To deal with supplementary questions arising from the attached questions of which written notice has been given. 

 

Notes:

 

(i)         Answers to written questions shall be circulated at the commencement of the meeting.

 

(ii)        The Lord Mayor will have regard to the list of questions and the political composition of the Council in calling on Members to put their supplementary question to the Leader of Council and Portfolio Holders.

 

(iii)       A period of up to 30 minutes shall be available for supplementary questions to Members of the Executive. 

 

1.         Councillor Azam

Can the Portfolio Holder outline what measures or strategies we have in place to address hate crime?  Islamaphobia, anti-Semitism and hate crime of all kinds cannot be tolerated in our district.

 

2.         Councillor Gibbons

What preparations have been made by the Council for Brexit?

 

3.         Councillor Ward

Can the Portfolio Holder for Education, Employment and Skills confirm that if the proposal set out in the consultation on the future of SEND Specialist Teaching Support Services 0-25 years is approved there will be the loss of ten full-time equivalent specialist teachers for Early Years, Autism, Cognitive and Learning and Social and Emotional and Mental Health?

 

4.         Councillor Love

Can the Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport tell us why the Council have purchased the former Branch pub in Shipley, how much was paid for it and why ward members were not informed of the purchase by officers?

 

5.         Councillor Bacon

Will the Leader and Portfolio Holder join me in thanking the men and women who worked so hard in keeping the district’s roads gritted, especially during the turmoil of the Beast from the East?

 

6.         Councillor Bacon

Can the Portfolio Holder outline the protections that are in place for the Green Belt in the Core Strategy and national planning regulations?

 

7.         Councillor Whiteley

I understand that there is a separate fund designed to make good community buildings in disrepair, how can an application be made?

 

 

8.         Councillor Engel

I would like to thank all Council workers for their efforts during the cold snap and ask how we support staff in the course of their duties to prevent their injury through accidents?

 

9.         Councillor Malcolm Slater

How can residents check whether a waste carrier is reputable and licensed?  Is there a public list of registered carriers and are the registered operators obliged to carry and display their licences?

 

10.       Councillor Heseltine

Are we in a position to move forward on Bingley Priesthorpe Annex with any of the interested parties and has there been a rigorous interrogation of their finances?

 

11.       Councillor Farley

Can the Leader of Council join me in thanking Bradford Fairtrade Zone, voluntary groups and businesses across the District that have come together over Fairtrade Fortnight to raise awareness of this important subject?

 

12.       Councillor Jeanette Sunderland

In December the Portfolio Holder for Education, Employment and Skills said that he was "absolutely fuming” and that £2 million pounds had been taken from Bradford schools by Wakefield City Academies Trust.  Can he advise Members of Council how much progress has he made in returning these monies to Bradford's schools?

 

13.       Councillor Swallow

Please would the Portfolio Holder explain how efficient the prevention of homelessness funds have been in Bradford and how much is left in the budget to be able to keep a roof over the heads of our citizens in this District? 

 

14.       Councillor Davies

Do you envisage any problems with your Early Help strategy in terms of expecting workers to cover the whole age range from 0-19 so that families have one key worker?  Many employees will understandably be specialist in their own roles, e.g. early years and may not have the skills, experience and desire to work with young adults.

 

15.       Councillor Swallow

Do we have enough places in the District for people fleeing domestic violence?  I am concerned there aren't enough domestic violence places for parents with children.

 

16.       Councillor Swallow

Could the Portfolio Holder please find out how social housing landlords across the District make sure that properties are sufficiently insulated and what is the Council’s role in this?  We need to protect our citizens as far as possible from the challenges of fuel poverty.

 

17.       Councillor Davies

Has the detailed proposal on the Prevention and Early Help consultation sent to all Councillors by the Chair of Governors of Midland Road Nursery School been fully considered and, if so, what are your thoughts on it?

 

18.       Councillor Swallow

Would the Portfolio Holder please outline which activities the Council is working on (or partnering with) to commemorate the 70th anniversary on June 22nd of the docking of the Windrush bringing the first Caribbean immigrants to the UK?

 

19.       Councillor Dunbar

Would the Leader join me in congratulating  Thornton resident Fiona Broadfoot and the other sex abuse survivors who have just won a landmark legal case which quashes criminal convictions (which were brought about as a result of being groomed into prostitution) that have blighted their lives ever since?

