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Agenda item

Agenda item

QUESTIONS

-           From Members of the Public

-           From Councillors

Minutes:

Questions from Members of the Public

 

There were no questions from members of the public.

 

Questions from Councillors

 

The following questions were asked by Councillors and details of who responded are also included below. The full details of questions and the responses can be viewed on the webcast of the meeting on the Council’s website at:

 

https://leicester.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/426440

 

We maintain a comprehensive library of webcast Council meetings. The webcast for this meeting will remain on the live website until 12th June 2020, and after this date can be requested from the Democratic Support Team by contacting (0116) 465 6350 or at committees@leicester.gov.uk.

 

For your convenience, links to each question and response are embedded after each question below.

 

1.         Councillor Nangreave: -

 

“In regard to the welfare officers’ team; the team has been reduced from twelve to currently seven officers (I believe), based on a business case agreed some years ago but not implemented until last year.

 

My question is; will the Council suspend the current business case and reinstate the £200k taken out of the service last year? This is in keeping with the Council's 2019 election manifesto.”

 

Assistant City Mayor, Councillor Master replied.

 

Link to webcast of Question 1

 

2.         Councillor Nangreave: -

 

“Earlier this year, Leicester City Council declared a “climate emergency” in the city in response to the October 2018 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) which estimates that there are only 12 years left to act decisively on climate change, to be able to keep global warming within 1.5°C.

 

What are the implications of the council's anti-pollution policy and environmental policies of University Hospitals of Leicester plans to close the Leicester General Hospital and move services away from a relatively low pollution site to a site on the inner ring-road where pollution levels are believed to be already high i.e. The Royal?”

 

Deputy City Mayor, Councillor Clarke replied.

 

Link to webcast of Question 2

 

3.         Councillor Broadwell: -

 

“I very much welcome the schemes such as the works on Belgrave Gate and London Road, there’s still a problem with much of the city’s cycling infrastructure being sub-par, especially the type of painted bike lane along Humberstone Road and elsewhere. Some of it also does not form a seamless network as much as it instead forms a somewhat disjointed collection of routes.

 

I’d like to know what the City Council and the Executive’s stance is on pursuing a programme of fully protected bike lanes, especially in outer areas of the city where there is sometimes very little infrastructure at all. I would also like to know if we would be willing to consider taking lanes away from cars, especially on the ring road, in order to make cycling safer, more pleasant, and more accessible?”

 

Deputy City Mayor Councillor Clarke replied.

 

Link to webcast of Question 3

 

4.         Question was withdrawn.

 

5.         Councillor Broadwell: -

 

“I support the Levy wholeheartedly and believe it’s a necessary step to fixing the awful traffic in Leicester, but some have raised concerns with me that we are putting the cart before the horse in potentially announcing and implementing the levy before we have firm proposals for a mass transit system or similar measures in place.

 

I would suggest that we make it very clear to the public and the press what we intend to do with the money raised before we announce that it will be definitely implemented. What is the current plan for the implementation of the Levy, and what works is it likely to pay for?”

 

Deputy City Mayor Councillor Clarke replied.

 

Link to webcast of Question 5

 

6.         Councillor Cole: -

 

Further to the recent damming report by the UN regarding poverty and Universal Credit, there is grave concerns in the Western Ward, parts of which is amongst the poorest parts of the city, that the DWP’s benefit implementation and sanctions scheme places excessive and unnecessary pressure on the most vulnerable citizens of Leicester.

 

UC was rolled out in Leicester in June 2018. Since the roll out, can the City Mayor please say: –

i,        to date, how many people have had to wait for more than 5 weeks to get any benefit?

ii,       how many people have been sanctioned to date?

iii,      what is the sum total of benefits lost via sanctions to date?

iv,      how many people have been sanctioned more than once?

v,       how many more children have been taken into care and are at risk since the roll out of UC?

 

Assistant City Mayor Councillor Master replied.

 

Link to webcast of Question 6

 

7.         Councillor Cole: -

 

Given that the more likely candidates to win the leadership election for the conservative party and therefore become the next prime Minister are hardened Brexiteers and are likely to pull the UK out of Europe without a deal can the City Mayor say how prepared is Leicester City for such an eventuality?

 

City Mayor replied.

 

Link to webcast of Question 7

 

8.         Councillor Cole: -

 

“With no end in sight to cut to local government funding from this conservative government and the increase in council tax is likely not to meet the short fall can the City Mayor say what is being done to avoid Leicester ending up in the same place as Northampton Authority?”

 

City Mayor replied.

 

Link to webcast of Question 8

 

9.         Councillor Kitterick: -

 

“What is the current situation with the installation of a second lift at St Leonards Court?"

 

Assistant City Mayor Councillor Cutkelvin replied.

 

Link to webcast of Question 9

 

10.       Councillor Kitterick: -

 

“On how many occasions have the police been asked to attend incidents at the council run toilets on Infirmary Square in the last two years?"

 

Deputy City Mayor Councillor Clair replied.

 

Link to webcast of Question 10

 

11.       Councillor Kitterick: -

 

“On how many occasions have hypodermic syringes and other drug related detritus had to be removed from the council run toilets on Infirmary Square in the last two years?”

 

Deputy City Mayor Councillor Clair replied.

 

Link to webcast of Question 11

 

12.       Councillor Barton: -

 

“I've noticed many private hire cars operating in Leicester are licensed in Wolverhampton. I asked a driver of one of them why this was. He told me it is because an application to work as a private hire driver is processed quickly by Wolverhampton, but one made to Leicester can mean a wait of up to a year. What are the reasons for this delay?”

 

Deputy City Mayor Councillor Clair replied.

 

Link to webcast of Question 12

 

13.       Councillor Willmott: -

 

“At the beginning of March Councillor Clair, you agreed to provide a report about the lack of enforcement action on breaches of planning requirements. Since that time, I have had some helpful information from officers.  Please can you tell me when the report will be ready and which scrutiny commission it will go to and when?”

 

Deputy City Mayor Councillor Clair replied.

 

Link to webcast of Question 13

 

14.       Councillor Batool: -

 

“We constantly hear in the media that knife and drug crime is on the rise, I see the impact this has on my local community in Highfields. When the City Council develop new strategies for dealing with these issues, do they invite the local communities and young people in to help shape both specific projects and broader policy?”

 

Deputy City Mayor Councillor Clair replied.

 

Link to webcast of Question 14

 

15.       Councillor Porter: -

 

“What is the proposed start date for the public consultation on the local plan?”

 

City Mayor replied.

 

Link to webcast of Question 15

 

16.       Councillor Porter: -

 

“Can the council say where the idea came from to plonk concrete blocks on New Walk?”

 

Deputy City Mayor Councillor Clarke replied.

 

Link to webcast of Question 16

 

17.       Councillor Porter: -

 

“Including VAT can the council say how much public money it spent on gift vouchers from 1 April 2018 to 30 April 2019?”

 

City Mayor replied.

 

Link to webcast of Question 17

 

18.       Councillor Porter: -

 

“Have the council authorised the use of netting on hedges, trees etc to prevent birds from accessing nesting sites?”

 

Deputy City Mayor Councillor Clarke replied.

 

Link to webcast of Question 18

 

19.       Councillor Porter: -

 

“Including VAT can the council say how much public money it spent on employee taxi expenses from 1 April 2018 to 30 April 2019?”

 

City Mayor replied.

 

Link to webcast of Question 19

 

20.       Councillor Porter: -

 

“Is the council committed to making their finances clear?”

 

City Mayor replied.

 

Link to webcast of Question 20