Minutes:
Question from Councillor Bailey
"There is a severe shortage of all types of housing in this borough. Most councillors, I am sure, will agree with me when I state that it is the number one complaint of the residents of this borough. I am also sure that all councillors will agree that it should be a Council priority to ensure housing within the borough is used and fairly distributed. Could someone from the Labour Party tell me if it is Council and Labour party policy to encourage people to buy houses in this borough and then not live in them?" (Councillor Liam Smith to respond)
Response from Councillor Liam Smith
“No”
GQ2 from Councillor Barnbrook
“In the light of last year’s Tuberculosis (TB) outbreak in Cambell School when the whole school was screened after positive cases were found and tests were carried out at Jo Richardson School and other secondary schools in the borough, and in accordance with the Government’s guidelines of four cases per 10,000 warranting the instigation of universal neo-natal immunisation, is it not time that the Borough offers to every pupil and minor the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination against TB?
Response from Councillor Alexander
“A decision had already been made last year to implement neonatal BCG to all children under the age of one.
Once again, the Councillor has his facts wrong and is asking an ill formed question. The threshold for administering universal BCG vaccination is 40 to 100,000 or greater. We have yet to reach this rate, although we are close at 38.5 to 100,000. This is why we took the decision to immunise all children under the age of 1 with the BCG vaccine.
I quote from a letter by Dr. Misra the leading consultant in Communicable Disease Control from the Health Prevention Agency and who led in investigating the incident at Cambell School.
She goes on to say that the BCG vaccine is not as effective in older children and that is why the decision was taken not to immunise them as part of the mass immunisation strategy.
The measures we had adopted were in line with the World Health Organisation, the Health Prevention Agency and assistance from the PCT.
My message to you would be to stop spreading fear and lies through the press, as long as you continue to do so I will respond with the facts.
Question from Councillor Rush
"When you submitted your alternative budget this year it included many figures that I, and my colleagues, knew to be incorrect. We noticed on your website that your budget was co-compiled by Chris Forster. His website describes Mr Forster as “The only qualified Internal Auditor and Accountant working full time as a psychic” and goes on to explain that he is a “regular tarot and crystal ball reader”. Can you tell us, did your colleague Mr Forster use the help of tarot cards or a crystal ball when compiling your budget? "
Response from Councillor Bailey
“I must congratulate Councillor Rush on her research. I am sure that she, alongside her other Labour colleagues, have been spending more and more time browsing the BNP website as they become keener to join the party. Whatever Chris Forster’s background is I am sure I am not alone in saying that he would probably do a better job with our national budget than your financial expert, Gordon Brown the clown!”