To note questions received from the public and the items to which they relate.

(Questions are welcomed for consideration at a scrutiny committee meeting subject to the question being directly relevant to an item listed on the agenda below.  If you have a question you would like to ask then please submit it no later than 1.00 pm on Thursday 22 October 2015 to bbaugh@herefordshire.gov.uk)

The Chairman drew attention to the questions and responses provided within Supplement 1 to the agenda.   Members of the public, particularly county farm tenants and the NFU, were thanked for their questions which provided useful context to inform the debate; in view of the number of questions received, supplementary questions were not taken at this meeting.  The Chairman advised that further questions had been received after the identified deadline and these would be responded to as soon as possible following the meeting.

To note questions received from the public and the items to which they relate.

(Questions are welcomed for consideration at a scrutiny committee meeting subject to the question being directly relevant to an item listed on the agenda below.  If you have a question you would like to ask then please submit it no later than 5.00 pm on Thursday 24 September 2015 to bbaugh@herefordshire.gov.uk)

No questions had been received in advance of the meeting in relation to the following items.

To note questions received from the public and the items to which they relate.

(Questions are welcomed for consideration at a scrutiny committee meeting subject to the question being directly relevant to an item listed on the agenda below.  If you have a question you would like to ask then please submit it no later than 10.00am on Friday 17 July 2015 to bbaugh@herefordshire.gov.uk)

No questions had been received.

To note questions received from the public and the items to which they relate.

(Questions are welcomed for consideration at a scrutiny committee meeting subject to the question being directly relevant to an item listed on the agenda below.  If you have a question you would like to ask then please submit it no later than 10.00am on Friday 5 June 2015 to bbaugh@herefordshire.gov.uk)

In response to a question made at the meeting by a member of the public, it was reported that the listing of a decision in respect of ‘Review of Small Holdings’ had been entered onto the council’s Forward Plan before a proposal for a scrutiny task and finish group had been made.  The Forward Plan timing had been reviewed and amended accordingly.

In response to comments about a document by Fisher German that had not yet been shared with the Chairman or committee members, the Head of Asset Management advised that: the document was only in draft form; it was meant to feed into a formal review but this had not taken place during the previous municipal year; information from that document could be used to inform the task and finish review and subsequent executive decision; and, as it contained commercially sensitive information, it was anticipated the document would be shared with the group in a redacted and suitable form by the end of June 2015.  Some committee members commented on the need for relevant information be to be made available to inform scrutiny deliberations.

In response to comments that further delays could exacerbate uncertainties for tenants, the Chairman noted the need for a focused and time limited review.

To note questions received from the public and the items to which they relate.

(Questions are welcomed for consideration at a scrutiny committee meeting subject to the question being directly relevant to an item listed on the agenda below.  If you have a question you would like to ask then please submit it no later than 5.00pm on Thursday 5 March 2015 to bbaugh@herefordshire.gov.uk)

No questions from the public had been received.

To note questions received from the public and the items to which they relate.

Note: To ensure that the committee has sufficient time to consider the items, it is not intended that verbal questions will be received from the public at the meeting.  Please submit questions in writing no later than 4.00pm on Thursday 12 February 2015 to bbaugh@herefordshire.gov.uk; these should be relevant to the contents of report.

It was noted that Supplement 1 to the agenda contained ten questions received in relation to the item ‘Review of Lease Restructuring with Hereford United (1939) Ltd’, together with officer responses to those questions considered relevant to the report.

To note questions received from the public and the items to which they relate.

(Questions are welcomed for consideration at a scrutiny committee meeting so long as the question is directly related to an item listed on the agenda below.  If you have a question you would like to ask then please submit it no later than two working days before the meeting to the officer named on the cover of this agenda.)

Note: To ensure that the committee has sufficient time to consider the call-in, it is not intended that verbal questions will be received from the public at the meeting.  Please submit questions in writing no later than 4.00pm on Friday 9 January 2015; these should be relevant to the call-in notice, provided at page 11/12 of this agenda.

