QUESTION No. 1 Priority 1 LONDON BOROUGH OF LEWISHAM ...councilmeetings.lewisham.gov.uk/documents/s19852/MembersQues… · QUESTION No. 1 Priority 1 LONDON BOROUGH OF LEWISHAM COUNCIL

QUESTION No. 1

Priority 1

LONDON BOROUGH OF LEWISHAM

COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Hall of the Mayor

Question

Will the Mayor make a statement on the Council’s Financial Settlement for the coming years?

Reply

The local government finance settlement was announced on 19 December 2012.

Our provisional estimate is now that savings of £53.5m will be required over 2013/14 and 2014/15. Of these, £21.3m will be required in 2013/14 and a further £32.2m in 2014/15. This is at the worst-case end of our initial estimates.

We do not yet have reliable information for future years, but an initial estimate is that we may need to make further savings each year from 2015/16 to 2017/18.

Our initial assessment is that external funding has fallen on a like for like basis from £174.3m to £167.7m, or by 3.8% on a cash basis, or about 6% in real terms. However, this estimate may need to be revised once other specific grant allocations are known.

Further savings options are being developed for consideration in order to bridge the gap. These will be discussed with the Council’s scrutiny committees prior to the budget for 2013/14 being finalised.

Further information will be provided as part of the Council’s budget report.

QUESTION No. 2 Priority 1


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Brooks of the Cabinet Member for Community Services

Question

Do computers in Libraries restrict internet access? If so, please can the Council detail the nature of these restrictions and the sort of websites they cover. Does the Council have robust internet restrictions in place against pornographic websites?

Reply

Access to the internet in Libraries is managed through the Council network

and filtered through an Internet programme called WebSense.

This software is programmed by the Council ICT providers to block access to

restricted content, which includes material that:

• Is pornographic or promotes drug abuse

• Is illegal

• Contains ICT misuse material

• Contains militant, extremist, racist or hate material

• Promotes violence or weapons

• Is likely to have an adverse affect on network performance and

security.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Fletcher of the Cabinet Member for Customer Services

Question

The last Management Report showed a welcome improvement in recycling rates following the introduction of the new recycling contract and the Recycle for London grant of £75k. Hopefully, this will mean that the Council meets its target of 21% of waste sent to reuse, recycling and composting in the next few months. Given this, will the Council now revise its unambitious target of 21%, which, if Lewisham meets, would still see Lewisham among the worst performing boroughs in the capital, to a target more in line with the higher performance rates of neighbouring boroughs?

Reply Lewisham has done much over the past year to increase recycling rates and I am pleased with the efforts that residents have made and with the new literature circulated to estates. New targets will be set in February / March 2013 and previous performance will be taken into account when setting the new targets. It should be noted that the target is for dry recycling, and not organics as with other London authorities, and should therefore not be seen as unambitious. Many London boroughs collect food and garden waste separately from refuse as this was previously being sent to landfill (this is not the case with Lewisham) thereby boosting rates. Lewisham concentrates efforts at the top of the waste hierarchy and encourages households to reduce food waste through the Love Food Hate Waste campaign and to home compost any food and garden waste.

QUESTION No. 4

Priority 1


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Johnson of the Deputy Mayor

Question

Given that six London Boroughs have now committed to “Total 20” policies to introduce 20mph speed limits for all residential streets, will the Mayor consider a similar initiative for Lewisham?

Reply

The Council supports the principle of 20mph zones in residential areas in order to reduce speeds and reduce injuries from road traffic collisions. Over recent years, the Council has embarked on a programme of new 20mph zones and 66% of the borough's roads now have a 20mph speed restriction. The programme to date has been implemented in a measured way, and generally new 20mph limits are only introduced where they are supported by the physical measures that are necessary to make the limits self-enforcing. Signed-only 20mph zones are not practicably enforceable, and the Police do not support their introduction unless appropriate physical measures are in place. Signed-only zones are therefore often ineffective at reducing speeds, creating an unrealistic expectation for enforcement by the Police and the Council. The Council is committed to reducing accidents in the borough. In Lewisham the vast majority of traffic collisions resulting in injuries occur on the Transport for London Road Network. The Council plays a very active role in supporting TfL's road safety strategy, and works collaboratively with TfL to deliver a programme of road safety, education and publicity throughout the Borough,

working towards London Road Safety Targets and performance indicators to reduce the number of casualties on the roads in Lewisham.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Bell of the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People

Question

Do you believe that when the CYP Directorate and the Council is facing severe cuts imposed upon us by the government, that we should be subsidising private colleges from community assets, bought and paid for through public taxation and then leased at a nominal rent?

Reply

We do not subsidise any private colleges in Lewisham.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Foreman of the Cabinet Member for Customer Services

Question

How much has the Council spent on- (1) Bed and Breakfast accommodation each year for the past five years? (2) Hostel accommodation each year for the past five years?

Reply Spend on B&B Accommodation for the last 5 financial years has been:

2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12

Expenditure £1,192,454 £1,418,581 £1,510,170 £1,185,093 £1,502,729

Income -£735,230 -£724,678 -£1,240,746 -£928,247 -£1,079,265

Net Cost £457,224 £693,903 £269,424 £256,846 £423,464

Spend on Hostel Accommodation for the last 5 financial years has been:

2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12

Expenditure £1,674,569 £1,652,836 £1,818,212 £1,810,242 £1,669,319

Income -£1,603,886 -£1,553,640 -£1,605,609 -£1,773,272 -£1,819,420

Net Cost £70,683 £99,196 £212,603 £36,970 -£150,101

QUESTION No. 7

Priority 1


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Feakes of the Mayor

Question

How many times in each of the past five years has the Union Flag been flown at the town hall?

Reply The Union Flag is flown at the Town Hall on a number of specified dates but it and other flags are also flown from time to time. This year the Olympic Flag was flown extensively during August and September for example. The Union flag was flown throughout the Jubilee weekend rather than just on the anniversary of the Coronation I should, however, say that there is no truth in the rumour the White Rose Flag is flown here on the 1st August. Some years ago a number of enquiries were made about the flying of flags and I undertook to produce advice on this which is set out below.

