The City Mayor will answer questions raised by members of the Overview Select Committee on issues not covered elsewhere on the agenda.
Minutes:
Members raised the following questions for the City Mayor
Grants and subsidies for Businesses
Councillor Porter said that the following question had been raised by a local resident who had said that the council should make all money spent on economic development public information. The tax payers had the right to know where the money was going and how much each business received in grants, loans and subsidies along with other details such as interest rates, length of loans etc. There should also be justification as to why public money was needed and why those businesses should be allowed to succeed.
The City Mayor responded that he agreed with the resident and asked Councillor Porter to pass on his reassurances that was how the council proceeded. Councillor Porter asked for a list of such information and the City Mayor stated that the information, which was extensive, was already on public record. If Councillor Porter wanted to collate it he was welcome to do so, but he did not feel it was necessary to duplicate what already existed. The Chair added that transparency was one of the hallmarks of the Council.
The City Mayor
Councillor Porter asked a further question which had been raised by a resident and questioned how the City Mayor had been able to finance his daughter’s business to the value of £70k. The City Mayor responded that the money had been raised through a mortgage on his property which was replaced by an inheritance from his late wife. Comments were made from other Members of the Committee that Cllr Porter had asked this question previously at a meeting of the full Council and had received an answer.
N.B. An amendment to the following minute was requested and agreed at the meeting of the Overview Select Committee held 13 September 2018
Evington Leisure
Centre. Leisure Centre in North Evington
Councillor Khote stated that she had heard
that the swimming pool would be closing earlier in the evening and
she expressed concerns that many women used the pool between 8.00pm
and 8.30pm. The City Mayor responded that some minor adjustments
had been made to opening hours, to avoid pools being kept open at
times when there was limited demand. They had tried to ensure that
if one pool was closing early, there would be another open at that
time. Councillor Khote was advised that
further information regarding the Evington
Leisure Centre in North Evington, would be sent to
her.
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For details of swimming pool opening hours along with the rationale behind any adjustments to those hours at the Leisure Centre in North Evington, to be sent to Councillor Khote |
Director of Public Health |
National Health Service and Adult Social Care funding
Councillor Cleaver referred to a recent Government announcement relating to an additional £20b funding for the NHS; and expressed concerns that none of that extra money would go towards adult social care. The City Mayor was asked how the local authority would be able to meet its statutory duties.
The City Mayor responded that the Government had not explained where the £20b would come from and there was a strong concern that there would be further cuts to local authorities’ budgets. People who were suffering needed support from the NHS and adult social care and there was a real concern that Councils would find themselves under even more pressure.