To receive any questions from and provide answers to the public in relation to matters relevant to the Council’s activities.
Minutes:
Members of the public were invited to put questions to the Mayor and Councillors on any matters within the powers and duties of the Council.
Eight public questions were submitted as follows:-
· Relating to the King’s Fund Report of 21 February 2017 which warned against the closure of hospital beds before new community care arrangements had been shown to reduce pressure on hospital beds; how the Council proposed to evaluate the impact of MCPs and other changes; and if there was no reduction in demand would the Council postpone cuts in hospital beds.
The Executive Councillor (Health) (Councillor Tom McGee) responded that the King’s Fund Report also stated that local plans needed to be considered on their merits, but where there was a convincing case for change, Ministers and local politicians should back NHS leaders in implementing essential and often long overdue changes to services. The report also stated that in order for certain proposals to be successful there needed to be upfront investment in community services before any cuts in hospital beds. Councillor McGee reiterated his position that once community services were up and running, there would be disinvestment in some of the hospital beds and that money would be redirected into the community provision.
· Relating to which of the two proposals for taking the A6-M60 Relief Road across the Goyt Valley would in the opinion of the Leader of the Council be most devastating to valley.
The Leader of the Council (Policy, Finance & Devolution) (Councillor Alex Ganotis) responded that did not know and was not prepared to give an uniformed opinion. It was stated that it was not possible at this stage to give an informed response to many of the questions about the environmental impact of the scheme as significant work still remained to be including an assessment of whether there was a business case for the scheme to be further developed.
· Relating to whether the Leader of the Council recognised that the proposed A6-M60 Relief Road would have damaging impacts on many streets in the Borough and whether he agreed that the Council should meet and engage with people from these communities.
The Leader of the Council (Policy, Finance & Devolution) (Councillor Alex Ganotis) responded that the business case would consider many different factors and the Council will receive a report on the outcome of the business case including whether the scheme should proceed. It was confirmed that the business case would include public consultation, and there would be further consultation should the scheme be progressed to the planning stage.
· Relating to the inefficiency of community nurses being required to attend to patients from outside their own district because those patients had a GP in the nurse’s district.
The Executive Councillor (Health) (Councillor Tom McGee) responded that part of the work of Stockport Together had been to pull community nursing and social services together around GP practices to provide holistic care and support to those groups of patients. Although GP practices had notional boundaries, patients for many reasons such as a change of address, may not live near to their GP which may result in some longer journeys for community nurses.
· Relating to a ‘Plan B’ should the plan for the integration of health and social care fail; what the criteria for assessing ‘Plan A’ would be; and the implications of moving to a ‘Plan B’.
The Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive Councillor (Adult Social Care) (Councillor Wendy Wild) responded that the reference to ‘Plan B’ within the report to the Executive in August 2015 related to the Council’s budget reduction options for the year 2016/17 and not the creation of an integrated health and care service.
· Relating to whether in the light of financial problems experienced by other integrated care organisations, Stockport Together represented a massive risk to the Council and its accountability to the people of Stockport.
The Executive Councillor (Health) (Councillor Tom McGee) responded that the National Audit Office had also confirmed that place based planning was the right way to manage scarce resources at a system wide level. It was further stated that Stockport Together had developed locally long before Sustainability and Transformation Plans were introduced in 2015 and which unlike those Plans had the benefit of the involvement of the local council.
· Relating to whether it was illogical to support ongoing work to develop the A6-M60 Relief Road Scheme without declaring support for the scheme itself.
The Leader of the Council (Policy, Finance & Devolution) (Councillor Alex Ganotis) responded that he had not yet made a decision on support for the proposed scheme as he did not yet have the necessary evidence to do so.
· Relating to what process had been gone through to decide not to increase Council tax by more than 5%.
The Leader of the Council (Policy, Finance & Devolution) (Councillor Alex Ganotis) responded that the Executive had taken a decision not to increase Council Tax by more than 5% so as to avoid residents suffering any further financial hardship that would be caused by an increase above this figure.
· Relating to the potential use of the former playing field of St Stephen’s Primary School as community allotment.
Councillor Laura Booth responded that she had been very supportive of this project and she had continually asked for an update on this matter. Councillor Booth stated that she had been advised that the Education Funding Agency was still considering the matter but that she would pursue the matter further with the involvement of the Executive Councillor (Education).
Two further public questions had been submitted where the questioners were not present at the meeting and in accordance with the Code of Practice, the Chief Executive was requested to respond to the questioner in writing.