 

20.       Councillor Riaz Ahmed

Can the Leader of Council advise Members on her plans for the “Peoples Palace”, how much has been spent on developing these plans and when will they be made public?

 

21.       Councillor Dunbar

Would the Leader join me in agreeing that proposed changes to pension arrangements by Universities UK of lecturers in institutions across the country will cause disruption to students’ education and could see a recruitment and retention crisis in the sector?

 

22.       Councillor Riaz

Does the Leader believe that the RSE curriculum regarding LGBT relationship understanding in Bradford and District schools should be vigorously adhered to?

 

23.       Councillor Dunbar

Would the Portfolio Holder give a full update, by each individual component, of the success of the Get Bradford Working scheme?

 

24.       Councillor Love

Can the Leader of Council tell us what the impact on Bradford will be of the High Court ruling forcing the Government to declare that an additional 33 local authorities have to do more to combat poor air quality?

 

25.       Councillor Dunbar

Would the Leader give an update of the work being done by the Council to tackle homelessness?

 

 

26.       Councillor Dunbar

Would the Leader give a full break down, by Parliamentary Constituency, of the numbers of people and families affected by the benefit cap, what its impact has been and what support is available to those struggling as a result?

 

27.       Councillor Mike Pollard

In accordance with Section 7.8 of Document “AO” presented to the Executive on 9 January 2018, it is noted that the Business Rates Base for 2018/19, after taking into account all appropriate allowances for bad debt, appeals and costs of collection, is £129.4 million.  The small additional surplus brought forward from 2017/18, cited in Section 8.1 of the same document, brings the Business Rates total to £129.6 million.

 

Section 12 goes on to note “Latest Developments, i.e. Bradford’s participation in a 100% Business Rates Retention pilot for 2018/19 which changes the structure of the Budget and also mentions an additional distribution of £1.8 million from the Leeds City Region Pool.  Against this addition we must offset the 1% Business Rates share accruing to the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority.  These adjustments do, “prima facie”, produce net Business Rates income of £130.1 million.

 

Could the Leader of Council please itemise the further factors taken into account which resulted in a Business Rates contribution to Council’s Cumulative Budget 2018/19 of £126.693 million – a variance of approximately £3.4 million?

 

28.       Councillor Farley

Could the Portfolio Holder tell us how the launch for the District’s economic growth strategy went here in Bradford and what’s planned for the London launch and beyond?

 

29.       Councillor Lal

Will the Portfolio Holder give a progress update on the plan for a Business Improvement District in Bradford?

 

30.       Councillor Griffiths

The Sunday Times carried the details of an investigation into the organisation West Yorkshire Mesmac including the referral of the organisation to the Police by Leeds City Council.  Can the Portfolio Holder advise Members of Council of concerns raised with or by Bradford Council and what action has been taken?

 

31.       Councillor Farley

Can the Portfolio Holder outline the benefits of a public sector hub to Keighley and why the capital money cannot be used for revenue services?

 

32.       Councillor Brown

Can you explain why Children’s Services officers failed to attend the first SEND consultation in Keighley?

 

 

33.       Councillor Bacon

Can the Portfolio Holder set out what the Council has done to support green spaces across the district, in particular in Keighley?

 

34.       Councillor Ellis

Is it reasonable that residents of Stable Mews Cottingley, some of whom are quite elderly have to carry their household waste and recycling several hundred yards along an unlit road to a communal bin site?

 

35.       Councillor Shaheen

Could the Portfolio Holder explain to me how children whose parents decide to home educate are monitored?  How do we make sure that parents register correctly for home schooling?

 

36.       Councillor Reid

Can the Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport advise Members of Council what plans he has, in recognition of the growing number of local authorities in the United Kingdom who are bringing in landlord licensing schemes not confined to HMOs, to instruct the Chief Executive and relevant officers to produce an outline feasibility report for the use of a self-funding landlord licensing scheme in Bradford? 

 

37.       Councillor Shaheen

Homelessness is a growing concern within our District. What are we doing as a District to help and support this?

 

38.       Councillor Pennington

The national press are advertising a show in February next year at St George’s Hall, will it be ready?

 

39.       Councillor Shaheen

Could the Portfolio Holder explain what work is being done with community/ voluntary organisations as there have been major cuts and service delivery is not how it used to be.  What are we doing to help and support?

 

Council Document “T” details the questions from Members to the Leader of Council and Portfolio Holders and the answers given.