Attention was drawn to Supplement 1 to the agenda which contained ten questions received from the public, together with officer responses to those questions considered relevant to the call-in.  The Chairman advised that written responses would be provided to the remainder in due course, in the order submitted.

To note questions received from the public and the items to which they relate.

(Questions are welcomed for consideration at a scrutiny committee meeting so long as the question is directly related to an item listed on the agenda below.  If you have a question you would like to ask then please submit it no later than two working days before the meeting to the officer named on the cover of this agenda.

Note: To ensure that the committee has sufficient time to consider the call-in, it is not intended that verbal questions will be received from the public at the meeting, so please submit questions in writing no later than 5.15pm on Thursday 27 November 2014).

The Chairman thanked members of the public for their interest and for the fifty questions that had been received.  Attention was drawn to Supplement 2 to the agenda which contained the questions, along with officer responses to those questions considered relevant to the call-in; written responses would be provided to the remainder in due course, in the order submitted.

The Democratic Services Officer reported that a draft version of the questions had identified Mr. Bryant as a member of Callow and Haywood Group Parish Council but both Mr. Bryant and the Chairman of the group parish council wished to make it clear that the question had not been submitted on behalf of the group parish council.

To note questions received from the public and the items to which they relate.

(Questions are welcomed for consideration at a scrutiny committee meeting so long as the question is directly related to an item listed on the agenda below.  If you have a question you would like to ask then please submit it no later than two working days before the meeting to the officer named on the cover of this agenda).

Questions had been received from the following: Claire Greener of the NFU on behalf of the Herefordshire Tenants’ Association in relation to agenda item 4, Minutes; and Victoria Wegg-Prosser in relation to agenda item 7, Proposed Capital Programme 2015/16 to 2017/18.  The questions and officer responses were published in a supplement to the agenda and also circulated at the meeting.

Noting that a number of tenants were present, the Chairman said that he understood that there would be no changes to the policy in relation to smallholdings during the remainder of the current administration.  He said that there would be no debate on the issue at this meeting but the Head of Corporate Asset Management and the County Land Agent were available to speak to people outside the meeting.

To note questions received from the public and the items to which they relate.

(Questions are welcomed for consideration at a Scrutiny Committee meeting so long as the question is directly related to an item listed on the agenda below.  If you have a question you would like to ask then please submit it no later than two working days before the meeting to the officer named on the cover of this agenda).

No questions had been received from members of the public.

To note questions received from the public and the items to which they relate.

(Questions are welcomed for consideration at a Scrutiny Committee meeting so long as the question is directly related to an item listed on the agenda below.  If you have a question you would like to ask then please submit it no later than two working days before the meeting to the officer named on the cover of this agenda).

No questions had been received from members of the public.

To note questions received from the public and the items to which they relate.

(Questions are welcomed for consideration at a Scrutiny Committee meeting so long as the question is directly related to an item listed on the agenda below.  If you have a question you would like to ask then please submit it no later than two working days before the meeting to the officer named on the cover of this agenda).

No questions had been received from members of the public.

To note questions received from the public and the items to which they relate.

(Questions are welcomed for consideration at a Scrutiny Committee meeting so long as the question is directly related to an item listed on the agenda below.  If you have a question you would like to ask then please submit it no later than two working days before the meeting to the officer named on the cover of this agenda).

Attention was drawn to a supplement to the agenda which included responses to questions about Hereford Futures Limited to the 11 November 2013 and 6 January 2014 meetings.  Further questions had been received from Mrs. Morawieka and responses were provided under the Hereford Futures Limited item below.

To note questions received from the public in relation to the call-in of the Cabinet decision on Changes to Herefordshire Schools and Post 16 Transport Policy.

(Questions must be restricted to the grounds for the call-in - see pages 8/9 - and must be received no later than 5.00pm on Friday, 10 January 2014.  Please forward such questions to the officer named on the front of the agenda by this deadline.)

The Chairman reported that there had been 86 questions from members of the public and the responses to these questions would form the core of the debate.

The Chairman welcomed members of the public and outlined the remit of Scrutiny.   Scrutiny could not overturn Cabinet decisions but could send recommendations back to Cabinet for consideration.   Cabinet may or not may alter their decision.

