Issue - meetings

A period of 20 minutes is allocated for questions to be put to Cabinet Members by members of the Council. Notice of questions need not be given in advance of the meeting. Questions must relate to the powers, duties or responsibilities of the Cabinet. Questions put to Cabinet Members must relate to their portfolio responsibilities.

The Leader will determine how Cabinet question time should be allocated where there are a number of Members wishing to ask questions. Where a question relates to a matter which appears on the agenda, the Leader may allow the question to be asked at the beginning of consideration of that item.

Councillor D Flude commented that at a recent meeting of the Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Committee she had raised the issue of the Academies admission criteria. Councillor Flude was concerned that some academies were not admitting the Borough’s more challenging children, which was placing an unacceptable pressure on schools that had not converted to academies. She understood that academies that did not accept more difficult children would be referred to the Secretary of State for Education. She asked how many such schools had been referred to the Secretary of State within Cheshire East. The Chairman indicated that Councillor Flude would receive a written reply.

Councillor Flude also asked what provision the Council had in place to protect vulnerable residents when residential care and nursing homes had to close because of financial and other pressures. In this respect she referred to a care home in Alsager. The Portfolio Holder for Adult Care and Integration replied that the Council had a robust protocol in place where a care home was about to close and that this had been activated in relation to the Alsager home; she undertook to send a copy to Councillor Flude. She also commented that with regard to the care home in Alsager, the Council was aiming to have the residents of the home relocated as quickly and as smoothly as possible. She undertook to follow up with a written reply to Councillor Flude.

Councillor S Corcoran referred to the large numbers of people, including children, reportedly killed in Aleppo in recent weeks and asked for an update on the Council’s plans to welcome Syrian refugees and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children to Cheshire East. The Portfolio Holder for Communities and Health replied that the first group of refugees was expected in January and that referrals of unaccompanied children were made on the basis of application and that any such applications would be dealt with as and when they came in. He undertook to report further progress when more information was available.