The opportunity is given to members of the public to put questions to Cabinet Members or Committee Chairs provided that a question does not relate to:
· Matters which are the subject of current or pending legal proceedings or
· Matters relating to employees or former employees of the Council or comments in respect of individual Council Officers.
Minutes:
62.1 A Gloucester resident asked if any pay increases for Councillors were planned and, if they were, would it be explained why an increase was necessary. Councillor Hannah Norman, Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources, advised that Members received an allowance and the Council engaged an Independent Remuneration Panel to review these allowances. She further advised that, a 2% uplift had been approved by Council in January as well as an increase in the Special Responsibility Allowance for the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to reflect the added commitment of the role.
62.1 A Gloucester resident informed Council that he had assisted an individual with a significant disability. He stated that he was being engaged with by P3 who had placed him in a hotel but that the resident had provided material assistance as well as cash. He asked that he be reimbursed for these expenses. He further asked why P3 had moved the individual to various temporary accommodations and not placed him in more permanent accommodation.
62.2 Councillor Watkins, Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods, thanked the resident for his question and advised that she could not comment on individual cases nor respond on behalf of P3. Councillor Watkins stated that she was grateful for the assistance the resident had given individuals.
62.3 The resident referred to previous changes to the funding of voluntary organisations and queried why this had been spent on Community Protection Officers. He asked if it was within their remit to physically remove people from the City Centre. Councillor Watkins advised that the Community Protection Officers were jointly funded and that they undertook important work which she praised. She stated that it was the first time she had heard of an issue regarding removal and advised that if there was a complaint, Gloucester City Safe was the appropriate body to contact.
62.4 A Gloucester resident addressed Council and informed Members that he was homeless and had been sleeping rough. He stated that he had been moved to a number of temporary accommodation sites and asked why the Council allowed P3 to have significant sums of money when it did not do its job.
62.5 Councillor Watkins stated that she was sorry to hear of the resident’s circumstances and advised that she could not discuss individual cases publically but would take his details in order to provide a response.
62.6 Councillor Watkins advised that P3 was commissioned by the County Council and helped people every day.