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 asked if the Council had sought or received advice from the Department of Housing and Local Government in relation to the matters currently under investigation at the Council and if so, when members could expect such advice to be made available to them. The Chairman undertook to provide a written response.

Councillor S Hogben asked for an update on how the New Homes Bonus funding was to be used and who might benefit from it. The Portfolio Holder for Finance and Communication responded that a further meeting of the body considering the matter had been scheduled for 26^th March and that the body would be bringing forward proposals which would be reported through the overview and scrutiny process to Cabinet.

Councillor S Corcoran expressed disappointment that the report requested at the Special Council meeting into the extra costs of the ANSA site had been delayed. He understood the reason for the delay in view of the police investigation but asked why the potential illegality had not been picked up before the Special Council meeting. The Acting Chief Executive, in responding, stated that she was unsure as to why aspects of concern had not been identified at the time but indicated that a number of matters of concern had since been the subject of a targeted audit programme which had led to the matter being referred to the police.

Councillor Corcoran also referred to the disciplinary process followed by the Police and Crime Commissioner in relation to the suspension of the Chief Constable and to recent advice from the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Policy and Legal Services as to why the PCC’s approach towards full disclosure of the reasons for suspension could not be adopted by the Council in relation to its own disciplinary process. Councillor Corcoran felt that the Portfolio Holder’s advice did not apply to the former Monitoring Officer who was no longer employed by the Council. The Portfolio Holder for Corporate Policy and Legal Services undertook to consider the matter and provide a written response.