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 Rhoda Bailey referred to the funding that had been made available for domestic abuse and asked whether, given that it would be spread across three authorities, it would be worth having. The Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Integration responded that the three authorities in question worked closely together across boundaries in tackling domestic abuse and that this would ensure that the funding was well-used. The Portfolio Holder for Children and Families added that the funding was over two years which would allow for a longer-term project. The Portfolio Holder for Health referred to the White Ribbon event held last Friday which had focused on domestic abuse and the ways in which businesses and the community could encourage people to speak out.

Councillor D Flude asked what the Council would do to make town centre redevelopments more disabled and dementia-friendly. The Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Integration responded that she wanted to see the Borough’s town centres as dementia-friendly but that this would have to be achieved in partnership with local residents and third sector organisations. The Portfolio Holder for Housing, Planning and Regeneration added that any regeneration proposals that came forward for town centres would be considered in terms of whether they were dementia-friendly and accessible, and that this would be built into the planning process.

Councillor Flude also referred to text messages that residents were receiving from the Council, asking them to confirm their mobile phone numbers. She asked for confirmation that the messages were being sent by the Council. The Portfolio Holder for Finance and Communication responded that the messages were being sent by the Council and that consideration was being given to how the Council could better communicate the legitimate nature of the messages.

Councillor S Corcoran referred to a question he had asked at the previous meeting regarding EU Solutions Limited and an email from the Leader to a member of the public in 2016 confirming that all creditors had been paid in full. He understood that a standards investigation had now been undertaken. In response, the Leader confirmed that the outcome of the standards investigation would be circulated to all Members prior to the Council meeting on 13^th December 2018.