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

 

There were no questions from Elected Members for the 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 Jake Kearsley asked the following question:-

 

“The Prime Minister was in Doncaster today.  Can I ask if Doncaster Council knew of his planned visit.

 

Also, Nick Fletcher MP, has celebrated the funding that has been given to Doncaster over the last couple of years.  Can you give me a rough total of how much we have received into Doncaster and how much has been taken from Doncaster Council funding since 2010?”

 

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

 

“Thank you for your question Councillor Kearsley.

 

I can inform you that this Council was completely unaware of the Prime Ministers planned visit to Doncaster; we found out by a ‘tweet’ after the visit had happened.

 

Now, of course we are happy to host the Prime Minister as the Leader of this country, but it would have been good to have been made aware of his visit and even to meet with him to discuss the challenges being faced by Doncaster, and how he can support the levelling up of Doncaster through properly funded public services.

 

Over the past 18 months, we have been awarded the following funding from Government:-

 

Doncaster Town Deal - £24.8m;

 

Stainforth Town Deal - £21.6m;

 

Doncaster Levelling Up Fund - £18.6m;

 

Community Renewal Fund – £2.2m;

 

These mentioned figures add up to just over £67m.

 

These investments are of course welcome and will support some key projects across the Borough.  To see real levelling up in Doncaster will require significantly more than what has currently been pledged.

 

We must also remember that Doncaster Council is now £119m per year worse off since Austerity began in 2010.  So the £67m from Government is but a fraction of what has been taken away from this borough.

 

What we are now facing is a constant competition with neighbouring Local Authorities for funding.  This does not provide best value for money and is not the best way of ‘levelling up’ Doncaster and the North.

 

If this Government is serious about ‘levelling up’ in Doncaster, then we need a new Hospital for Doncaster, properly funded Council services, Police Officers on our streets, affordable and reliable public transport, supporting the most vulnerable of our society, and a national settlement to tackle the nationwide backlog of highway works.”

 

Q.   Councillor Andy Pickering asked the following question:-

 

“In view of the announcement today that the great white elephant that is HS2 will not come through Mexborough, can you assure us that you will look into the current situation which appears to us to leave the area blighted. Now that the railway is not going ahead, we need to get blight removed as soon as possible?”

 

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

 

“Thank you for your question. I’m not certain if you heard my earlier announcement which actually states that at this moment in time, the route that has been identified is still in the process and it is still therefore blighted, but we will continue to press for this to be lifted, but my initial statement said this including:-

 

‘Despite today’s headlines, I should make clear to Council that the Government is still committed to looking at options on how best to take HS2 services to Leeds.  As a consequence, safeguarding of the previously proposed high speed route North of East Midlands Parkway, will remain in place, pending conclusion of this work.’

 

So we will continue to press as always, but that is how it stands at the moment.”

 

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

 

There were no questions put to the Deputy Mayor, Cabinet Member for Housing and Business.

 

C.     Questions to Councillor Lani-Mae Ball, Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Young People

 

There were no questions put to Councillor Lani-Mae Ball, Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Young People.

 

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

 

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

 

E.     Questions to Councillor Joe Blackham, Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Enforcement

 

There were no questions put to Councillor Joe Blackham, Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Enforcement.

 

F.     Questions to Councillor Rachael Blake, Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care, Communities and Equalities

 

There were no questions put to Councillor Rachael Blake, Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care, Communities and Equalities.

 

G.    Questions to Councillor Phil Cole, Cabinet Member for Finance and Trading Services

 

There were no questions put to Councillor Phil Cole, Cabinet Member for Finance and Trading Services.

 

H.     Questions to Councillor Mark Houlbrook, Cabinet Member for Sustainability and Waste

 

There were no questions put to Councillor Mark Houlbrook, Cabinet Member for Sustainability and Waste.

 

I.       Questions to Councillor Jane Nightingale, Cabinet Member for Corporate Resources

 

There were no questions put to Councillor Jane Nightingale, Cabinet Member for Corporate Resources.

 

J.    Questions to Councillor Andrea Robinson, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care

 

There were no questions put to Councillor Andrea Robinson, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care.

 

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

 

In the absence of Councillor Austen White, Members were asked to submit their questions in writing and a written response would be provided.

 

L.      Questions to Councillor Ian Pearson, Chair of the Elections and Democratic Structures Committee

 

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

 

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

 

There were no questions put to Councillor Rachael Blake, Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board.

 

N.     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.