the question which was regarding the additional funding in the budget we have just agreed.  How is that to play out on the ground?”

 

A.   Councillor Chris McGuinness gave the following response:-

 

“There are going to be more people about on the ground.  There are going to be more cameras out there both openly and covertly.  It is £466k in the budget.  There is the Safer Streets funding that will provide additional cameras and there is currently a review of how cameras will be deployed across the Borough. Cameras are not the answer to everything.  It is alright asking people to deal with an issue which has been growing for some time, but resources are needed to deal with it.  This budget is at least the start of where we need to go.  We have put more effort into it, but at the same time, when we catch them, we need to punish them.”

 

H.     Questions to Councillor Bill Mordue, Cabinet Member for Business, Skills and Economic Development

 

There were no questions put to Councillor Bill Mordue, Cabinet Member for Business, Skills and Economic Development.

 

I.       Questions to Councillor Jane Nightingale, Cabinet Member for Customer and Corporate Services

 

There were no questions put to Councillor Jane Nightingale, Cabinet Member for Customer and Corporate Services.

 

J.      Questions to Councillor Austen White, Chair of the Audit Committee

 

There were no questions put to Councillor Austen White, Chair of the Audit Committee.

 

K.     Questions to Councillor Phil Cole, Chair of the Elections and Democratic Structures Committee

 

There were no questions put to Councillor Phil Cole, Chair of the Elections and Democratic Structures Committee.

 

L.      Questions to Councillor Rachael Blake, Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board

 

In the absence of Councillor Rachael Blake, Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board, the Chair of Council informed Members that any questions for Councillor Blake should be submitted in writing to the Executive Office after the meeting, and a response would be provided accordingly.

 

M.    Questions to Councillor Jane Kidd, Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee

 

There were no questions put to Councillor Jane Kidd, Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee.