Agenda item

1.     The Leader of the Council or the appropriate Member of the Cabinet or the Chairman of a Committee to answer any questions on any matter relating to the powers and duties of the County Council, or which affects the county.

(Note:  Notice of questions in respect of the above item on the agenda must be given in writing, preferably by e-mail, to Democratic Services by 12 noon on 3 October 2018).

2.     Cabinet Member Briefings on their portfolios

These will be circulated by email to all Members prior to the County Council meeting, together with the Members’ questions and responses.

There will be an opportunity for Members to ask questions.

Questions:

Notice of 9 questions had been received. The questions and replies were published in a supplementary agenda on 8 October 2018.

A number of supplementary questions were asked and a summary of the main points is set out below:

(Q1) Mrs Hazel Watson asked the Cabinet Lead Member for Place if he felt it was appropriate to have a 60mph speed limit on Abinger Lane in Abinger Common, Surrey. The Cabinet Member stated that he was unable to comment on specific cases but that he would speak to Cllr Watson outside the meeting. 

(Q2) Mr Robert Evans asked the Leader of the Council if he agreed that Central Government had not supported Northamptonshire County Council sufficiently and further asked if he felt Surrey County Council was being supported appropriately. 

The Leader of the Council stated that he was aware that the Local Government Authority (LGA) had provided Northamptonshire County Council with advice on their situation but that he was unable to comment on the actions of Central Government. He suggested that closer links with its District and Borough partners might have proved beneficial for Northamptonshire County Council.

(Q3) Mr Chris Botten requested greater transparency from the Leader of the Council regarding the appointment and retention of consultants on the transformation programme and  for the People, Performance and Development Committee to be given information about their terms and conditions. The Leader confirmed that PPDC had certain responsibilities regarding officers’ appointments and would bring information to it to ensure control and transparency.

(Q4) Mr Jonathan Essex asked the Cabinet Member for Children for confirmation that the vacant dedicated Youth and Community Worker posts would be reinstated and whether they would be in post to run open-access youth club sessions in District and Boroughs. The Leader of the Council stated that this was not an appropriate question for a Cabinet Member and agreed to provide a response outside of the meeting.

(Q6) Mr Jonathan Essex asked the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport for confirmation that the Council would continue to invest to save to cut waste disposal and increase recycling rates. The Cabinet Member confirmed that the Council would continue to work with Boroughs and District to increase curb-side recycling and recycling at Community Recycling Centres. The Cabinet Member further highlighted that Surrey had the second highest recycling rate in the country for two tier authorities.

(Q7) Mrs Hazel Watson asked the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport for confirmation that the risk management policy would be revised to protect residents from diseased falling Ash Trees. The Cabinet Member confirmed that officers were aware of the situation and were doing all they can do to keep the public safe. It was highlighted to Members that it was expected that 95% of Ash Trees in the country would in lost over the next few years.

(Q8) Mr Jonathan Essex highlighted a recent parliamentary report on cycling and asked the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport if the Council would increase its investment in cycling to promote clean transport in Surrey. The Cabinet Member said the Council had demonstrated that it was committed to reducing emissions and to increasing the health of the public by promoting cycling. He added that although the Council had promoted cycling in various ways it was still the responsibility of the public to actually cycle.

Cabinet Member Briefings: these were also published with the supplementary on 8 October 2018.

Members made the following comments:

Cabinet Member for Community Services: on the level of fire cover there will be at the new Fire Station in Spelthorneand what assurances the Cabinet could give on the level of cover going forward. The Cabinet Member confirmed that the fire service was being remodelled and that the integrated risk management plan was being refreshed to look at what was required to deliver community protection in the fire service. She further stated that the fire cover in Spelthorne would remain until the remodel was completed.

Cabinet Member for Children: was asked for clarification on the detail in her update as it suggested that there was no longer a waiting list for Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). The Cabinet Member apologised for any misunderstanding and informed Members that the update stated that a target outlined in the interim plan to eliminate a back log in the service had been met. She further stated that she was aware that the service still faced issues with long waiting times for service users and that work was being done to find solutions.

Members also made comments about the transformation of the children’s service and if it was time for a new Cabinet Member to see the changes to a conclusion. The Cabinet Member confirmed to Members that she was confident that the Director of Children’s Services and his team could execute the transformation of the service effectively. The Cabinet Member further emphasised that she strongly believed she could lead a successful transformation of the service.

Cabinet Lead Member for Place: on the work he had done to address the need for road repairs throughout Surrey.