From 8am - Sunset

Date Occasion Flag February 6th Her Majesty's Accession Union February 19th Birthday of Prince Andrew Union March (2nd Monday)

Commonwealth Day Union

March 10th Birthday of The Earl of Wessex Union

April 21st Birthday of Her Majesty The Queen Union April 23rd St. George's Day & Shakespeare’s BirthdaySt. George Cross May 5th Europe Day EU June 2nd Coronation Day Union June (as appointed)

Official Celebration of Her Majesty The Queen's Birthday

Union

June 10th Birthday of the Duke of Edinburgh Union June 21st Birthday of Prince William Union August 15th Birthday of Princess Anne Union September 15th Birthday of Prince Harry Union October 21st Trafalgar Day Union October 24th United Nations Day UN November (2nd Sunday)

Remembrance Day (see note) Union

November 14th Birthday of The Prince of Wales Union November 20th Her Majesty's Wedding Anniversary Union

Notes:

1. Remembrance Day is the 2nd Sunday in November. Flags should be flown at full mast.

2. Other Flags may be flown on certain days without establishing a precedent e.g. the “Rainbow” flag, national flags of other nations on the occasion of distinguished visitors from that nation e.g. High Commissioners or Ambassadors

3. Flying of Flags at Half Mast (a) From the announcement of the death up to the funeral of the Sovereign, except on Proclamation Day (The day on which the new monarch is proclaimed), when the Union flag is hoisted from half mast to full mast at 11am - sunset. (b) The funerals of members of The Royal Family, . (d) The funerals of Prime Ministers and ex-Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom (e) The funerals of distinguished local residents

Since that time three further dates have been added, the 9th and 20th January and the 17th July. These dates are to celebrate the birthdays of the Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Wessex and Duchess of Cornwall respectively.

It therefore follows that the total number of occasions on which the Union Flag has been flown in the last 5 years will be between 75 and 100.

QUESTION No. 8

Priority 1


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Curran of the Mayor

Question

What is the current position regarding a potential future legal challenge from the London Borough of Lewisham to the Trust Special Administrator's report and a decision by the Secretary of State, should the decision prove counter to council policy?

Reply

The Council took legal advice and responded to the consultation process accordingly. The TSA's final report has been released and sent to the Secretary of State. The Council will assess the options that are available to it in the light of the decision of the Secretary of State for Health which must be made by 1st February 2013.

QUESTION No. 9

Priority 1


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Foxcroft of the Deputy Mayor

Question

Will the Deputy Mayor investigate fully the potential for the speed limit on Harefield Road to be reduced to 20mph?

Reply

Harefield Road is already within a 20mph restricted zone. In Lewisham, 20mph zones generally have signs only at the entry points to the zone and are supported within the zone by traffic calming measures such as speed cushions.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor De Ryk of the Cabinet Member for Customer Services

Question

The London Borough of Hackney is reviewing its parks bylaws with a view to banning smoking in and around all play areas and sports pitches. Are there any plans to look at similar measures in Lewisham?

Reply

Officers from Green Scene inform me that they have not received any representation to ban smoking from children’s play areas or sports pitches so at present there are no plans to review policy.

QUESTION No. 11

Priority 1


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Griesenbeck of the Deputy Mayor

Question

What steps has Lewisham Council taken in the last 12 months to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to survive in this economic crisis?

Reply

The Council’s Business Advisory Service offers a free information, advice and mentoring service for SMEs in Lewisham. The service includes an advocacy and a rapid response service for any existing business that recognises that it may require immediate assistance to aid survival. This one to one advice and mentoring will typically cover topics such as: Best practice advice to develop new business plans; marketing and sales initiatives; reviewing pricing policies; advice on VAT/PAYE; and reviews of rates relief and rent negotiations with landlords. Over the past 12 months the service has provided support to 117 businesses in the borough.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Beck of the Deputy Mayor

Question

How often do Lewisham council check that scaffolding firms comply to Health and Safety regulations on site

Reply

The erection of scaffolding within the Borough limits can take many forms, be erected by and on behalf of both Authority and private clients and be erected in a number of locations including on or adjacent to the highway. As a general principle, all scaffolding has to comply with the Health and Safety executive requirements. For scaffolding that is erected on a site where the duration of site works exceeds a duration of 30 days or 500 hours (whichever is reached) there is a statutory obligation for the owner/developer to ensure that the Construction Design and Management (CDM) Regulations are also followed. Sitting as part of these regulations is the requirement for a Health and Safety Plan to be developed (usually by the Principal Contractor). This plan is scrutinised and managed throughout the process by the CDM co-ordinator (CDMC). Where the sites involved are Authority sites, where the Authority is acting, for example in a Clienting role, the Authority’s representative will check with the CDMC to ensure that all aspects of the Health and Safety plan – including any particular elements relating to scaffolding (where appropriate) are in place and up to date. In addition, and with respect to scaffolding that is erected on the highway, the Authority has a separate policy which contractors need to adhere to. This is set out below:

“C) Works on or beside the Public Highway When carrying out any building work/maintenance or removal of any part of a property which is adjacent to the public highway (road, pavement or rear lane), the safety of all users of the highway must be paramount. This is achieved by providing safe areas at ground level or a platform at high level. When it is necessary to place hoardings on the highway around the place of work or scaffolding, permission is necessary and can be obtained from the Council, on completion of a form together with a sketch. Once permission has been granted, the conditions attached to the licence must be carefully read and kept to at all times. Copies of the Highways Act 1980 can be purchased from the Office of Public Sector Information. A scaffolding or hoarding licence request note should be completed at least five days prior to when the licence is required to commence”. Again – once in operation it will be the owner/developer’s responsibility to ensure that the general principles (Health & Safety Executive regulations) and or CDM regulations are complied with.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Clutten of the Cabinet Member for Customer Services

Question

Fly tipping appears to be on the increase across the borough. What have been the figures for reports and collections in 2010, 2011 & 2012. Broken down by ward and month if possible? Fly tipping in Downham is no longer collected by Lewisham directly. When was this decision made and what requirements have the council put in place for the speed of responding to reported fly tips?

