Agenda item
To receive Members questions in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 9.2.
(N.B a maximum of 20 minutes shall be allowed for questions on notice.)
Minutes:
1. Question from County Borough Councillor L. Addiscott to the Leader of the Council, County Borough Councillor A. Morgan:
“What impact has the U.K. Government’s economic plans had on energy prices, in particular for local authorities?”
Response of the Leader, Councillor A Morgan:
Councillor Morgan responded that in terms of non-domestic energy, there was no clarity provided on how the scheme will work beyond March meaning that businesses, voluntary sector organisations and local authorities have no certainty on what they will be paying next year.
For households the cap will increase in April next year from £2,500 to £3,000 (for average use) which is a significant increase. The Leader advised that there is no equivalent cap for Local Authorities, so the Council is looking at alternative energy options and identifying opportunities to generate its own power, by such means as wind turbines, hydro, solar farms and where it generates its own energy it will be essential to use it all (as it is more valuable than selling it back to the National Grid).
The Leader referred to the intense pressure on the Local Authority over the next 12 months.
Supplementary question:
“What long-term solutions can we look at to avoid situations like this in the future?”
Response of the Leader, Councillor A Morgan:
The Leader alluded to the need for a change in Government to avoid these situations with an economy that is growing together with continued investment in energy insulation, which would impact on the overall energy unit price. He also commented that becoming more sustainable at a local and National level is the way forward and that Council Officers are reviewing previous considerations regarding alternative energy options which are now more economical. He advised that Cabinet/Council will be asked to invest significant funds in alternative energy solutions such as solar, hydro so that the Council can become more self-sufficient.
The Leader referred to the hold that Russia has over the supply of gas to Europe in terms of the energy crisis which could be avoided should self-sufficiency and sustainability be sought.
2. Question from County Borough Councillor D. Parkin to the Leader of the Council, County Borough Councillor A. Morgan:
“What representations are being made to the U.K. Westminster Government regarding the funding crisis that local authorities are facing in the forthcoming financial year?”
Response of the Leader, Councillor A Morgan:
The Leader responded that in his role as Leader of RCT Council and of the WLGA, he has written to the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the UK Government in respect of the pressures facing local authorities next year which are unprecedented and have lobbied the UK Government for additional funding.
He added that the vast majority of the Council’s reserves have been set aside for specific services such as £21M for Schools. Despite the Council facing significant overspend it held its reserves to use this year and next year. He referred to the current lack of investment in public services such as the NHS, the DVLA, Passport Office (both of which have experienced significant backlogs), Network Rail and other areas which need more investment, and which are not receiving sufficient support from the UK Government who are perhaps not personally affected or impacted by their services and do not value them as they should.
No SupplementaryQuestion
3. Question from County Borough Councillor K. Morgan to the Leader of the Council, County Borough Councillor A. Morgan:
“What proactive measures are the council undertaking to ensure drains and gullies are clear in order to prevent flooding incidents?”
Response of the Leader, Councillor A Morgan:
The Leader responded to the question by confirming that the Council has set up a dedicated Drainage Maintenance Team comprising of 33 officers, which is a significant number of officers and more than any other local authority in Wales. Following the Storm Dennis report to Cabinet in 2020, the Council has procured a contract with Arch, who have a regional depot in Porth, for CCTV survey and specialised high pressure vactor cleaning of surface water sewers, for a 5-year contract.
The Leader advised that in response to requests to clear drains and gulleys, the inspectors, of which there are now three across the county borough, will assess the gulley and where there is no risk of ponding the request will be picked up under the Council’s regular maintenance. If it is located in a residential area where there is a risk to properties or there is a history of blockages the gulley will be cleared.
Supplementary Question
“A gulley was blocked on the main road in Hirwaun this morning which could have caused flooding. There have been several other incidents whether from leaves or fat from private businesses causing blockages in the gulleys. When the proactive measures described fail to prevent flooding incidents such as we’ve experienced, doesthe Council monitor this and is there data for the number of reactive calls we respond to and does the Council implement further action in response to that data to achieve the aim of proactively preventing floods?”
