Minutes:
(A) Mr Lucas asked the following question of
the Leader or his nominee:
“1. What
steps are the Cabinet taking to recognise the work of the Leicestershire
Archaeological Field Walking Groups, supported by County Council Archaeology staff,
which has resulted recently in some fantastic discoveries in Leicestershire?
2. Does
the Leader agree with me that the small team of staff who form the Archaeology
Section deserve praise for their dedication and the fine work they produce and
contribute to, on a shoe-string budget?
3. Will
the Cabinet consider the possibility of seeking British Museum support towards
establishing a fresh museum in Market Harborough to show our “Sutton Hoo” as
this would be a major visitor/tourist attraction?”
Mr Barber replied as follows:
“1. The Cabinet recognises the work of these groups through its support for them. The County Council has supported community archaeology since its inception in Leicestershire in 1975. Leicestershire has led the way in community archaeology nationally. The training and long-term support given to community volunteers by the County Council ensured that finds such as the recent Iron Age and Roman discovery in South Leicestershire were handled locally in an appropriate manner to ensure its protection and safeguarding.
2. Yes, but I am not sure that I could accept Mr. Lucas’ claim that a six figure budget is a shoe-string budget.
3. We are discussing with the British Museum the future of the coin hoard and the Roman helmet and access to the collection for Leicestershire people. One option may be that Harborough Museum will house this display. However, I think that we have to be realistic and accept that a new museum in Market Harborough is unaffordable. I would much prefer that we use this discovery to promote the existing museum which we operate with the support of the District Council.”
(B) Mr Griffiths asked the following question
of the Leader or his nominee:
“What progress has been made with the decision taken arising from the
Best Value Review of Domiciliary Services relating to the expansion of Luncheon
Clubs?”
Mr Miller replied as follows:
“The Best Value Review outcome included a commitment to increase luncheon club facilities across the County. The intention, as far as possible, is to develop new luncheon clubs where there are currently gaps in provision. The precise location of some new luncheon clubs will be determined by the outcome of recent Village Appraisals, some of which identified the need for such facilities.
The 2003/2004 budget includes £30,000 specifically for the development of new luncheon clubs. This will be taken forward in partnership with voluntary sector organisations.
Ongoing discussions have been taking place with partner agencies, particularly the WRVS and Age Concern to identify partners willing to help the Council establish additional luncheon clubs.
In recent months, three new lunch clubs have been planned. The first, in Loughborough, has opened and is run by the Charnwood Community Council. The second, called Cameo, will operate in Ibstock and will be privately run. Cameo will open next month. The third, in Syston, will also be run by the Charnwood Community Council and is due to open in August. All three luncheon clubs will be funded by the County Council.
Discussions with the WRVS have been very positive and an agreement has been reached for a number of new luncheon clubs to be set up and run by WRVS across the County. The first of these will open in the Autumn although the WRVS are currently looking to identify a venue and the precise location has, therefore, yet to be decided.
The Social Services Department is also working in partnership with Age Concern to open a luncheon club specifically for Asian service users in Loughborough.”
(C) Mr Griffiths asked the following question
of the Leader or his nominee:
“Following the introduction of a new contractor appointed to distribute
prepared meals to our qualifying senior citizens, can the Leader inform me of:-
1. The
proportion of requests for frozen and hot meals?
2. Any
preliminary feedback from service users as to service satisfaction?
3. Any
proposals to introduce regular customer satisfaction surveys?"
Mr Miller replied as follows:
“1. The County Council supplies approximately 4,000 meals per week to a total of 1,320 people. The new community meals contract awarded to Apetito, a company with substantial experience of providing meals for local authorities, has the significant advantage over the previous system of offering a choice between frozen meals and delivered hot meals.
Over time this will substantially increase the choice available to service users and provides much greater flexibility in terms of the time in which meals can be taken.
The same frozen product is used for both the hot meal and frozen meal services. For the hot meal service, the frozen meal is regenerated in transit to people’s homes, whilst the frozen service delivers the meal direct for use or storage by the recipient.
The new system for providing and delivering community meals is at an early stage, the contract only having been in place since last month. At this stage all service users are currently continuing to receive hot meals in line with the previous arrangements. However, there is significant interest among service users in trying out frozen meals as an alternative. It is therefore intended to run a number of pilot exercises across the County later in the year to test the detailed operation of this option. No service users will be asked to take frozen meals against their wishes.
2. As indicated above, the new contract for the provision of community meals is still only in its eighth week. Some difficulties, mainly in terms of delivery times, were experienced during the initial changeover period but these have now been resolved with Apetito, and the general level of customer satisfaction is good.
Generally speaking, service users are satisfied with the quality of meals provided by Apetito. In addition, the menu system (a new innovation that offers service users the opportunity to choose their meals each week), is very well liked. There is now evidence of increased take-up and demand for meals, particularly at weekends.