Reply

Fly tipping is not on the increase in Lewisham. The data below shows reports of fly tipping broken down by month (ward data is not available).

Date CRM Reports

Jan-10 1023

Feb-10 1291

Mar-10 1203

Apr-10 1184

May-10 1365

Jun-10 1515

Jul-10 1126

Aug-10 1147

Sep-10 1169

Oct-10 996

Nov-10 848

Dec-10 528

Jan-11 903

Feb-11 690

Mar-11 920

Apr-11 706

May-11 669

Jun-11 682

Jul-11 701

Aug-11 651

Sep-11 759

Oct-11 836

Nov-11 695

Dec-11 523

Jan-12 596

Feb-12 586

Mar-12 629

Apr-12 633

May-12 757

Jun-12 733

Jul-12 653

Aug-12 868

Sep-12 672

Oct-12 553

Nov-12 618

In December 2007 the Council transferred its housing stock within the Downham, Bellingham and Bankfoot areas to Phoenix Community Housing. At the time of the transfer a service level agreement (S.L.A.) was set up between both parties, originally for an initial period of 15 months, whereby Lewisham Council would be responsible for the collection and disposal of all flytipping on the Phoenix owned housing estates and community street greens situated on the roads within these areas. The S.L.A. was extended after the 15 month period until it was terminated by Phoenix Community Housing in March 2012. Since April 2012 Phoenix Community Housing have taken over the responsibility for the removal of flytipping on its estates and community street green areas. When flytipping on these areas is reported to the Council then Phoenix Community Housing are notified immediately to remove the flytipping as soon as possible. Fly tipping on public highway within Downham, Bellingham and Bankfoot is still collected by the Council within the agreed key performance targets of 1.5 days.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Maines of the Mayor

Question

In answer to a question last year you stated that work around the Communities Against Gangs, Guns and Knives programme (CAGGK) had involved cross borough work with Southwark and Greenwich. Can you please report on how this work has progressed during 2012. Do you lead on this project or are you represented by a cabinet member of an officer?

Are you able report a reduction in Serious Youth Violence during 2012?

Reply

A representative officer of Southwark Council facilitated the cross Borough meetings to improve working and to share best practice across five south London Boroughs. Lewisham officers have actively participated in this and this has driven some of the cross Borough work that has taken place. For example, Redthread, a voluntary organisation, has been commissioned by Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham Councils to deliver an intervention to young people who are the victims of serious youth violence and who present at Kings College Hospital A & E department. The Police, specifically the Trilogy and Trilogy + teams, are working across Greenwich and Southwark with regard to young people who are residing in one Borough but who are committing serious offences in another. The partnership work includes intelligence sharing and developing robust packages around the individual to prevent offending and harm to others.

In addition, the Cabinet Member for Community Safety has met with colleagues in other boroughs to discuss a number of community safety issues including the work around gangs and serious youth violence. There has been a reduction in serious youth violence in 2012 – figures from the 1 April 2012 to 10 January 2013 show a 44.5% reduction. This is 118 less offences.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Jacq Paschoud of the Cabinet Member for Community Services

Question

How many younger adults with learning disabilities or other like impairments for which they receive at least middle rate care Disability Living Allowance live in Lewisham and do not have daily occupation (including those on college courses which are not full time). How many of these people have been offered and introduced to the services at the Hughesfield Centre and have felt unable to use them?

Reply

I am afraid that I am not able to answer this question in its current form. The Council does not have access to details about claimants of Disability Living Allowance. Secondly, the assessment for eligibility for day care provision could result in service users considering a number of different options and I therefore do not know how many potential users felt unable to use Hughesfield Centre.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Ingleby of the Cabinet Member for Customer Services

Question

Some Lewisham residents visiting the Landemanns Way Recycling Facility from the south of the Borough in recent months have found it very difficult to persuade staff there to accept minor house waste like glass and old window frames for re-cycling, even in small quantities, because it has been judged to be builders' waste. Clearly, in these times of austerity, is it fair that Lewisham residents making minor alterations and necessary improvements to their properties should be treated as if they were a professional business? The consequence of this is likely to be both further fly-tipping or inappropriate disposal and a bigger carbon footprint for the Borough. Can the Cabinet Member please clarify whether the re-cycling service and its rules have changed, or why this practice at Landemanns Way appears to be occurring?

Reply

The Landmann Way site is a Household Waste & Recycling Centre and is licensed by the Environment Agency. The site can accept household waste, but not large amounts of construction and demolition waste. The site rules have not changed and on the Council’s website it clearly states that DIY waste “will not be accepted as it is classified as construction and demolition waste”, under the Controlled Waste Regulations. As a general rule, the type of waste accepted at the site are items which you would normally take with you were you to move home, i.e. furniture, kitchen appliances, clothes etc. Other accepted consumables include; light bulbs, Tv's, fridges, white goods, paint tins, green waste.

In order to dispose of DIY type waste responsibly, residents can use a neighbouring borough’s waste transfer station (there is usually a fixed charge), hire a skip / hippo bag or use a registered waste carrier.

QUESTION No. 17

Priority 2


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Brooks of the Cabinet Member for Resources

Question

How many photocopiers were in use in the Town Hall prior to the Asset Rationalisation Project? After the complete move:

(a) How many of these same machines will be in use in Laurence House? (b) How many are still under a lease agreement? Please can the Council provide the cost of these lease agreements per quarter and the length of these agreements? (c ) How many are still under a service contract? Please can the Council provide the average cost per quarter and the length of these contracts? (d) What will be the total cost to buy out any existing leases and service contract ?

Reply

45 devices

After the complete move:

(a) How many of these same machines will be in use in Laurence House? Effectively none (although we may “swap out” any better machines) (b) How many are still under a lease agreement?

