Agenda item
Questions from the Opposition and other Non- Executive Members
Questions will be put to the Executive in accordance with 39.
Minutes:
Councillor Shaw asked what the Executive and the Council planned to do to address the problem of social landlords who did not take their responsibilities seriously in dealing with the problem of anti social behaviour by their tenants. Councillor Beswick (Lead Member for Crime and Community Safety) replied that the Council already worked with the Registered Social Landlords in the borough on anti social behaviour issues and this included working with Brent Tenants Rights Group and addressing their responsibilities to curb the behaviour of some tenants. Regular meetings took place but if there were specific cases that came to the attention of councillors, Councillor Beswick invited them to escalate them to him. Councillor Shaw pointed out that Brent Tenants Rights Group covered only a small part of the number of tenants in the borough and the work undertaken needed to be broader than this.
Councillor Brown asked if the Leader had full confidence in Councillor Powney as Lead Member for Environment and Neighbourhoods or was it time for him to leave the Executive. Councillor Butt (Leader) replied that his Executive worked very hard to serve the residents of Brent and that he had every confidence in all the Executive members to deliver services to all Brent residents. Councillor Brown responded that the Leader had not mentioned Councillor Powney by name and he did not consider his answer very convincing. He felt the Executive was pulling in different directions and there was a paralysis in decision making within the Council.
Councillor Ashraf referred to the decision taken by the Council to reduce the number of school crossing patrols. He asked how many patrols there were in place at the start of the school term and why there was not a patrol at Our Lady of Grace Junior School during the last week. Councillor Powney (Lead Member for Environment and Neighbourhoods) replied that he would have to write to Councillor Ashraf to let him have the figures he was asking for. However, Councillor Powney pointed out that during 2011 the Council had received transport related awards that included recognition of the work the Council had done to provide school crossing patrols and introduce a broad range of road safety measures. With reference to Our Lady of Grace Primary School, Councillor Powney explained that, as had been reported before, some sites encountered recruitment difficulties. He undertook to include details of this in his written answer to Councillor Ashraf. Councillor Ashraf responded by expressing his dissatisfaction with the answer saying that he felt young people were being put at risk and that the indication given by the new Leadership that the situation would be reviewed had not been fulfilled.
Councillor Cheese asked what the Council had provided for the library campaigners since the Leader promised in June to review the actions taken by the Council. Councillor Powney (Lead Member for Environment and Neighbourhoods) replied that the newly refurbished Kilburn Library had that day re-opened following an investment of £650,000, despite the view being expressed by the Leader of the Opposition that the library was not needed because Camden had one nearby. Councillor Cheese responded that it appeared that the offer by the Leader to look again at the library programme was a cynical move because there was no intention to change anything.
Councillor Lorber stated that Councillor Powney had recently indicated full confidence in the Chief Executive and Corporate Management Team but asked if he had the same confidence in members of the Executive. Councillor Powney (Lead Member for Environment and Neighbourhoods) replied that he had complete confidence in all members of the Executive. Councillor Lorber responded by saying that he had never heard of a situation before where a lead member had more confidence in the Chief Executive than he did have in his fellow lead members.
Councillor Colwill referred to the disruption in the Council Chamber that had caused great inconvenience to councillors and had required the meeting to be reconvened in another room. He asked how the situation had been allowed to happen and what would be done to ensure it did not happen again. Councillor Butt (Leader) accepted the point made by the question and asked that the Director of Legal and Procurement address the issues raised and take whatever action was necessary to tighten up procedures. Councillor Colwill accepted the answer given.
Councillor Mashari asked what effect the changes made to English exam grades had had on the pupils in Brent. Councillor Arnold (Lead Member for Children and Families) replied that the lowering of expected C grades to D grade in English would have a crucial effect on pupils who could now lose higher education opportunities. She felt it was immoral to change the grade boundaries mid-way through the year and that this had ruined the position some pupils had been aspiring to. In spite of this, Councillor Arnold was pleased to report that the provisional ‘A’ level results for pupils in Brent appeared to be very good. Councillor Mashari stated that the change of goal posts mid-way through the year was a reckless action to take that affected the future of young people and hoped the Council would join with the shadow Education Minister to lobby government to review the situation.
Councillor McLennan asked what progress had been made on the library transformation programme. Councillor Powney (Lead Member for Environment and Neighbourhoods) replied by restating that the programme was intended to provide investment in the six libraries in the borough in order to ensure they were all of an excellent standard and open seven days a week. He stated that each of the libraries had either been refurbished or were undergoing works. The overall book stock had been maintained and the home learning service improved. There was also now an enhanced outreach service in the Kilburn area. Councillor Powney anticipated the visitor numbers for August would show a pleasing rise. Councillor McLennan was very pleased to hear the progress that had been made.
Councillor Choudry asked what the latest position was on the efforts being made to provide a school place for all children in Brent who needed one. Councillor Arnold (Lead Member for Children and Families) replied that this was a top priority issue for the service. All applications for reception age children received by the closing date had been offered a place. Since the closing date, 671 applications had been received. This totalled 4,783 applications of which 599 were from outside the borough, which showed the level of popularity of Brent schools. There were still 176 children that had yet to receive an offer but there would soon be an additional 256 places available. Councillor Choudry thanked the Lead Member for her reply.
Councillor Naheerathan asked what the impact would be of the coalition government's introduction of Universal Credit. Councillor Long (Lead Member for Housing) replied that for many it would have a devastating effect and stated that it would amount to social cleansing in Brent because many poorer families would no longer be able to afford to live in the borough. She added that these reforms, which had been supported by the Liberal Democrats, would lead to the Council being unable to offer suitable accommodation to people within Brent. She warned councillors not to make promises about housing that the Council would not be able to deliver on.