The Chairman formally thanked Gemma Dean and Ben Baugh on behalf of the Committee for the work which they had undertaken in arranging the call in.

To note questions received from the public and the items to which they relate.

(Questions are welcomed for consideration at a Scrutiny Committee meeting so long as the question is directly related to an item listed on the agenda below.  If you have a question you would like to ask then please submit it no later than two working days before the meeting to the officer named on the cover of this agenda).

There were no questions from the public.

To note questions received from the public and the items to which they relate.

(Questions are welcomed for consideration at a Scrutiny Committee meeting so long as the question is directly related to an item listed on the agenda below.  If you have a question you would like to ask then please submit it no later than two working days before the meeting to the officer named on the cover of this agenda).

The Chairman reported that Mrs. Morawiecka had submitted some questions immediately before the start of the meeting on the item on ‘Freedom of Information and Arm’s Length Companies - An Update’.  As these questions had not been received within the required timeframe (no later than two working days before the meeting), responses could not be provided at the meeting and they had been passed to the Solicitor to the Council.

Mrs. Morawiecka asked when the related questions she had asked at the 11 November 2013 meeting would be answered.  The Solicitor to the Council commented that the report, deferred in November 2013 and resubmitted to this meeting, primarily addressed how the Freedom of Information Act 2000 applied to arm’s length companies, such as Hereford Futures Ltd.  However, it was now clear that a broader report was needed to address the outstanding points.  Therefore, a further report would be prepared for the 10 March 2014 meeting of the Committee.

Mrs. Morawiecka commented that her concerns were not just about value for money but were also related to: the definition of arm’s length companies; the guarantees made by the Council to Hereford Futures Ltd and ongoing liabilities; and the operation and governance of such companies.

The Chairman noted that many people had concerns, both locally and nationally, about how public money was being accounted for.

To note questions received from the public and the items to which they relate.

(Questions are welcomed for consideration at a Scrutiny Committee meeting so long as the question is directly related to an item listed on the agenda.  If you have a question you would like to ask then please submit it no later than two working days before the meeting to the officer named on the cover of this agenda).

Six questions had been received in advance of the meeting from Mrs. Morawiecka on the item ‘Freedom of Information and Arms Length Companies - An Update’.

The questions were published on the Council’s website shortly before the meeting.  However, it was reported that responses to the questions had not yet been received from the relevant officers but would be made available at the earliest opportunity. 

In response to a question from the Vice-Chairman, the Committee was advised that the Head of Governance and the Solicitor to the Council had not been available to respond to the questions and had forwarded their apologies for this meeting. 

The Vice-Chairman commented that the meeting had been scheduled in the diary for a year in advance and requested that senior officers be mindful of the scrutiny work programme and the need to attend meetings to enable the Committee to undertake its duties effectively.  The Chairman added that, unless there were overwhelming circumstances, he considered non-attendance by senior officers to be unacceptable.  Other Members of the Committee supported this view.

A Committee Member questioned whether the meeting should proceed in the absence of senior officers but the Chairman said that there was business on the agenda that could be transacted, with other officers available to discuss particular items.

To note questions received from the public and the items to which they relate.

(Questions are welcomed for consideration at a Scrutiny Committee meeting so long as the question is directly related to an item listed on the agenda.  If you have a question you would like to ask then please submit it no later than two working days before the meeting to the officer named on the cover of this agenda).

To note questions received from the public and the items to which they relate.

(Questions are welcomed for consideration at a Scrutiny Committee meeting so long as the question is directly related to an item listed on the agenda.  If you have a question you would like to ask then please submit it no later than two working days before the meeting to the officer named on the cover of this agenda).

No questions had been received in relation to items on the agenda for this meeting.

To note questions received from the public and the items to which they relate.

(Questions are welcomed for consideration at a Scrutiny Committee meeting so long as the question is directly related to an item listed on the agenda.  If you have a question you would like to ask then please submit it no later than two working days before the meeting to the officer named on the cover of this agenda).

No questions were received for this meeting.