Agenda item

Councillors may ask questions on matters: In relation to which the Council has powers or duties, or which affect the geographical area of the Council, subject to those questions having been submitted in accordance with Rule 3.35 of the Council Procedure Rules.

The Worshipful the Mayor informed the meeting that Councillor Marcus Vickers had withdrawn his below question:-

“The last 3 editions of the Councils “Stockton News” publication have included the same copy and paste information regarding Billingham. For absolute clarity to our residents in the Borough, particularly Billingham, can the leader of the Council please confirm that during round 2 of the Government’s Levelling Up Funds, made available in April 2022, this Council followed the application guidance and eligibility criteria?”

The following question had submitted by Cllr Marcus Vickers for response by the Leader of the Council (Cllr Bob Cook):-

“I welcome all opportunities to work collaboratively and effectively with all partners and neighbours to ensure a greater quality, efficient and productive service to tax paying residents of Billingham and Stockton. To ensure Stockton Borough Council taxpayers money is spent only on our residents, will the Council Leader confirm that no conversations have taken place with other Local Authorities with a view to merging, and assure our residents that any proposal to merge in the future would be given short shrift?”

The Leader of the Council responded with:-

“Thank you, Councillor Vickers, for your question and for highlighting the value of collaborative work, a principle that resonates strongly with our 'Powering Our Future' initiative. This new endeavour is a testament to our commitment to forward-thinking strategies for the benefit of our community.

Regarding your query about merging councils, I can confirm that no discussions have been held by me with fellow council leaders about merging our council with other local authorities. Our focus remains on strengthening our services through existing and new collaborations, always with the best interests of our residents in mind.

We value the success of long-standing initiatives like Adoption Tees Valley and our partnership with Darlington, Xentrall. These projects exemplify our dedication to effective and efficient service delivery through cooperation. The Tees Valley combined authority is another example of how collaborative efforts can significantly enhance our ability to serve our community.

While we remain open to exploring all potential avenues for improvement, our current priority is the successful implementation and development of the 'Powering Our Future' initiative, alongside our ongoing collaborative ways of working. As always, any significant changes in our council's structure will be considered carefully, keeping in line with central government guidelines and our commitment to serving the residents of our Borough.”

Councillor Marcus Vickers asked the following supplementary question:-

“Will any future merger plans be considered by full Council together with full public consultation?”

The Leader of the Council responded with:

“I have been through one re-organisation of the Council in the 1990s and whenever Councils are going to merge or change it is a directive that comes from central government. There was a full consultation with the public and I can’t see any reason why the same wouldn’t apply. It is something that effects everybody, this Council and/or another council.”

The following question was submitted by Cllr Niall Innes for response by the Leader of the Council (Cllr Bob Cook):-

“Can the Leader of the Council inform us the Total Amount it has cost the residents of this Borough to send Councillors / Cabinet Members to awards ceremonies for 2022 and 2023?”

The Leader of the Council responded with:-

“In these challenging times for local government, awards ceremonies are not just social events. They're a platform to highlight the essential work we do for our communities. Our attendance at these ceremonies goes beyond recognition. It's about learning from and engaging with other councils, showcasing our leadership, and celebrating our achievements, which too often go unnoticed.

Being nominated for these awards reflects all our collective hard work and dedication. It's an affirmation of our long-term vision for our borough and our commitment to never stop improving.

We must also consider the broader context. Attracting and retaining skilled staff in local government is increasingly difficult. By participating in these events, we demonstrate that a career in local government, and particularly with this Council, is both valuable and rewarding.

Regarding costs, we maintain transparency. The expenses for members' attendance at awards, conferences, and other functions are recorded as part of our Members' Allowances records. Full Council agreed a motion on that. The figures for the 2022-2023 financial year are already available on our website. As for the ongoing 2023-2024 year, the consolidation of this data is still in progress as the financial year had not yet ended.

Attending these ceremonies is about more than awards; it's about supporting and being part of the broader local government community and showing our commitment to our staff and the sector as a whole.”

Councillor Niall Innes asked the following supplementary question:-

“Given the cost could the Leader of the Council tell us how this is value for money for the residents to send Cabinet members who maybe here today gone tomorrow to award ceremonies when it is actually the officers who put the work in to win the awards?

The Leader of the Council responded with:

“It is about the reputation of the Council and the policies that we have in place as an Executive as a manifesto and we work together with officers. I’m sure if you as a Conservative group ever get elected as executive members you will be working with officers on your manifesto. I so far haven’t seen any manifesto from the Conservative group. The Labour Group manifesto is to protect the most vulnerable and that Council services are maintained. We ensure that all of our officers can go forward with the polices. Some awards are for all the Council as we have seen tonight. It was appropriate that two Cabinet members went to the Belfast for the APSE Awards where we were nominated for Council of the year. It would have been remiss of me not to support the officers who had been involved.”