All our MFDs (c370 in total across all Council buildings) are under one contract Please can the Council provide the cost of these lease agreements per quarter and the length of these agreements? The cost per quarter is £420k. The agreement expires in August 2014 (c ) How many are still under a service contract? Please can the Council provide the average cost per quarter and the length of these contracts? All – the service cost is included in the charge for printing so cannot be disaggregated. The average quarterly cost is £75k. The contract is linked to the lease arrangement and will expire in August 2014 as above (d) What will be the total cost to buy out any existing leases and service contract ? Early indications are that the lease company will offer a discount of up to 2% against the total lease cost outstanding per machine

QUESTION No. 18

Priority 2


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Fletcher of the Deputy Mayor

Question

Figures compiled by ‘Estates Gazette’ suggested that Lewisham is the worst performing Council in the capital based on the average number of days taken to determine a planning application in 2012. According to the statistics provided by Estates Gazette, it has taken an average of 291 days for Lewisham to decide a planning application in 2012. What action is being taken to improve performance?

Reply

Thank you for bringing the article to my attention. I have not seen a copy of the article and the Planning Service were not involved in providing information to the Estates Gazette. Our own analysis shows that the average number of days was actually 154 days for all types of applications including the discharge of conditions. Of all applications determined 68% were actually determined within 8 weeks and only 3% were determined more than 52 weeks. The applications that took a significant amount of time to determine were the large and complex strategic applications.

QUESTION No. 19

Priority 2


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Johnson of the Deputy Mayor

Question

Will the Council sign up to the London Cycling Campaign's "Safer Lorries for Safer Cycling" campaign and commit to only contract services from hauliers with suitably trained drivers, that have trucks with proper safety equipment and who belong to industry best practice organisations?

Reply

The Council has been signed up to the Freight Operation Recognition Scheme (FORS) for 5 years. Drivers employed by the Council have taken part in a cycling session covering both practical and theory presentations, as part of their Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC). A session on driving and impairment has also been delivered. All drivers employed by the Council have to complete 35 hours CPC training every five years to enable them to continue driving LGV’s (Large Goods Vehicles). The Council is now in the process of identifying their contractors who have fleet that could be covered by this scheme to ascertain whether they are already meeting these standards. Support for companies agreeing to provide Safer Cycling CPC sessions is currently offered by the Road Safety and Sustainable Transport Team and TfL. The Council is aware that whilst not a contractual requirement it’s Highways contractor has signed up to FORS, all new vehicles purchased are fully fitted with the latest equipment, such as sensors and cameras. The existing fleet is being retro-fitted.

To make it a contractual requirement a policy decision would need to be made and this could potentially increase costs. Contracts would need to include a change/variation clause or include new arrangements.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013


Question

Do you agree that despite a very long 125 year lease, tax payers should not be liable for any major work to the Crossways buildings while they are leased to Christ the King Catholic College?

Reply

Under the terms of the proposed lease, Christ the King Sixth Form College will have a full repairing and insuring liability. This means that the Council will not be liable for any major works required to the buildings during the lease term.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Foreman of the Cabinet Member for Community Services

Question

Does the Council monitor response times by the London Ambulance Services attending incidents in the Borough? Is there any evidence that there: (1) has been a deterioration in the response times to call out in the Whitefoot Ward? (2) response times have been adversely affected by alcohol related incidents?

Reply

The Council does not monitor response times by the London Ambulance Services attending incidents in the Borough. However the PCT (and imminently in the future Lewisham Clinical Commissioning Group) does. As part of their overall contract management of the London Ambulance Service, a monthly pack is produced by PCT (and going forwards by CCG). The contract is monitored weekly across London with data published on the Department of Health statistical transparency site weekly. The monthly pack consistently reports that Lewisham has better response times than London. In the latest pack (November 2012) Lewisham residents received responses to life threatening incidents within the 8 minute standard 76.8% of the time. This is against a target of 75% and against London wide

performance of 73.5%. Year to date this figure rises to 78.9% in Lewisham. Other performance measures for other incidents are also better in Lewisham. The data also reports the number of incidents by illness code including alcohol. In November 142 incidents were coded to alcohol across Lewisham out of 3176 incident codes (some incidents have more than one code).

QUESTION No.22 Priority 2


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Feakes of the Cabinet Member for Community Safety

Question

For which sorts of infringements do you consider would be appropriate for the council to use surveillance of residents, as authorised under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, and for which sorts of infringements should surveillance not be considered?

Reply

The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 and the subsequent amendments made under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 legislate to limit the offences for which covert directed surveillance may be used. The criminal offences being investigated must now attract a minimum custodial sentence of 6 months or more, or be criminal offences relating to the underage sale of cigarettes or alcohol. Examples of some of the offences which may be suitable for surveillance and comply with the new crime threshold test include, but are not limited to:

• Offences under the Fraud Act such as fraud by false representation, fraud by failing to disclose information and fraud by abuse of position

• Offences relating to copyright and trade descriptions issues

• Offences contrary to the Social Security Administration Act relating to claims for benefit

• Offences in relation to Environmental Health law It would not generally be appropriate to use surveillance for offences such as:

• dog fouling

• fraudulent applications for school places

• matters that are subject to civil penalty rather than being a criminal offence

QUESTION No.23

Priority 2


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Curran of the Deputy Mayor

Question

Following last year's inclusion of some public houses onto the local list, what public houses in Lewisham are currently being considered for inclusion on the list this year?

Reply

Conservation officers will continue to review those pubs indentified in ‘Pubs in Lewisham: an evidence base study’ and bring forward those considered to meet the criteria for local listing to a future Mayor and Cabinet meeting.

QUESTION No. 24

Priority 2


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Foxcroft of the Deputy Mayor

Question

How easy is it to change a bus route in this borough? How many have been changed over the last five years and how long did the process take? Furthermore what was the cost associated with changing the bus route?

