With Councillor Asunramu’s
record on Questions it was no surprise to see her first out of the blocks
on Wednesday.
Four of the 32 questions were hers.
“Can Cabinet Member Caroline Newton give an update on The Safety Valve Programme” [whatever that
might be]. Since Councillor Newton can not usually be bothered to answer email, don’t
get your hopes up for a good explanation.
“The Safety Valve Programme continues to deliver interventions in line with the
conditions set out in the DFU Agreement and remains committed to improving the
outcomes for Children and Young People while also reducing the High Needs
Deficit. The latest Safety Valve report was submitted to the DFE on August 28th
and is made public through [the] Schools Forum where there is regular
discussion. The final report of the year is due in to the DFE by 27th November.”
So we were none the wiser but it is something to do with Special Needs Education.
Councillor Asunramu (Labour, Thamesmead East) responded with the expected political comment. “We are
unable to meet the budget” and it is all your Government’s fault because “they
didn’t properly fund the budget”.
Councillor Newton said the demand for EHCPs keeps on increasing at the rate of
about 11% a year both locally and nationally and “there will be an overspend
this year” and later referred to the local MPs claiming to be passionate about
SEND in a way that turns out to be “political posturing”.
Councillor Anna Day (Labour, Slade Green & North End) asked Cabinet Member Leaf what
Bexley is doing about “income maximisation for residents”.
It would not be Councillor David Leaf if the reply was not “I have a very long list”.
Among them was ‘Advice and Signposting’, funding the Citizens Advice Bureau etc.
‘Communications’ through the Bexley Magazine and elsewhere. ‘Jobs and
Employment’ which “supports hundreds of residents. The Household Support Fund
provides cash payments and vouchers for things like furniture, rent, heating bills and help for Food Banks.”
Councillor Day said that only last week she and Daniel Francis MP found two
families who could be helped during a two hour joint surgery. One with
Disability Benefit and one through Pension Credit. “Could the Council be more
pro-active?”
Councillor Leaf said they were working hard not only with Food Banks but also
the provision of “Warm Spaces particularly after the Labour Government decided
to hit pensioners hard by withdrawing the Winter Fuel Payment”. He reminded
everyone that very recently Labour was campaigning locally about a £600 discount
on their fuel bills and now “everyone is going to be hit hard by the Socialist budget announced last week”.
Councillor Philip Read (Conservative, West Heath) took up that theme asking what could be
done about countering “Labour’s terminological inexactitudes regarding taxation” used during the election campaign?
The always well equipped Cabinet Member produced the Office of Budget
Responsibility’s report and quoted the bit about how “real household disposable
income will fall under this budget” and growth forecasts have been revised
downwards and inflation upwards, “a direct consequence of the budget”.
“Businesses and public services in Bexley will feel the burden of higher taxes.
We as a local authority will face considerable additional costs. There is no
National Insurance relief for Councils, GP surgeries or local care providers. It
is a terrible budget for residents and is supported by Members opposite. They
are the Pensioner Freezers, the Business Bashers, the Job Destroyers, the Tax Grabbers and the ULEZ Lovers.”
Councillor Peter Craske (Conservative,
Blackfen & Lamorbey) made what was probably
his first active appearance in Council since 2022. “What is the Cabinet Member
for Adults’ Services going to do to combat the Labour Government’s cruel withdrawal of the Winter Fuel Allowance?”
Cabinet
Member Seymour said that just under 39,000 Bexley residents had been
eligible for WFA and only about 4,000 now. “Some people don’t need it but many
will suffer severe hardship and make their health conditions very much worse.”
He had spoken to residents who “for the first time in their lives had voted
Labour but before the ink was dry on their decision Labour was falling over
themselves to sign cheques for billions of pounds to Unions but no money could
be found for the Winter Fuel Allowance. Absolutely disgraceful.”
The Council has been working with Age UK and the Leader will make an
announcement in her report about what is being done.
Labour Leader Stefano Borella complained that Councillor Craske had “ad libbed”
the word Cruel into his [written] question. The Mayor said that all Members should stick to the script.
Councillor Craske produced a local Labour public statement from 17th April 2022
which pledged that 27,800 Bexley residents would see their energy
bills cut by £600 under a Labour Government. “Should Labour apologise for their
cruel cuts?” The rather longer answer from the Cabinet Member could be summarised as “Yes”.
Councillor Nicola Taylor (Labour, Erith) knows all Labour’s favourite lines by heart and started with
“After 14 years of Tory misery causing high energy bills from the lack of action
by your Government and the consequent freezing homes why is the Cabinet Member
only now setting up Warm Spaces and for political purchase [advantage?] rather than the benefit of residents?”
The Cabinet Member reminded the Councillor that it was a Conservative Government
that paid people’s wages during the pandemic and paid half their fuel payments
and despite that the new Government inherited the fastest growing economy in the G7.
Councillor Cameron Smith (Conservative, St. Mary’s & St. James) asked the Cabinet Member for an update on efforts to improve recycling rates.
Cabinet
Member Diment accepted that the pandemic had taken its toll on performance as
did the industrial action encouraged by the Labour Group Members but recycling
was now officially at 44% and in April/May and June of this year
it hit 51·3%. The best since pre-pandemic days. Bin collections are now
officially at 99·88% successful and have just tipped over 99·9%. No more missed bins!
Country Style has invested £465,000 in new street cleaning machines.
Councillor Day said that “missed bins are still an issue and when will Bexley be
at No. 1 for recycling again?” Bexley is improving faster than other boroughs so
it should be back at No. 1 “in the very near future”.
At this point Question Time ran out of time.