In accordance with Procedure Rule 11, opportunity is provided for Members of the Council to ask the Mayor, the appropriate Cabinet Member or the Chairman of a Committee any question about a matter which the Council, the Cabinet or the Committee has powers, duties or responsibilities.
At Council meetings, there will be a maximum question time period of 30 minutes. Questions will be selected by the Mayor, using the criteria agreed by Council. Any questions which are accepted, but which cannot be dealt with during the allotted period will be answered in writing. Questions must be brief, clear and focussed.
Minutes:
The following questions were asked by Members
1. Councillor S Carter referred to a question he had raised at July Council meeting in relation to roof problems at the school which he was a Governor of and thanked the Leader for her intervention in the matter. Councillor Rachel Bailey, Leader of the Council responded.
2. Councillor S Brookfield referred to money pledged for parking schemes, and having received no update on this, sought assurance that the schemes were still going ahead. Councillor Rachel Bailey, Leader of the Council responded.
3. Councillor D Bailey referred to Laura Smith MP campaign to stop the downgrading of the Fire Station in Crewe and asked the Leader about a press release issued and if the conservative members on the Fire Authority had seen the press release before it was issued. Councillor Rachel Bailey, Leader of the Council and Councillor G Merry, member of the Cheshire Fire Authority responded.
4. Cllr H Murray referred to email security stating that he recently received confirmation that his emails were being intercepted by Cheshire East. He understood that it was legal for Cheshire East to intercept councillors’ emails and at times that it was necessary to do so for legal reasons. He asked the following questions and that the written response be shared with all councillors:
1. How many councillors have had their emails intercepted in the last three years?
2. Who receives and who reviews the interceptions?
3. Who authorises and under what authority are they intercepted?
4. What was the process for member oversight?
Councillor JP Findlow, Portfolio Holder for Corporate Policy and Legal Services undertook to provide a response.
5. Councillor G Merry asked that now the bus review had been concluded would the Portfolio Holder explain how the views of residents had been taken into account. Councillor P Bates, Portfolio Holder for Finance and Communities responded.
6. Councillor D Flude asked what progress had been made on the air quality action plans and what actions had been taken to improve air quality, noting that from 31 December 2018 the government expected all local authorities to abide by air quality management. Councillor A Arnold, Portfolio Holder for Housing, Planning and Regeneration responded.
7. Councillor J Jackson thanked Sarah Messenger for conducting the review into the culture of the Council and allegations of bullying and asked the Leader about a quote relating to the location of an incident which had taken place. Councillor Rachel Bailey, Leader of the Council responded.
8. Councillor D Marren thanked the Leader for commissioning the LGA review. He asked if the Leader agreed with him that if an officer was pre disposed against women they should not be allowed to investigate complaints against women and female members. Councillor Rachel Bailey, Leader of the Council responded.
9. Councillor A Harewood thanked the Cabinet for visiting her ward and asked why elected councillors had not been allowed to attend. Councillor Rachel Bailey, Leader of the Council responded.
10. Councillor J Rhodes asked when the HMO legislation provisions would be implemented. Councillor A Arnold, Portfolio Holder for Housing, Planning and Regeneration responded.
11. Cllr Fletcher referred to the 110 houses which had not yet been built which had been sent a consultation letter on a planning application by the planning department and asked what the planning department had done with these envelopes when returned by Royal Mail and if the IT had been corrected so this mistake would not happen again. Councillor A Arnold, Portfolio Holder for Housing, Planning and Regeneration undertook to look into this and provide a written response.
12. Cllr Warren referred to the air quality progress report which went to the Audit and Governance Committee last week regarding the external investigation into the Council’s monitoring report. The Air Quality Team had reviewed the processes and a number of new measures were now in place. Could the Portfolio Holder explain what these measures were? Councillor A Arnold, Portfolio Holder for Housing, Planning and Regeneration undertook to look into this and provide a written response.
13. Cllr Nicholas asked if all councillors could be provided with a written detailed breakdown of costs to date that have been incurred from officers currently suspended and any associated costs. Councillor P Bates, Portfolio Holder for Finance and Communities undertook to provide a written response.
14. Councillor B Roberts referred to the statement made by the Chairman of the Staffing Committee on 26 October concerning an incident and asked the Leader if she could clarify when she became aware of the incident. He also asked if she could clarify what the Chairman of the Staffing Committee did about the incident in light of this statement.Councillor Rachel Bailey, Leader of the Council responded.
15 Cllr S Corcoran referred to the last Cabinet meeting and the question asked about the banning of snares on council land and the motion passed by West Sussex County Council. He asked what progress had been made on this; as if it was possible for West Sussex to ban them it should be possible for Cheshire East. Councillor J Clowes, Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Integration undertook to look into this and provide a response.
16. Councillor Rhoda Bailey referred to the resignation of the Monitoring Officer and asked what payments they received whilst off. Councillor JP Findlow, Portfolio Holder for Corporate Policy and Legal Services responded.
17. Councillor I Faseyi referred to an unannounced inspection of a nursing home, which was found to be inadequate and asked what had been put in place for the residents. Councillor J Clowes, Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Integration responded.
18. Cllr M Mannion referred to the Macclesfield Movement Strategy, published in May 2014, and asked if the Council should be relying on this as it was out of date. Councillor Rachel Bailey, Leader of the Council undertook to provide a written response.