Reply

All public buses in London are operated by private companies. The bus companies operating in Lewisham include Abelio, Go-ahead, London Central, Metro-bus and Stagecoach. The quality and provision of bus services are overseen by Transport for London (TfL), who procure private bus companies to operate routes through a tender process. The governance of public transport is therefore complex, and the Council has limited influence over bus service provision. The Council is consulted by TfL when routes are to be re-tendered, which gives the Council an opportunity to raise any issues and influence the process. Once the tender process is complete, private operators may make improvements to routes, and are generally happy to do so where this generates additional passenger trips and revenue. Any requested changes that would cost the bus operator would usually require some form of financial contribution. The cost of any changes therefore varies according to the nature of the change, and is usually not disclosed to the Council.

As the responsible body for monitoring bus services in London, TfL may collate information about the specific number of service changes, but this information is not automatically provided to the Council. The Council holds regular liaison meetings with bus operators and TfL to discuss service improvements.

QUESTION No.25 Priority 2


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor De Ryk of the Cabinet Member for Customer Services

Question

Lewisham Council has recently announced the ability to pay Council Bills via text message. How many individuals have taken up this service? Is this an alternative to direct debit?

Reply

There are 55 customers that have registered to make SMS payments and to date 152 payments have been made this way. The SMS payment service will be formally launched when the 2013/14 Council Tax bills are sent in March 2013. Lewisham Homes are also expected to publicise the service to their tenants and leaseholders. The SMS payment service is a faster alternative to payment using the internet or telephone. It is not a replacement for Direct Debit which remains the simplest, safest and cheapest method of payment.

QUESTION No. 26

Priority 2


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Griesenbeck of the Deputy Mayor

Question

What is the Cabinet's strategy to ensure a positive mix of small, medium and large enterprises in the Borough?

Reply

The Lewisham Regeneration Strategy sets out the Council's vision for a thriving , dynamic and creative economy by 2020. The strategy explains how this will be achieved by supporting business enterprise and job growth.

Lewisham’s Economy, like most London boroughs is dominated by small businesses. The borough has a particularly high number of very small businesses. According to the Office for National Statistics 84.2% of Lewisham’s businesses have less than five employees (October 2012) the highest in the UK. It is widely acknowledged that a competitive small business sector will be the key factor for achieving economic recovery and the Council works with a wide range of partners such as the Chamber of Commerce and Job Centre Plus to support this sector.

However the Council's Economic Development Service also provides advice and support for larger businesses in the borough. This includes help with finding premises, support to access local suppliers, local business networking and support with employment and training.

The Council’s business support service helps local people start up in business and helps sustain and grow existing small and medium sized businesses. The Council’s Business Growth programme helps businesses which are more established to expand by increasing their sales. This may involve expanding into new markets, or accessing new business opportunities through support with local procurement. From April 2012 the service has helped 36

businesses to be fit to supply and 9 businesses to win new contracts amounting to £1.9M.

The Council’s Core Strategy is the principal statutory planning document for the borough. This Strategy sets out a number of objectives and policies to promote economic development in Lewisham over the next 15 years. The majority of physical growth is to be concentrated in the regeneration and growth areas of Lewisham and Catford town centres, Deptford and the New Cross/New Cross Gate area. The Council’s Planning and Economic Development Services work with developers to ensure that developments include new commercial space which is of high quality and meets local demand. Although the demand from developers has slowed since 2008 there is still a significant amount of new business space being built. In 2011/12 11,886sqm of new commercial space was completed including 2,892sqm of new retail space. Over the next 7 years it is forecast that the development of major strategic sites will create a further 39,000sqm of new space for businesses creating up to 3,000 new jobs.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013


Question

How many sites in Lewisham have scaffolding at this moment?

Reply

It is impossible to say with any certainty exactly how many scaffolds are erected on sites in Lewisham at any given time. The Authority very rarely would be involved in directly controlling the erection or dismantling of scaffolding and for sites in private ownership – both commercial and residential – the Authority would have little visibility of the requirement for scaffold and or temporary works. The response provided to Council question 12 sets out the general principles regarding the erection of scaffolding around the borough. Works on or beside the public highway where a scaffold licence has been granted is currently 12. In addition, there are a number of projects where the authority are acting as client or in a similar capacity where scaffolds will be erected at this time. The control of the erection of these scaffolds is as set out in the response to Council question 12.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Maines of the Cabinet Member for Customer Services

Question

The November newsletter from Customer Services Environment Division stated that 14 Composting Workshops had been run for 133 people. Is there a target number of homes in Lewisham that you think could be successfully composting and is there a target for the amount of waste that could be removed from the waste stream?

Reply

Potentially all households with a garden could participate in home composting in Lewisham although no targets have been set. In terms of the amount of organics that could be removed from the waste stream or garden waste collections, WRAP research shows that by implementing a home composting scheme it is estimated that approx 150kg per household per year can be diverted. In terms of composition, 9.6% of Lewisham’s waste is compostable garden waste or 1.16kg per household per week. In summer that per cent rises to nearly 16% at 1.84kg a week. In addition, nearly 30% of waste discarded into the refuse bin is food, of which nearly 17% could be home composted.

QUESTION No. 29

Priority 3


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Brooks of the Cabinet Member for Children & Young People

Question

What is the Council’s policy on child protection training? Are all staff in (i) Libraries and (ii) who work in public buildings owned by Lewisham Council required to undergo child protection training ?

Reply

The Council provides training through its Child Protection Training Programme. There are mandatory requirements for training which are set out in section 11, of the Children’s Act 2004. Services look at their own training needs in relation to the safeguarding of children and ensures employees go on training programmes. In libraries, for example, staff are trained in working with children, including an overview of child protection issues. The Lewisham Safeguarding Children Board ( LSCB) provides free child protection training to the private, voluntary and statutory organisations in Lewisham and has a sub-committee that monitors the take up of that training. An annual report is presented to the LSCB by the sub-committee and where there are gaps in take up of free child protection training this is identified and action is taken to ascertain whether organisations have accessed safeguarding training through another resource. Lewisham also targets organisations where staff and volunteers need further encouragement to take up the free training offered by the Lewisham Safeguarding Children Board.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Fletcher of the Cabinet Member for Community Services

Question

How much does the Council charge Community Groups renting or hiring Council owned Community Halls in the borough? Please can the Council provide a detailed list by community group and by community hall? Over the past 5 years, on how many occasions has rent been written off by Lewisham Council?

