Minutes:
Question 1
From Councillor McCarthy
“There has been an increase in incidences of fly-tipping at Eastbrookend Cemetery car park. The cemetery is one the most special places along with our other two cemeteries within the Borough. Can the Council install a camera to deter and be used as a tool to prosecute these criminals who have no respect for our dead? If there are similar instances at our other two cemeteries I would like to see them get the same enforcement aids.”
Response
The Cabinet Member for Environment and Street Scene advised that the Enforcement Service had a small number of cameras that could be deployed in areas where there was persistent fly-tipping. Officers would be carrying out a survey of Eastbrookend Cemetery during the week to identify the viability of installing a camera in the area and advise Councillor McCarthy accordingly.
Question 2
From Councillor McCarthy
“We have had a tragic death on Dagenham Road since the last Assembly. Will the relevant Cabinet Member work with local councillors and residents to make improvements to road safety on Dagenham Road to encompass speed cameras, new road surface and traffic calming measures and whatever suggestions come forward from a review of the area?”
Response
The Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety advised that the tragic accident remained under Police investigation. Council representatives had met with Metropolitan Police Traffic Management Officers on 16 January 2017 to discuss the circumstances behind the fatality and were waiting the Police report which would support a review of highway’s issues in the area.
Supplementary Question
Councillor McCarthy requested that Ward Councilors be included in future discussions on the matter and be updated on progress.
The Cabinet Member advised that Councillors should contact her regarding the issue.
Question 3
From Councillor Mullane
“Can the Cabinet Member for crime confirm she is doing everything within her power to ensure the Police service is at full capacity in regard to posts being filled and confirm the current position?”
Response
The Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety advised that the Metropolitan Police applied a formula for allocating resources to Boroughs. The Council had long argued that the formula, over 10 years old, no longer adequately reflected the needs of the Borough. The Cabinet Member advised that ahead of a full review by the Police, it had been accepted that the Borough needed five neighbourhood officers and the posts were recently appointed to. Furthermore, the number of Schools and Youth Engagement Officers had been doubled.
Supplementary Question
Councillor Mullane advised that she had been made aware that the statistics of Police Officers for the Borough included those who were sick and/or on secondment and asked the Cabinet Member to take this up with relevant officers at the Metropolitan Police.
The Cabinet Member confirmed she would discuss the issue with relevant officers.
Question 4
From Councillor Mullane
“Can the Cabinet Member responsible for crime explain whether the Council is encouraging the Police to take pro-active steps towards crime rather than the current re-active response and if, year on year this is an increase or decrease?”
Response
The Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety confirmed the Police were proactive within the Borough and took the opportunity to detail operations on anti-social behaviour, wanted violent suspects and, knife and gun crime which had recently taken place in the Borough.
Supplementary Question
Councillor Mullane advised that the statistics on “Stop and Search” within the Borough were based on the last census and therefore not accurate and asked for the Cabinet Member to raise this with relevant officers.
The Cabinet Member confirmed she would discuss the issue with relevant officers.
Question 5
From Councillor Chand
“Given the recent media coverage surrounding the crises in social care and the NHS, can the relevant Cabinet Member please report on how services in Barking and Dagenham are coping during these difficult times?”
Response
The Cabinet Member for Social Care and Health Integration advised that despite comments from the Prime Minister, there was a need to address the crisis in the NHS. Due to problems within the NHS, additional pressured was placed on local authorities, in particular social care. This winter almost 25,000 people a month had attended local A&E department’s, only 85% were seen within four hours which was not good enough.
Supplementary Question
With reference to the very high number of people attending local A&E services each month, Councillor Chand questioned the impact on services once King George Hospital A&E closed.
The Cabinet Member advised that as certain conditions had to be met at Queens Hospital before the closure could proceed she could not envisage the closure taking place next year, or even the following year.
Question 6
From Councillor Miah
“Will the Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety provide a progress update on the Council’s landlord licensing scheme?”
Response
The Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety advised that the Council had received 12,000 licence applications since the scheme was launched in September 2014. 10,500 of the properties had been inspected by the council and 85% met the standard either at the time of the inspection or following minor improvements as recommended by the Council. The Cabinet Member detailed enforcement action undertaken following the introduction of the scheme and inspections, which included the successful prosecution of 25 landlords.
Supplementary Question
Councillor Miah asked what would happen when the current scheme finished.
The Cabinet Member advised that the Council was currently working on a new scheme which would seek to further improve conditions and property management services.
Question 7
From Councillor Choudhury
“Can the Cabinet Member for Finance, Growth and Investment provide a response to the Government’s latest Local Government Finance Settlement and tell us what impact this will have on local residents?”
