Agenda item - Written questions from members of the public.

A list of public questions received by the due date of the 2 October, 2008 will be circulated at the meeting.

18.1       The Mayor reported that three written questions had been received from members of the public and invited Mr. Furness to come forward and address the council.

18.2       Mr Nigel Furness asked the following question:

“Could Councillor Theobald please tell us how much revenue this authority received in the past year from the cans and other metals left out for recycling or put in communal recycling bins?”

18.3    Councillor Theobald stated that “The price of metals is high at the moment and we are receiving good levels of income from cans, which was £16,000 in 2007/08 and £13,000 from other metals.

          You may like to know that the total income in 2007/08 to this authority from all its recycling (which includes glass, paper, cardboard, plastic bottles) was £548,000.”

18.4       Mr. Furness asked the following supplementary question:

          “Thank you Councillor Theobald for that illuminating answer which brings me to the point, why does it state in ‘The Argus’ that profits are shared with Veolia, while in another article it is stated that aluminium cans, which now fetch, by the way, around £1.65 per kilo in scrap value, are donated to the charity Alupro in order to provide one orange tree per ton to be planted in Malawi?  In these hard pressed times doesn’t charity begin at home, Councillor?”

18.5    Councillor Theobald responded, “What we read in ‘The Argus’ isn’t necessarily accurate and it is difficult to answer a question such as that but all of us will have different views on charity giving, whether it is to charities abroad or charities in this country.”

18.6       The Mayor thanked Mr. Furness for his questions and invited Mr. Hawtree to come forward and address the council.

18.7       Mr. Hawtree asked the following question:

          “Could Councillor Smith please tell us what steps he will be taking to commemorate Katherine Mansfield's crucial, 1910 residence in Rottingdean?"

18.8       Councillor Smith stated that “There are no plans in the forthcoming public event programmes to commemorate Katherine Mansfield’s residence in Rottingdean in 1910.  She was an author, born in New Zealand, but spent much of her life here.  She knew D H Lawrence and I believe she led quite a bohemian lifestyle.  Mr Hawtree may like to nominate Katherine Mansfield to the Commemorative Plaque Panel which is chaired by John Small of the Regency Society. Further information on this can be provided by the City Council’s Head of Tourism, Adam Bates.”

18.9       Mr. Hawtree asked the following supplementary question:

          “Thank you Councillor Smith.  I think you have been ‘Googling’ the subject and not very much comes up when you look Katherine Mansfield and Rottingdean up.  We need books and even though her letters and notebooks do not survive from that period, a great deal else recalls that first visit to the sea, since New Zealand as you mention, and the sound of it in Rottingdean prompted the start of her greatest writing while craving library books.

          Councillor Smith can I call upon Katherine Mansfield now to ask you wouldn’t it be a much better honour than going to the Plaque Committee, instead to open Rottingdean Library more than three days a week as this authority still falls short of the national standards as Councillor Hamilton has said?”

18.10    Councillor Smith responded, ““We are reviewing our plans for opening hours and are one of the largest authorities for buying books.   I am sure the people of Rottingdean appreciate the works of Katherine Mansfield, but having looked on Google and been unsuccessful, I am not sure how many books you would have to read to find out more about her.”

18.11    The Mayor thanked Mr. Hawtree for his questions and stated that Mr. Hooper was unable to attend the meeting to put his question and therefore a written answer would be given by Councillor Theobald.