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 7 November 2019

Questions submitted in writing 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 invited 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.

One public question, (relating to item 10 of the agenda), plus 7 member questions were submitted for consideration prior to the meeting.

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

http://192.168.220.171:9071/documents/b16254/Questions%20and%20Answers%20Wednesday%2013-Nov-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://192.168.220.171:9071/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=117&MId=9231&Ver=4

The following supplementary questions were asked at the meeting.

Member Questions:

Question 1: Cllr Paul Hodgkinson

Agenda Item 6: Financial Monitoring Report

Describing the overspend in the Children and Families Budget as a ‘massive’ overspend, Cllr Hodgkinson asked if it was time to invest in the placement of Gloucestershire’s children in care placements ‘in county’ rather than ‘out of county’? Cllr Hodgkinson referred to the anticipated savings this would make and asked if the Cabinet Member agreed this would be worth looking at?

Response by: Cllr Richard Boyles (Cabinet Member: Children’s Safeguarding and Early Years)

Cllr Boyles referred to the council’s investment in Trevone House and to the large volume of work that had been undertaken following approval of the Sufficiency Strategy for Children and Young People in January 2019. Cllr Boyles confirmed every effort was being made to ensure the needs of vulnerable children within the county were being met. Working with providers and practitioners, the council was committed to matching children’s needs with the appropriate provision.

Question 2: Cllr Paul Hodgkinson

Agenda Item 6: Financial Monitoring Report

Cllr Hodgkinson questioned the amount of government funding some schools in Gloucestershire were likely to receive following the financial settlement announcement and what was being done to ensure the schools received the funding they deserved.

Response by: Cllr Mark Hawthorne (Leader of the Council)

Cllr Hawthorne advised that it would be necessary to await notification from the Department for Education (DfE) before confirming the amount of funding awarded to schools in Gloucestershire. Cllr Hawthorne referred to the number of years the council had lobbied government on the national formula for funding and said he was pleased with the commitment from the Prime Minister’s Office on the proposal to award each secondary school pupil with a minimum of £5,000 per pupil and each primary school pupil with a minimum of £3,750 per pupil in 2020 and £4,000 from 2021/22. He said this was good news and clearly a step in the right direction.

Question 3: Cllr Paul Hodgkinson

Agenda Item 6: Financial Monitoring Report

Cllr Hodgkinson expressed concern about the negative feedback he had received in response to the new highway maintenance contract and asked what issues Cllr Smith was referring to when referring to ‘cost pressures’ experienced during the mobilisation stage and bedding in period of the contract? When asked, Cllr Hodgkinson confirmed he had referred the issues reported in his division to the Local Highways Manager for that area. 

Response by: Cllr Vernon Smith (Cabinet Member: Highways and Flood)

Disappointed to hear the negative comments, Cllr Smith acknowledged there had been some small cost pressures from variances in material costs. In the main, however, delivery during the mobilisation period of the new contract had been positive, with the new contractor now meeting performance indicator targets. Cllr Smith referred to the challenges associated with changes to the structure and management of the contract and asked Cllr Hodgkinson to inform him personally of any issues he became aware of.  

Question 4: Cllr Paul Hodgkinson

Agenda Item 6: Financial Monitoring Report

Cllr Hodgkinson was reassured the funding for the Gloucester to Quedgeley cycle track had been ring fenced and enquired how much funding was promised for the scheme? 

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

Cllr Moor confirmed there would be no reduction in the amount of funding for the scheme and offered to provide specific details after the meeting.

Question 5: Cllr Paul Hodgkinson

Agenda Item 10: West of Cheltenham Transport Improvement Scheme and Cyber Business Park

Cllr Hodgkinson enquired if local cycling groups had been approached during consultation on the scheme. He asked who had been consulted and what responses had been received?

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

Stressing the importance of the scheme to cyclists and pedestrians, Cllr Moor informed Cllr Hodgkinson that extensive consultation had been undertaken and that he was confident positive changes would emerge from making improvements to the cycling infrastructure.

Question 6: Cllr Paul Hodgkinson

Agenda Item 10: West of Cheltenham Transport Improvement Scheme and Cyber Business Park

Cllr Hodgkinson questioned the ‘positive impact’ of the scheme on climate change, (referred to in the report), and asked if increased levels of traffic, (particularly during the construction period), had been taken into consideration when considering the impact of climate change? Cllr Hodgkinson enquired if Cllr Moor thought the scheme would help to avert increased levels of traffic from travelling along this section of road?

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

Cllr Moor explained that the purpose of the scheme was to ease traffic flow and improve connectivity to the road network located West of Cheltenham. He said it was not an option to ignore current problems and that any improvement was worthy of noting if able to reduce congestion.