Reply

The costs of renting or hiring Council owned Community Halls in the borough varies depending on the size of hall and the facilities available. Information on those centres that are directly managed by the Council is attached as an appendix. There are a number of Council-owned Community Halls that are managed by community associations and the hire rates for these are set by the relevant management committee. Information held by the Community Sector Unit indicates that rent has been written off three times over the last two years. We have no information prior to that.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Johnson of the Cabinet Member for Community Services

Question

In the light of the recent report by UNISON into the standard of homecare in the UK, which shows how poor terms and conditions for the homecare workforce have a big impact on their ability to provide a good level of care to service users, will the Council be signing up to Unison's Ethical Care Charter?

Reply

The Council commissions homecare from a number of providers who have successfully completed a tendering process to be part of the Council’s Domiciliary Care Framework. In awarding these contracts the Council has already committed to a number of areas identified in the Unison Ethical Care Charter including payment of the London Living Wage, not using 15 minute visits, regular training for staff, and the allocation of the same homecare worker wherever possible. The Council would welcome any further guidance on the implementation of best practice in homecare and will work with homecare providers, through the regular providers forum, to ensure continued service quality and compliance with the Ethical Care Charter wherever possible.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013


Question

In the light of the failure of Crossways Sixth Form College, assumed through a fall in student numbers, do you feel that an investigation of what happened is in order to understand why a flagship school, set up only a few years ago has now failed? Do you think tax payers should know why this has happened to their money?

Reply

No, I do not think an investigation is required. The governors of the school, with the Local Authority, are clear about what led to the situation at Crossways and these reasons have been summarised in a series of Mayor and Cabinet reports upon which the Mayor’s decision to close Crossways was based. Schools are autonomous organisations and it is the Local Authority’s role to support and challenge them to improve. On rare occasions, where we judge that normal improvement strategies will not be sufficient, the Local Authority has to act, usually with the governing body, to ensure that students receive the education they need and deserve. Lewisham had increasing concerns about the long term sustainability of Crossways Sixth Form and how it could secure the future of high quality post -16 provision on the site. These concerns were focused on its financial viability, set against a backdrop of declining numbers together with the capacity of the school to improve outcomes rapidly.

Despite the best combined efforts of the school leadership, governors and the Local Authority, the school was unable to demonstrate the rapid and sustained improvements needed to secure its own future as a stand-alone institution.

The original concept of Crossways Sixth Form working with a consortium of our secondary schools started well but was not sustained, with the schools variously developing in their own ways and with students choosing to study elsewhere. This has contributed to the recruitment issues faced by the school and further brought into question the sustainability of Crossways as a stand-alone institution. The Local Authority and Governing Body of Crossways Sixth Form agreed that action was needed and that led to the recommendations made to close the school and for Christ the King 6th Form College to extend their provision onto the Crossways site.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Foreman of the Cabinet Member for Customer Services

Question

What additional arrangements have been made to assist rough sleepers in the Borough during the recent cold and wet weather conditions? What is the current estimate of the number of rough sleepers in the Borough?

Reply

Lewisham activate Severe Weather Emergency Placements (SWEP) during very cold weather. This is the agreement with London Street Rescue and Homelessness Link. Rough sleepers found are placed in temporary accommodation. The aim is to:

• Ensure that no one dies on the streets due to extreme weather;

• Ensure that every effort is made to engage with individuals during the extreme weather period so that they do not return to the streets.

The 999 Club also provides emergency winter shelter from 2nd January to Mid March. This is a 25 bed space hostel that accepts direct referrals. An annual rough sleeper count or estimate is carried out each Autumn. The figure we currently have is an estimate from a count that was carried out on 7th November 2012. The figure was 31 (after finding that 12 had accommodation to go back to) at that time. The list of rough sleepers was reviewed on 13th December 2012. 21 had no recourse to public funds and the others are being assessed but were accommodated in hostels. We are working closely with local support agencies and Government agencies to assist rough sleepers off of the street and we will continue to monitor the situation closely. The emphasis for the coming year will be to continue to build on the excellent partnership working with local agencies and to look to engage with UKBA to address the increasing challenge presented.

QUESTION No. 34

Priority 3


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Feakes of the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People

Question

How many students in the borough attract the extra ‘pupil premium’ funding in this year academic year? How much additional funding does the ‘pupil premium’ provide for schools in the borough this academic year?

Reply

The funding is based on financial years rather than academic years. The position in Lewisham is as follows

2012/13 Original Forecast

2012/13 Actual

Allocation

2013/14 Forecast

Change

Pupil Premium £600 £623 £900 £277

Eligible Pupils On Roll

13,694 14,086 14,086 0

Total £8,216,400 £8,775,600 £12,677,400 £3,901,800

Notes 1. The DFE at the start of each year provide a forecast of the numbers of pupil on roll. This is revised to an actual number later in the year. The DFE have also increased the funding rate during 2012/13 financial year. 2. The above table includes Academies.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Curran of the Cabinet Member for Community Safety

Question

How many civil or criminal proceedings in Lewisham have been prosecuted by the Council or Police that have relied on or used CCTV as evidence?

Reply

In relation to crime prosecutions, this information is not retained by any agency. There are significant levels of CCTV footage requests from the Police to assist with investigations, however due to the complexity and time frames involved from investigation to conviction this information is not collected. Within the Council in the past 12 months there has been one successful case, with 12 convictions against one person for environmental crimes using CCTV as evidence. There has also been one successful civil case using CCTV in relation to licensing.