3. The Social Services Department is already undertaking a detailed Customer Satisfaction Survey of a sample group of service users. Questionnaires are currently being distributed and results are expected early in June. A meeting has been planned with Apetito for the 17 June 2003 to consider the findings of the survey.
Customer Satisfaction Surveys will then be undertaken by the Department on an annual basis. Apetito are also in the process of surveying customer view/opinions, and have recently sent out their own questionnaires.”
Mr Griffiths asked the following supplementary question on the reply to question 3:
“Could Mr Miller confirm that Scrutiny will have an update on an annual basis on the question of customer satisfaction so that we can actually monitor this?”
Mr Miller replied as follows:
“I am very happy to confirm that there will be an update. It is my understanding that the results of the survey which is presently being conducted should in fact be included in the report, which it is intended to bring to Scrutiny on progress on this item in the Autumn, and yes, of course, those results will then be reported annually following that.”
(D) Mr Lucas asked the following question
of the Leader or his nominee:
“1. What
does the County Council presently contribute to Leicester Promotions?
2. If
the Council proceeds to hand over Tourism to them, do you feel that Barnstable
is the proper place from which to deal with Leicestershire tourism matters?”
Mr Barber replied as follows:
“1. Nothing.
2. The
Council is not ‘handing over Tourism’ to Leicester Promotions.”
(E) Mr Galton asked the following question of
the Leader or his nominee:
“1. Is
the Leader aware that he was quoted on the front page of the “The Stage”
Newspaper on April 10th as saying that the County Council had not
been consulted about the proposed replacement for the Haymarket Theatre to
serve the City and the County?
2. How
can this be correct when it is common knowledge that an officer of the County
Council has served on the working party since it was established?
3. Bearing
in mind that up to 60% of the theatre-goers are County residents what useful
purpose has been served by withdrawing the officer at this stage?
4. Given
that there are three members of the Conservative Group on the Leicester Theatre
Trust Board of Management, would he not agree that they also have a
responsibility to report back on what is happening with the project?
5. Now
that the remaining £50,000 grant has been withdrawn from the theatre, what is
the position with the County Council’s places on the Board of Management?”
Mr Barber replied as follows:
“1) I am sure that Mr Galton has experience of either being misquoted or the reporter missing the point. My concern was that there was no real attempt by the leadership of the City Council to engage the County Council at a political level at an early stage about the City’s intentions not just for a ‘cultural quarter’ but about how such a major development was to be funded and the implications for theatre and arts in the County as well as the City. Effectively we were presented with a fait accompli in terms of the City Council’s intentions.
2) & 3) A
County Council officer attended meetings of a ‘working party’ as an observer
and withdrew in October 2002 at the same time as I advised the then Leader of
the City Council that only political discussions could deal with issues at a
strategic level, not least about funding.
4) & 5) I
do not consider that I have been lacking in any particular information about
the replacement theatre project. It
appears that the position about the Haymarket Theatre only became clear on
Monday evening of this week when the Haymarket Board met at a time when neither
of the two County Council representatives was able to attend due to business
prior to this meeting of the County Council.
I would add that yesterday’s announcement about the closure of the
Haymarket suggests that the Theatre’s problems go way beyond the loss of the
relatively small amount of grant aid previously provided by the County Council
and that any crude attempt to pass off blame on to the County Council only
detracts from some fundamental problems about the running of the Theatre. I would anticipate that the Haymarket Board
will want to review its composition in light of that announcement.”
Mr Galton asked the
following supplementary question on the reply given to question 1:
“Clearly
things have moved on since I submitted these questions, and surely I would
think that the Leader is aware that many actors would give their absolute back
teeth to make the front page of the stage and television newspaper today, as he
did on that date. Would he accept that
there is still a role for this County Council in terms of theatre provision in
the City and this County and that there is a need to work together with
partners, bearing in mind that 60% of people in the County do look to attend a
theatre in Leicester? Other than that I
could make some comments about the pantomime horse or things like that, but I
will forego that today, because I actually think that this is still a serious
matter that needs further attention.”
Mr Barber replied as follows:
“I
have no ambition ever and I am unlikely to have one in the future to appear on
the front page of publications like “The Stage”. However, I can see that it is natural home for the Liberal
Democrats, particularly in the comedy section.
I have to agree with Mr Galton that the second part of his question is
in fact a serious matter. We, I am
sure, will watch the developments insofar as the Cultural Quarter and its
contents in the City is concerned, and I would suggest that if anyone wishes to
know our policy, or changes in policy, they might ask whoever happens to be
Leader of this Council at the particular time they want to pose the question.”
(F) Mr Brown asked the following question
of the Leader or his nominee:
“1. What
is the current situation as far as the County Council understands it with the
proposals for the Leicester West Park and Ride Scheme?
