To receive questions from members of the council under standing order 12.
1. Question from Councillor Jim Halliday to Councillor Yvonne Constance
:
“What are the Council's deadlines by which it seeks to reply to requests for information, and what action is taken if the deadline is missed ?"
2. Question from Councillor Richard Webber to the Leader of the Council
"What weight do you believe a decision of Full Council carries ?"
3. Question from Councillor Jerry Patterson to Councillor Mike Murray
"Are you are aware of the latest housing projection
data recently issued by the Office of National Statistics
?"
Minutes:
1. Question from Councillor Jim Halliday to Councillor Yvonne Constance
“What are the Council's deadlines by which it seeks to reply to requests for information, and what action is taken if the deadline is missed?"
Councillor Constance responded that when the council received formal requests for information, these were logged in a database. Requests made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 had a target of 20 working days Subject access requests made under the Data Protection Act 1999 had a response target of 40 calendar days.
During the financial year 2012-13 the council responded to 715 such requests, and 95 per cent of responses were within the target times. In cases where a response is delayed, the requester may make a formal complaint to the council and this would be dealt with through the council’s complaints procedure. Once the council's own complaints procedure is exhausted, a dissatisfied customer may refer the matter to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). No cases had been referred to the ICO in the past three years.
Councillor Halliday asked the following supplementary question.
“As I have now been waiting 12 weeks for a reply to a question I asked at the council meeting held on 20 February 2013, please could she ask the Leader of council to reply, before I resort to lodging a formal complaint?”
In response Concillor Constance confirmed that the Leader of council would respond in writing.
2. Question from Councillor Richard Webber to the Leader of the Council
"What weight do you believe a decision of Full Council carries?"
In response Councillor Barber offered to discuss the decision Councillor Webber was referring to.
In asking his supplementary question Councillor Webber referred to the motion agreed at the December Council meeting which urged Cabinet to include appropriate sums for maintenance in its proposed capital budget for 2013/14 and subsequent years to permit the Abbey Meadow Swimming Pool to remain open so that Vale residents can continue to enjoy this facility. He asked whether cabinet had responded to this motion.
In response Councillor Barber responded that this issue was considered and discussed as part of the budget setting process for the 2013/14 financial year and that the budget agreed by Council at its meeting in February included maintenance funds for this year.
3. Question from Councillor Jerry Patterson to Councillor Mike Murray
"Are you are aware of the latest housing projection data recently issued by the Office of National Statistics?"
In response Councillor Murray confirmed that he was aware of the
latest figures which had been provided by theDepartment for Communities and Local Government.
This information, together with other evidence
including demographic, housing and economic factors, would be used
in the preparation of the county-wide
Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA). However, this
information, whilst used to form part of the demographic evidence,
should not be used in isolation to
forecast a local plan housing target. The government had advised
that the council should continue to follow the existing methodology
that informed the South East Plan.
As a supplementary question Councillor Patterson asked whether the revised population figures would result in a reduction in the number of houses provided for in the council’s local plan.
The Chairman ruled that Councilor Murray had already responded to this question in his original a response.