QUESTION No. 36

Priority 3


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor De Ryk of the Deputy Mayor

Question

Transport for London have recently announced that they have cancelled the Cycle Superhighway to Lewisham. What discussions have the Council had with Transport for London about this? What is the Council doing to improve cycling infrastructure in the borough?

Reply

Council officers have met with TfL regarding the Cycle Superhighway (CSH) in Lewisham. They have also attended a borough stakeholder workshop. At both meetings officers have expressed their disappointment at the decision to reduce the initial route proposed. TFL have also been asked to re-look at alternative routing through New Cross. On a more positive note the funding initially agreed by TfL for CSH supporting measures has been honoured. A programme of bicycle maintenance sessions will be carried out at sites along the route from Lewisham Centre and at points up to 1.5kms either side of the route. Cycle parking will be installed at a number of sites where the need for additional or new cycle parking has been highlighted. Adult cycle lessons will also be offered to individuals and businesses located along the route.

QUESTION No. 37

Priority 3


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Griesenbeck of the Cabinet Member for Youth

Question

How many apprentices have been created in Lewisham within the last 12 months?

Reply 62 apprenticeship opportunities have been created through the Lewisham Apprenticeship Programme in the last twelve months. 25 of the jobs were created within the Council, 37 in partner organisations including local housing partners and third sector organisations.

QUESTION No. 38

Priority 3


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013


Question

Are there any proposals to replace any street lights in the conservation area in the Lee Green ward?

Reply

I can confirm that all streets within the conservation area in Lee Green ward will have standard street lighting columns installed, apart from one. The only street having an enhanced kit is Old Road, in Lee Manor, which was agreed prior to the commencement of the Private Finance Initiative (PFI). Town centres that have streets with enhanced kit other than standard columns, will have a like for like replacement.

QUESTION No. 39

Priority 3


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Maines of the Deputy Mayor

Question

Has the Mayor of Lewisham or any members of his Cabinet made any representation to Greenwich Council on behalf of Lewisham pedestrians and cyclists who rely on the Greenwich and Woolwich Foot Tunnels for occasional or daily travel who despite lengthy periods of closure or partial closure still face tunnels which are not fully operating, especially in relation to the lifts.

Reply

The issue has been raised at a recent ‘ESEL – The Thames Gateway Transport Partnership’ cycling meeting. The meeting is attended by representatives from both Greenwich and TfL.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Brooks of the Cabinet Member for Customer Services

Question

How many call outs have Lewisham Homes received in relation to broken down lifts by month for the past 5 years? What is the average number of call outs by month? How does this figure compare with neighbouring borough’s ALMOs lift breakdown call out rates?

Reply

Lewisham Homes receive 104 callouts per month on average (statistics taken November and December 2012). Based on the average callouts per month, it is estimated that over a five year period Lewisham Homes would receive 6240 callouts from a stock of 242 main passenger lifts. With regards to other local authorities, Lewisham Homes does not keep statistics on the number of lift breakdowns.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Fletcher of the Cabinet Member for Customer Services

Question

The GLA ‘s Health and Environment Committee recently issued a paper on ‘Air Pollution in London’, which highlighted that air pollution cost the capital £20 billion a year in health costs- twice the cost of obesity. What further action will the Council be taking to address the problem of air pollution in Lewisham following the publication of this paper?

Reply The Council recognises the scale and importance of public exposure to air pollution and the health impacts that this can have. For this reason, it is committed to ensuring that all objectives for all pollutants in the National Air Quality Strategy are met and that we continue to work to improve air quality beyond these standards. The Council monitors air pollution at a number of locations around the borough to assess the levels of pollutants and potential health risks to the public. All air quality monitoring currently in place will be maintained during the next financial year. Five Air Quality Management Areas have been declared that cover most of the northern half of the borough and an Air Quality Action Plan is already in place for these areas. These were declared as a result of exceedences of the objectives for nitrogen dioxide and PM10. While the PM10 objective has been met in recent years, the levels of nitrogen dioxide are still above the target levels. It is our intention to now review the actions contained in this Action Plan to determine which actions to pursue and which may no longer be relevant or cost-effective. We also intend to declare a further Air Quality Management Area around Crofton Park and a new Air Quality Action Plan will be put in place specifically for this area.

It is the Council’s intention to seek out and bid for funding streams such as the Local Implementation Plan, the Mayor’s Clean Air Fund, the DEFRA Air Quality Grant and through the planning regime where appropriate. The actions that can be put in place will be limited by the funds that become available from these sources. Measures to raise awareness and educate people about air pollution, its health impacts and means of avoiding or reducing exposure can continue at relatively little cost. Among other things, the Council will be promoting alert services such as airTEXT and applications such as Walkit.com. Through working with other partners such as Transport for London, neighbouring local authorities and the Primary Care Trust, we can maximise the effectiveness of the funding available, particularly as many of the measures that improve air quality also tackle other issues including obesity, social connectedness and road safety. The Council will be working with Transport for London on facilitating the use of cleaner and more sustainable modes of transport. This includes installing infrastructure to allow electric vehicles to charge; the creation of a Cycle Super Highway connecting New Cross to Victoria; and improving the quality of information for pedestrians by installing Legible London signposts. The Council intends to have discussions with Transport for London to try to secure a reduction in emissions from buses and taxis using roads within the borough. London Borough of Lewisham will be working to improve the air quality information available to the public on the internet and contributing to the creation of a single point for such information across the south London region. The Council will also be working closely with the Primary Care Trust to ensure that air quality forms an integral part of the Health and Well-Being Strategy.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Johnson of the Cabinet Member for Customer Services

Question

Given the noise and other negative environmental impacts caused by leafblowers will the Council agree to review the use of such machines in the borough's parks?

Reply

It is acknowledged that the use of leaf blowers does have a negative impact on the environment. However, these impacts may be offset by the following benefits offered by their use :-

• Quicker and more efficient clearing of leaves reduces the risks of members of the public slipping or tripping on wet leaves .

