Agenda item - Member Involvement

To consider the following matters raised by councillors:

(a)           Petitions: to receive any petitions submitted to the full Council or at the meeting itself;

(b)          Written Questions: to consider any written questions;

(1)       Expenses- Councillor Meadows

(c)           Letters: to consider any letters;

(d)          Notices of Motion: to consider any Notices of Motion referred from Council or submitted directly to the Committee.

(1)       Council Placement of Homeless People & Rough Sleepers- Conservative Group

(b)      Member Questions

(1)           Expenses

36.1      Councillor Meadows read the following question:

“During the past year there have been reports and commentary in the local press concerning the appropriateness of Brighton and Hove City Councillors’ expense claims. This has led to loss of confidence among members of the public in the Council.

In order to restore public confidence, will the Chair initiate an Audit of Councillors’ Dependent Carer Allowance expenses claimed, including for the financial years ending 5 April 2020 and 5 April 2021?”

36.2      The Chair provided the following reply:

“Thank you for your question.

Officers have confirmed that appropriate systems and processes are maintained for considering and determining applications for member allowances. These arrangements are as provided for in the Member Allowances Scheme which forms part of the Council’s Constitution.

I have been reassured that the correct process is followed to ensure that all applications for allowances are routinely checked against relevant criteria before any monies are paid out. I have not seen any evidence to demonstrate that correct processes has not been followed in this area.

In the absence of that, no grounds have been established for a review of this area and I’m not minded to agree to the request that the officer resource which is already committed to working on identified risks is diverted away from that.

There will be a report to committee on this when the budget situation is clearer for next year. Simply the raising of concerns in the press without any form of evidence that the scheme hasn’t been followed doesn’t warrant an audit. What we will need to see in order to take anything forward would be evidence that the scheme of Members allowances had not been followed. We can then say that as a result, the Constitution is being ignored and we can take action either through the Monitoring Officer if it’s a question of the Council’s Constitution over through Audit if it’s a financial matter. So the evidence is the critical thing here and peoples worries and concerns in the case of Internal Audit is a secondary factor to whether any demonstrable or difference has been identified”.

36.3      Councillor Meadows put the following supplementary question:

“Is this part of the coalition that the public hear about where Labour support the Greens and cover for the Green Administration?”

36.4      The Chair provided the following reply:

“No. You asked me as Chair of the Committee a question. I’ve answered it. I saw, as I’ve said, no evidence. Just going out there and saying bad things about people just because we don’t like them bad people and doesn’t make it wrong and doesn’t make it true. Truth requires evidence and it needs to be demonstrated. If you bring forward evidence, I’m completely prepared to consider the alternatives and the alternative routes. I’m ruling nothing out, I’m saying there’s no evidence”.

(d)      Notices of Motion

(1)           Council placement of homeless people and rough sleepers

36.5      Councillor Meadows moved the following Notice of Motion:

This Council:

a)      Notes that Housing Committee has reported receiving Government funding totalling £21,272,376 million to address homelessness and rough sleeping (see link 1);

b)      Has placed homeless people and rough sleepers in accommodation without adequate support, including:

                                 i.       At Kendal Court, significant failings of the Council have been identified in an Independent Report titled ‘Returning to Kendal Court’, September 2021 (see link 2)

                                ii.       At Eastbourne, there have sadly been a number of fatalities in out-of-area placements;

c)      Further notes, that a resident fleeing from unsafe accommodation provided by Brighton & Hove City Council in Eastbourne, pitched a tent at Old Steine Gardens for several weeks to escape the situation;

d)      Calls on Audit & Standards Committee to commission a report to audit all Government funding received to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping through the pandemic.

36.6      Councillor Peltzer Dunn formally seconded the Notice of Motion.

36.7      The Chair put the Motion to the vote that failed.