Response
The Cabinet Member for Finance, Growth and Investment commented that the Government’s cuts were a disgrace, with the Revenue Support Grant due to decline by £27.7m bringing more misery on residents in the Borough. Councils were having to increase Council Tax to fill the gaps brought about by the Government and the looming crisis in social care. The Cabinet Member referred in particular to Surrey County Councils proposed referendum on a 15% Council Tax rise. Furthermore, the Cabinet Member confirmed that changes to the New Homes Bonus Scheme, meant that the Council would be losing out on a further £1.1m of funding.
Question 8
From Councillor Haroon
“Following the recent re-design of sexual health services in the Borough, can the Cabinet Member for Social Care and Health Integration outline how the re-designed service will improve outcomes for residents?”
Response
The Cabinet Member for Social Care and Health Integration advised that following the review, the service was relocated to the Barking Hospital site and increased from 20 hours a week to 40 hours a week. By consolidating services, a wider range of sexual health services were available to residents under one roof.
Question 9
From Councillor Hughes
“Will the relevant Cabinet Member update the Assembly on what progress is being made to establish a film studio complex at Dagenham East?”
Response
The Cabinet Member for Economic and Social Development advised that the Council and the Greater London Authority were jointly funding a feasibility study and business case for the film studio. Consultants had been appointed following a tender process and would be looking at the demand and potential mix of facilities at the site as well as the wider social and economic benefits of a film studio.
The Cabinet Member advised that a report would be presented to Cabinet in April/May 2017.
Question 10
From Councillor Freeborn
“Can the Cabinet Member for Equalities and Cohesion tell the Assembly how the Council plans to mark Women’s Empowerment Month this March?”
Response
The Cabinet Member for Equalities and Cohesion advised that Women’s Empowerment Month would be marked with a programme of events and activities throughout March. The programme would include a Women’s Conference on 8 March 2017, events to help female entrepreneurs with business planning and public speaking, seminars on political issues and end with the Women’s Empowerment Awards on 30 March 2017. All events would be detailed on the Councils website.
Question 11
From Councillor Fergus
“A number of incidents involving sexual harassment of women in Barking Town Centre have been reported recently. Can the relevant Cabinet Member outline what the Council is doing to prevent any further incidents?”
Response
The Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety advised that women had reported feeling unsafe due to groups of men drinking in the area and the Police had launched a dedicated campaign Operation Avarice, in Barking Town Centre, in November 2016 until which had been successful. Furthermore, the Council was planning to use additional funding from the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime to improve arrangements for the reporting of all hate crime incidents in the Boroughincluding the sexual harassment of women.
Question 12
From Councillor Ahammad
“Can the Cabinet Member for Educational Attainment and School Improvement explain what impact the Government’s new national funding formula for schools will have on schools in our borough?”
Response
The Cabinet Member for Educational Attainment and School Improvement explained that the current school funding formula had been tweaked by Government and Councils were already seeing money from London redistributed to other parts of the country. According to the figures published by the Department for Education, Barking and Dagenham schools should expect an overall reduction of £0.245m or 0.1%.
The new National Funding Formula, which was still at the consultation stage would make the redistribution more apparent, however the Council were working with the Schools Forum to develop a response outlining the Councils concerns,
Supplementary Question
Councillor Ahammad asked when the consultation would be ending and how parents were advised of the consultation.
The Cabinet Member advised that the consultation would be ending in March 2017. All school governing bodies could respond and parents could respond individually. A link to the consultation would be made available on the Councils website.
Question 13
From Councillor Shaukat
“Will the Leader update the Assembly on the Council’s plans to become London’s green energy capital?”
Response
The Leader advised that work was progressing to implement the two largest heat network areas. The first was at the Gascoigne East Regeneration area which would provide heat for 1,000 household and the second at Becontree Heath, which was subject to a £3.5m grant application to the Department of Enterprise and Industrial Strategy. Furthermore, low energy street lighting had been identified to develop new ways of delivering energy efficiency and low carbon investment in private and publicly controlled communities in the Borough.
Question 14
From Councillor Gill
“Can the relevant Cabinet Member please explain what actions are being taken to alleviate the projected overspend of £5m in 2016/17 with overspending in many areas within the Council including Children's Care and Support, Leisure, Environmental Services, Council Tax and Homelessness?”
Response
The Cabinet Member for Finance, Growth and Investment advised that that the issues the Council faced were well known, following a recent report to the Public Accounts and Audit Select Committee on children’s care and homelessness and regular budget monitoring reports to the Cabinet. The Cabinet Member reassured the Assembly that every possible action was being taken to reduce areas of overspend and to achieve a balanced budget in future years.
Supplementary Question
Councillor Gill raised concerns that the overspend in Environmental Services was masked by an underspend elsewhere and felt this should be regarded as high risk.
The Cabinet Member advised there had been issues with the Environmental Services budgets for a number of years and steps were being taken to permanently address the issues.