A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Council and councillors

Agenda item

QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL

To receive any questions submitted from Members of the Council in accordance with the provisions of Procedure Rules 30 and 30A.

Minutes:

      i.        Ms MacCartney

 

Can the portfolio holder please detail the measures that Rutland is taking to reduce our carbon footprint and what measures RCC is taking to promote renewable energy generation and use within Rutland?

 

Response provided by Mr G Brown (Portfolio Holder for Environment):

 

I don't know what measures Rutland is taking to reduce its carbon footprint but I can say that what RCC is planning.

 

I am in the process of drafting a Climate Change Action Motion to bring to Council within that Motion will be a series of proposals to reduce the Council's carbon emissions to zero by 2050. I would be happy to circulate the very rough draft to Councillors.

 

With regard to promoting renewable energy, the draft Local Plan published in 2017 Para 7.22 states

 

“The NPPF states that local planning authorities should have a positive strategy to promote energy from renewable and low energy sources and design their policies to maximise renewable and low carbon energy development while ensuring that adverse impacts are addressed satisfactorily, including cumulative landscape and visual impacts. RPL 36 explains how both wind farms including the most suitable locations and solar farms would be supported.”

 

Ms MacCartney asked the following supplementary question:

 

Could we invite applications from businesses that might be interested in promoting renewable energy?

 

Mr G Brown responded that the idea would be considered.

 

    ii.        Miss Waller

 

In light of recent press reports of the actions local authorities have put in place to mitigate the effects of Brexit, particularly a no deal Brexit, can the Leader tell us the actions RCC has taken to try to protect our population and employers in the short to medium term following Brexit?

 

In addition, can the Leader tell us what discussions RCC has had with our health authorities to ensure vulnerable residents will continue to receive their prescribed drugs, even when those drugs are manufactured outside the UK, and continue to receive treatment when EU citizens working in the health service return to their home countries?

 

 

 

Response provided by Mr Hemsley (Leader of the Council):

 

Although it is the Government’s responsibility to play a central role in co-ordinating the preparations for Brexit, local authorities have also been making their own preparations for the potential impact of Brexit on their localities.  RCC has been developing plans with partners through the Leicestershire and Rutland Resilience Forum Partnership, on which our Strategic Director for Places is our designated Brexit Lead Officer. The Partnership has been preparing plans for some time and positive feedback has been received from Government on the work that has been undertaken and our level of preparedness.

 

The plans that have been prepared by the Partnership cover the themes of community engagement, advice and support to EU nationals seeking right to remain, support to business, employment, supply chains and communications. These plans will continue to be reviewed in the coming weeks as the current Brexit deadline approaches. In addition, the Partnership is undertaking a range of exercises/scenarios to test our preparedness, which will include issues such as fuel shortages, transport issues and cyber plans, which is as the Partnership would do in the lead up to any major event, whether local or national.

 

With regard to pharmaceutical supplies the government is working directly with suppliers to make sure there is a continued supply of medicines, medical devices and clinical consumables when the UK leaves the EU. The general principle of advice is that no one should stockpile any medicines, medical devices or clinical consumables. Stockpiling could cause shortages in other areas and put other service users at risk. In terms of health and care workforce, organisations have been asked to review their capacity and activity plans regularly and ensure business continuity plans cover the supply of staff they need to deliver services before and after Brexit.  Further staff who are EU citizens are being informed and supported to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme.

 

Miss Waller asked the following supplementary question:

 

Could members be sent information regarding any Rutland activities that are set up?

 

Mr Hemsley responded that they can do, but it was difficult to know exactly what Brexit would bring.

