Agenda item

Up to 30 minutes is allowed for this item.

Written questions

To answer any written questions from a County Councillor, (or any person living or working in the county, or is affected by the work of the County Council), about any matter which relates to any item on the agenda for this meeting.

The closing date for the receipt of written questions was 4.00 pm on Thursday 3 October 2019

Please submit any questions to jo.moore@gloucestershire.gov.uk

A written answer will be provided for each written question received (to be presented to the questioner and to Cabinet (in advance of the meeting. The questions and answers will be taken as read at the meeting and need not be read out.

At the discretion of the Leader, each questioner in attendance at the meeting will be allowed to ask one supplementary question at the meeting (in response to the answer given to the original question).

A copy of all written questions and answers circulated at the meeting will be attached to the signed copy of the minutes of the meeting.

Urgent questions

An urgent written question may be asked by a member of the public about any item on the Cabinet agenda for that meeting which the Chairperson considers could not have been reasonably submitted by the deadline for the receipt of written questions, provided he or she gives notice of the question to the Chief Executive by 12 noon the day before the meeting.

A total of 13 member questions were submitted for consideration in advance of the meeting.

Please refer to the link below to view the responses to the questions: -

http://glostext.gloucestershire.gov.uk/documents/b16136/Cabinet%20Questions%20and%20Answers%20Wednesday%2009-Oct-2019%2010.00%20Cabinet.pdf?T=9

If unable to access the document at the link above, please go to the link below and select the ‘Cabinet Questions and Answers’ PDF document at the top of the web page: - 

http://glostext.gloucestershire.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=117&MId=9230&Ver=4

The supplementary questions below were asked at the meeting.

Due to illness Cllr Paul Hodgkinson was unable to attend the meeting. Cllr Hodkinson was invited to email any supplementary questions direct to the relevant cabinet portfolio holder for a response.

Member Questions:

Question 5: Cllr Jeremy Hilton

Agenda Item 6: Financial Monitoring Report

Cllr Hilton suggested that the cost of the council’s alternative tipping arrangements amounted to around 10,000 tonnes of waste diverted to landfill. He asked when the exact figure would be known, the costs involved and who would pay for the costs, Gloucestershire County Council or UBB?

Response by: Cllr Nigel Moor (Cabinet Member: Environment and Planning) 

Cllr Moor clarified that the council was waiting for checks to be completed before the information would be available. A full answer to the question would be provided when all of the data was received.

Question 6: Cllr Jeremy Hilton

Agenda Item 6: Financial Monitoring Report

Cllr Hilton recalled that in February 2019, the council increased the Children’s’ Services Budget by £11m (12%). Questioning if Cllr Boyles had lost control of his budget, Cllr Hilton anticipated another overspend of £10m.

Cllr Hilton asked what action would be taken to ensure Cllr Boyles’ portfolio returned to budget by the end of the financial year?

Response by: Cllr Lynden Stowe (Cabinet Member: Finance and Change) 

Cllr Stowe expressed his disappointment at the overspend and proposed taking a pragmatic approach to identifying the reasons for the position. Referring to the level of scrutiny attributed to delivering Children’s Services, Cllr Stowe clarified that work would be ongoing to address the underspend but that it would not be easy to address the challenges within the normal timescales.

Cllr Stowe elaborated on the challenges in delivering Children’s Services and referred to the increasing pressures experienced by every council in the UK.

Inviting Cllr Boyles to respond to the comments made by Cllr Hilton on the performance of the Children’s Services Budget 2019/20, the Leader of the Council, Cllr Mark Hawthorne, objected to the comments that had been made.

Cllr Boyles, Cabinet Member for Children’s Safeguarding and Early Years, elaborated on the extensive work that was being undertaken in Children’s Services and of the plans to ensure the children in care in Gloucestershire received the best possible care, including the development of Trevone House, which will reduce the council’s dependency on external placements.

Adopting the Trevone House model as the model for the new framework for delivering children’s services, Cllr Boyles referenced the benefits and costs involved in the use of agency workers. He also referred to the constant strive to achieve best value for money when working with service providers.

Outlining some of the pressures experienced in the recruitment and appointment of staff, Cllr Boyles informed members that the number of social workers working for the council had increased by an additional 70 social workers since the Ofsted Inspection in 2017.

Summarising the extensive costs involved in delivering children’s services, Cllr Boyles informed Cllr Hilton he took exception to the remarks about the ‘children’s services budget being out of control. He said that, whilst conscious of the financial impact the demands in children’s services was having on the council budget, he would continue ‘to do what was needed’.

Question 8: Cllr Jeremy Hilton

Agenda Item 10: Adoption of a Waste Tipping Away Policy

Cllr Hilton asked if Gloucester City and Stroud District Councils had not taken part in the Waste Collection Consultation because the waste tipping away policy didn’t affect them? Cllr Hilton pointed out that the Javelin Park Incinerator was located in the Stroud District and close to the border with Gloucester City Council.

Response by: Cllr Nigel Moor (Cabinet Member: Environment and Planning) 

Cllr Moor confirmed that the Stroud District and Gloucester City Councils had been involved in discussions about the adoption of a Waste Tipping Policy.

Question 9: Cllr Jeremy Hilton

Agenda Item 10: Adoption of a Waste Tipping Away Policy

Cllr Hilton asked if the incinerator would take waste on a daily basis?.

Response by: Cllr Nigel Moor (Cabinet Member: Environment and Planning) 

Cllr Moor confirmed this would be the case.

Question 10: Cllr Jeremy Hilton

Agenda Item 10: Adoption of a Waste Tipping Away Policy

Cllr Hilton asked what the future of the Hempsted Tip was likely to be?.

Response by: Cllr Nigel Moor (Cabinet Member: Environment and Planning) 

Cllr Moor offered to provide Cllr Hilton with a written response to this question after the meeting.