2. Can
the Leader (or his nominee) confirm that, regardless of progress (or lack of
progress) with the Park and Ride Scheme, the much needed improvements to the A5460
Fosse Park/Asda roundabout and the Narborough Road South will not be
jeopardised?”
Mr Barber replied as follows:
“1. The
Cabinet resolved at its meeting on 13th May to endorse the preferred
sites for park and ride and to submit a bid for funding to the Department for
Transport. The Cabinet has also
resolved that the bid must be subject to clarification from Leicester City
Council regarding its intentions on the proposed park and ride site on
Aylestone Road and to satisfactory assurances from the City Council that it
continues to accept that the County Council should not be required to find from
within its boundaries more than two sites to be included in the scheme. That has been communicated to the City Council
but understandably we have yet to hear from them on this.
2. The
same meeting of Cabinet approved the development of proposals for improvements
in the Junction 21 area as a linked scheme.
I would expect this work, which is separately funded, to go ahead
irrespective of progress on the park and ride scheme.”
Mr Brown asked the following supplementary
question:
“Recognising the situation is still a bit of moveable feast, and a feast
that is in the hands of the City Council, can Mr Barber confirm that it will
not be the policy of the Administration to accept a replacement for the
Aylestone Park and Ride site in the County, and obviously, given that
particular location, in particular in Blaby District?”
Mr Barber replied
as follows:
“The situation is obviously up in the air. It waits until the newly elected administration in the City has
time to take over. It is probably fair
enough for me to say that I had a very, very brief discussion with the new
Leader of the City Council just before lunch today, here in this building and
we agreed that we needed to meet together to talk about the situation and where
it was leading us.”
(G) Mr Brown asked the following question
of the Leader or his nominee:
“1. What
is the current County Council policy in respect of education provision for
children from the Thorpe Astley housing development? (i.e. Is the policy still that Kingsway and Holmfield Primary
Schools would be expected to take the majority of children from this area?)
2. Does
the statement in the Leicester Mercury (dated 13 May 2003) regarding the County
Council commitment to a new school in Thorpe Astley represent current
policy? If so, when was the policy
changed?
3. If
there has been a change of policy, how does the Cabinet intend to address the
issue of surplus places in the Braunstone/LFE family of schools that was
previously stated as being the principle reason for not proceeding with a new
school in Thorpe Astley?
4. Under
the current legal agreements, what can the often-quoted figure of £5 million from
developer contributions from the Thorpe Astley development be used for? What part of this funding is available for
education and to which schools is it currently envisaged that this money would
be directed?”
Mr Ould replied as follows:
“1. The County Council’s policy on educational
provision for children from the Thorpe Astley development currently remains the
same as the decision taken in 1993 and reviewed in December 2001. Under that decision, which is subject to
alteration by National Government initiatives or the views of local parents,
children from the Thorpe Astley development are expected to be educated in
surplus accommodation at Kingsway, Holmfield, and Millfield Primary Schools.
2. The statement in the Leicester Mercury of
13 May was not an official press statement.
No official statement has been issued to the Leicester Mercury regarding
educational policy and development in the Thorpe Astley area. However the views of the parents of children
currently in Thorpe Astley Development Area have been listened to in respect of
where they would like their children to be educated, and the subject will be
kept under review. Parents will be
influenced in their choice of school by the quality and reputation of local
schools. Welcoming schools providing
quality educational experiences in a stable and well ordered learning
environment, exemplified by high achievements for pupils, will always attract
parental confidence and support. Where
schools do not achieve this reputation, parents will make their own response.
3. Mr Brown should make himself aware of the
potential impact on surplus places of his own Government’s policies in respect
of successful schools being able to expand, form federations, or take over
other schools. As is characteristic of
this Government, rushed policy that seems attractive but is not thought through
in its consequences has implications for other areas, e.g., surplus places.
4. As a local councillor adjacent to this
area, it has taken Mr Brown ten years to ask about developer
contributions. So that he may
accurately represent the facts after a decade of ignorance, I am pleased to
inform him that there are four developer contributions involved in the £5m
developer contribution. They were all
negotiated for the purpose of highway improvements in the Fosse Park Area. They have never been, in whole or part,
available for the purpose of creating additional school places.”
Mr Brown
asked the following supplementary question:
“Given that Mr Ould’s replies,
especially the replies to questions 1 and 2, do seem to leave open the option
of a new school in the Thorpe Astley development area, could Mr Ould perhaps
explain what the status of the site allocated by developers for this school is
likely to be, given that my understanding is that Blaby District Council are
currently in the process of negotiating that away for further planning gain?”
Mr Ould replied as follows:
“Not being a in-mate of Blaby District
Council, I am afraid I have got no idea what they have allocated the site
for. If I had had prior warning of the
question, I might be better informed. I
apologise for not being able to give any further information”