 

   iii.        Miss Waller

 

Can the portfolio holder for children advise us on:

1.  How many school days were lost because of family holiday by children in Rutland Schools for financial year 2018-19?

2.  How many parents were fined for taking their children on holiday during term time? 

3.  What other sanctions against parents has RCC taken?

4.  How many families has this affected?

 

Response provided by Mr Hemsley (Leader of the Council):

 

We should be very proud of the work done by schools and the council to ensure school attendance at our schools in Rutland.  Both primary and secondary schools in Rutland have the best school attendance in the country.  That said in 2017/18, the latest national data return, 0.17% of sessions were lost due to holidays in Rutland Primary’s (787days) and 0.14% of sessions were lost due to holidays in Rutland Secondary’s (617days). 

 

The Council receives information on individual unauthorised absence from schools only when the school wishes the Council to take action.  85 parents were fined in the last academic year for holidays in term time, 120 fines were issued in total.  If a penalty notice is not paid by parents then the Council can progress a case to prosecution. The service has not needed to do this in the last academic year.

 

Miss Waller asked the following supplementary question:

 

Would cabinet consider reviewing the performance indicators that we publish, to include something that indicates if some schools have more of a problem than others, happy to discuss with officers outside of meeting to figure out how.

 

The Leader responded that they would consider it and would collaborate with the Portfolio Holder, Mr Wilby.

 

   iv.        Mrs Burrows

 

Could the Leader of the Council please:

 

a) Advise us of what action RCC has taken in the last year to contribute to a reduction in the factors which lead to climate change?

b) Advise us of which working groups have been established within RCC to work on climate change reduction and the membership of these?

c) What climate change targets has RCC given itself and how successful at meeting these has it been?

 

Response provided by Mr G Brown (Portfolio Holder for Environment):

 

Four fleet buses were replaced with Euro 6 compliant engines in 2018. The boilers in Catmose have been replaced with high efficiency boilers and we have a project to find ways of improving the heating system controls and improved radiator efficiency.

 

Installation has commenced for an electric charging point for a fleet car and design for electric charging points for the King Centre.

 

There are no specific working groups but the St George’s Barracks Project Board has included PV panels and electric charging points on the homes on the St George’s Barracks site.

 

The Commercial Property Board has a project on the drawing board for the Kings Centre to install PV panels however this is subject to Smart Export Guarantee Order 2019 but this does not come into effect until January 2020.

 

We would like to do the same at Oakham Enterprise Park but there are issues with the electricity supply arrangements which presents difficulties of installing solar or wind turbines and we are investigating how these might be overcome at a reasonable cost.

 

At this point RCC does not have specific climate change targets however as part of the discussions around the Climate Change Action Motion work will be brought forward. It is part of the Strategic Aims of the Corporate Plan.

 

Mrs Burrows asked the following supplementary question:

 

Are there any plans to setup working groups in the future?

 

Mr G Brown responded that the Growth, Infrastructure and Resources Scrutiny Committee would be looking at the possibility of a Task and Finish Group regarding the environment.

 

    v.        Mrs Burrows

 

Could I ask the Chair of the Growth, Infrastructure and Resources Scrutiny Committee what plans her Scrutiny Committee have to review RCC's actions regarding climate change and plan for future action?

 

Response provided by Miss Waller (Chair of the Growth, Infrastructure and Resources Scrutiny Committee):

 

At the first meeting of the GIR Scrutiny Committee for this municipal year held on 13 June 2019 I invited Committee members to consider topics they wished the Committee to scrutinise during the year. I allowed 10 minutes for committee members to split into groups to do this and subsequently captured their ideas on a flip chart. Climate Change as a general topic was not offered as a topic for consideration although environmental policy, the Local Plan, the St George's project, speeding in Rutland, supply of transport services and the in-house fleet replacement programme; all of which to some degree, if managed badly, would exacerbate climate change, were listed. For its meeting this coming Thursday, September 12th, to which all members of the Council are invited, the Committee will be considering the proposed annual work plan. This includes some of the items mentioned above. In addition the Committee is being asked to agree scoping for a Task and Finish Group focussing on the environment to be submitted to this Council for approval. If an individual Committee chooses to start a Task and Finish Group, it must be approved by Council. Any councillor can propose a topic scrutiny.