Issue - meetings

Questions

Meeting: 16/10/2024 - Council (Item 53)

53 Questions pdf icon PDF 107 KB

In accordance the Council Procedure Rules, opportunity is provided for Members of the Council to ask the Mayor or the Chair of a Committee any question about a matter which the Council, or the Committee has powers, duties or responsibilities.

 

At Council meeting, there will be a maximum question time period of 30 minutes. A period of two minutes will be allowed for each Councillor wishing to ask a question.  The Mayor will have the discretion to vary this requirement where they consider it appropriate.

Minutes:

Councillor B Posnett sought clarification in respect of whether the grant cohorts already agreed on for the Household Support Fund 5 were those agreed at Children and Families Committee?

 

In response Councillor J Rhodes, Chair of Adults and Health Committee, stated that the money agreed at Children and Families Committee would be distributed as agreed. The Government had since given a new grant, as of 1st October 2024, which was not detailed in today’s papers.

 

Councillor A Kolker referred to the winter fuel allowance and asked what assurance the Council could provide to ensure that the Congleton Widows Group, and all other pensioners who were entitled to claim pension credit, would be proactively informed and supported to do so before the final application date in December. He asked how the Council would ensure that vulnerable pensioners were able to keep warm this winter whilst their applications were processed? Councillor Kolker asked the Leader to explain where the money was coming from.

 

In response Councillor J Rhodes, Chair of Adults and Health Committee, stated that the Council had been notified of a sum of money - around £2.2milion, which would be given to Cheshire East Council from 1 October 2024 for the Household Support Fund. The Council would be contacting pensioners who may be able to claim pension credit using a targeted approach by using information from the council tax support records. Officers had identified around 3500 pensioners who were on the relevant benefits or claiming council tax credit, who may be able to access the Household Support Fund, but the details were still being worked through.

 

The Leader of the Council, Councillor N Mannion, stated that the Council would be relaunching the Warm Places Scheme to open up local venues for warmth and there would be a communications campaign to promote this which would be aimed at reaching as many people as possible.

 

Councillor T Dean asked that, as the Council were closing three Household Waste and Recycling Centres (HWRCS) in Cheshire East, to what extent were cross boundary drawbacks and reciprocal arrangements discussed with neighbouring local authorities to improve residents’ access to HWRCs, reduce any potential impacts of rising fly tipping and provide mutually beneficial cost savings.

 

Councillor M Warren, Chair of Environment and Communities Committee, agreed to provide a written response.

 

Councillor L Anderson asked if the Council could make it mandatory for all Councillors to undergo Corporate Parenting training and be made aware of their responsibility as Corporate Parents.

 

In response, Councillor C Bulman, Chair of Children and Families Committee, stated that the Children and Families Committee and the Cared for Children and Care Leavers Committee had recently received training from an external provider, during which care leavers provided feedback and the suggestions received were now being worked on. Councillor Bulman stated that it was mandatory for all Councillors to do Safeguarding Training and there was a lot of resources on the Learning Lounge relating to Corporate Parenting. Training for all members was being worked on.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 53