Response of the Leader, Councillor A Morgan:
The Leader commented that he had personally taken the call regarding the blocked gulley referred to by Cllr K Morgan and had advised the resident to log the call with the Council’s Contact Centre. He confirmed that cleaning the gulleys are prioritised according to data that indicates areas of high risk or if there is a history of flooding. In some areas there is a ‘wash off’ and other areas are cleaned on a monthly basis. The Leader assured Members that every call to the contact centre is logged on the Council’s CRM system and the data is used to identify areas of concern. In conclusion, the Leader advised Members to contact the Officers with any specific concerns regarding blocked gulleys by calling the Council’s Contact Centre.
“Will the Leader please make a statement on the Council’s budget planning ahead of the forecasted lower settlements for Local Authorities in the next two financial years?”
Response of the Leader, Councillor A Morgan:
The Leader commented that he had recently met with Leaders, Finance Cabinet Members, the Chief Executive and Treasurers of the 21 other Local Authorities in RCT and he added that the figures across Wales are similar to the shortfall in RCT, with Swansea Cardiff and Merthyr, and other similar size local authorities, reporting similar deficits.
The Leader used the following analogy to describe the situation, next year will be like walking up a hill, the year after will be like climbing a cliff and in two years’ time it will be like falling off the cliff because the UK Government has deferred spending cuts which will potentially leave significant cuts to public spending. The Leader hoped that the prediction that the recession will be shorter, shallower and the economy will grow will come to fruition and that it won’t mean more tax cuts for the rich. He commented that in his opinion, the windfall tax should have been further increased to 50% or even 75% and reiterated that this tax is unexpected profit over and above what was expected. He hoped that any future Government would go further with its windfall tax.
Supplementary Statement
“Tough decisions are not the fault of the Council, and we need to communicate that these service changes are at the door of UK Government and their political choices. The individuals and councils are in the similar boat and having to make tough decisions through no fault of their own”
5. Question from County Borough Councillor M. D. Ashford to the Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, County Borough Councillor G. Caple:
“What engagement has the Council received from Pontyclun Community Council on the future of Café 50+?”
Response of Councillor G Caple:
Councillor Caple advised that notification was received from Pontyclun Community Council on the 8th September advising that they would no longer take on the lease for Café 50. In terms of actual engagement, however, Councillor Caple commented that Officers have confirmed that the Community Council did not engage with the Council and simply notified of the change which, was somewhat surprising.
Supplementary Question:
Would you agree that there should have been meaningful engagement with both residents and the Council on this issue?
Response of Councillor G Caple:
Councillor Caple responded that proper consultation should ordinarily take place before such a decision is taken and it is disappointing that meaningful engagement was not sought with the Council in this instance. He added that Café 50+ is clearly a well-used and popular facility locally and it is essential that consultation is undertaken with residents and service users in the event of any service changes.
“Following on from the disastrous mini budget in September, how will the measures in the recent autumn statement affect Welsh local authorities with regards to the Barnett formula and the block grant?”
Response of the Leader, Councillor A Morgan:
The Leader advised that the Gilt markets improved which means that it affects borrowing costs for capital investment whereas the local government borrowing is locked in. Around 80% of UK Government borrowing is locked in with 20% of the borrowing based on interest on the day. This meant that the mini budget alone added £15M to UK borrowing.
The Leader added that the measures announced in the Autumn Statement last week, will mean that Wales will receive additional funding of £1.2bn over the next two years. The Leader explained that this funding is welcome for our larger services; however, it doesn’t go anywhere near addressing the ever-expanding budget gaps the Council faces with energy costs increasing to £200M and the NHS is estimated to have a $207M increase in their energy costs. With this picture, 80% of the funding next year will only cover the energy costs for the NHS and Welsh Councils alone.
The Leader concluded that a series of meetings will take place between now and the 14th December when the provisional Local Government settlement will be announced but even with the additional £1.2bn over the next two years, the overall budget in 2024/25 will be no higher in real terms than in the current year.
There was no supplementary question due to the lapse of the allotted time.
Supporting documents:
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