• By using mechanical aids there is a reduction in health and safety risks to employees specifically manual handling and associated back injuries from repetitive twists using rakes and brooms.

• Significant reduction in the cost of service provision as these machines reduce the number of staff required to clear leaves and other arisings from large public open spaces.

I have also been informed by our client team that the machinery used by Glendale is amongst the quietest and most fuel efficient available and that their staff are trained to use the machines as efficiently as possible whilst ensuring the minimum disruption to residents.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Bell of the Cabinet Member for Customer Services

Question

How many times have Glendale received a financial penalty in 2012? What was the smallest and largest amounts? How much does it cost the council to monitor the Glendale Contract on a yearly basis, with an average per year over the last five years?

Reply

The current Green Space Contract is structured in such a way that the contractor will always receive a monthly performance deduction from the contract sum. The smallest monthly deduction in 2012 was £6117.51 and the largest £8587.55. The average annual cost to the Council for monitoring the Council’s Green Space Contracts over the last 5 years is £182k. This will reduce to £142k following the deletion of a client officer post in April this year.

QUESTION No. 44

Priority 4


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Foreman of the Deputy Mayor

Question

Does the Council have an estimate of the number of private electric vehicles owned in the Borough? What is the Council doing to encourage residents to use/buy electric vehicles?

Reply

The Council does not hold information about the number of private electric vehicles owned in the Borough. The Council is supportive of electric vehicles as a more sustainable and clean way of travel. Over recent years, the Council has applied for funding from Transport for London to install 10 electric vehicle charging points in the borough. Although the usage of this new infrastructure is currently low, the take-up of electric vehicles is expected to increase in the longer term as battery technology evolves and as the cost of new electric vehicles fall.

QUESTION No. 45

Priority 4


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Feakes of the Deputy Mayor

Question

Please give the borough’s unemployment rate for each month from January 2012.

Reply

The following reports are taken from Nomis, the official labour market statistics. The unemployment rate is not available month by month, but the JSA - Job Seekers Claimants rate, is reported monthly. Unemployment Rate: Jan 11 - Jun 12 - reported yearly & half yearly only

Date Lewisham Lewisham

(%) London (%)

Great Britain (%)

Jan 11-Dec 11

14,100 9.6 9.2 8.0

Apr 11-Mar 12

14,200 9.7 9.3 8.1

Jul 11-Jun 12

14,000 9.9 9.2 8.1

Source: ONS Annual Population Survey

Note: Numbers and % are for those aged 16 and over. % is a proportion of economically active.

JSA Claimant Rate: Jan 12 - Nov 12 month by month Claimant count with rates and proportions

ONS Crown Copyright Reserved [from Nomis on 10 January 2013]

Date Lewisham number

Rate

January 2012 10,791 5.7 February 2012 10,919 5.8 March 2012 10,886 5.8 April 2012 10,691 5.7 May 2012 10,482 5.6 June 2012 10,280 5.5 July 2012 10,363 5.5 August 2012 10,170 5.4 September 2012 10,130 5.4 October 2012 10,260 5.5 November 2012 10,146 5.4 Rates for local authorities from 2011 onwards are calculated using the mid-2010 resident population aged 16-64.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Curran of the Cabinet Member for Community Safety

Question

How many successful civil or criminal convictions in Lewisham have been prosecuted by the Council or Police that have relied on or used CCTV as evidence?

Reply In relation to crime prosecutions, this information is not retained by any agency. There are significant levels of CCTV footage requests from the Police to assist with investigations, however due to the complexity and time frames involved from investigation to conviction this information is not collected. Within the Council in the past 12 months there has been one successful case, with 12 convictions against one person for environmental crimes using CCTV as evidence. There has also been one successful civil case using CCTV in relation to licensing.

QUESTION No. 47

Priority 4


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Griesenbeck of the Cabinet Member for Youth

Question

How many former apprentices have been transferred in full-time employment after successfully finishing their apprenticeships in the last 12 months ?

Reply The apprenticeship opportunities in the Lewisham Apprenticeship Programme are a mixture of one, two and three year placements. Young people completing their apprenticeships during the last twelve months were in the main recruited either as part of Cohort 2 (in 2010/11) or Cohort 3 (in 2011/12). 2010/11 A total of 64 apprentices were recruited in 2010/11. 53 have finished their apprenticeships, of these 32 successfully transferred into full time employment or education at the end of their apprenticeship. 2011/12 A total of 59 apprentices were recruited in 2011/12. 24 have completed their apprenticeships in the last year, of these 13 successfully transferred into full time employment or education at the end of their apprenticeship.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Maines of the Cabinet Member for Customer Services

Question

How many Tattooists are registered with Lewisham Council ? Are officers given any special training to inspect Tattoo parlours ? Have Lewisham ever prosecuted a parlour for being unhygienic or under The Tattooing of Minors Act 1969. Is there a similar licensing regime for parlours offering body piercings ? Are you satisfied with the level of regulation for these businesses and satisfied that these activities are being carried out safely and hygienically in Lewisham?

Reply

Lewisham Council licence 126 Special Treatment premises in Lewisham. 11 of these offer tattooing. 6 of those also offer body piercing (excluding genital piercing). Inspections are carried out by experienced enforcement officers and cover hygiene and general health and safety / fire safety provisions. The applicants are also required to produce hepatitis B vaccination certificates and records of previous employment. Officers attend pan London panels to discuss special treatments and inspection protocols. Full inspections are made upon application / renewal and one other occasion (unannounced) during the year. Pop in inspections may also be made up to 3 times a year and specific visits are sometimes made in response to any complaints.

Lewisham Council would prefer if the legislation made it compulsory for operatives to hold some formal relevant qualification but this is not the case. Lewisham Council have received several complaints regarding tattooists / piercers over the past 2 years but these were for alleged underage offences not hygiene issues. There have been no prosecutions to date. Lewisham Council prepared for a prosecution under the Tattooing of Minors Act in 1999 but the complainants received compensation and were unwilling to pursue the matter further. Cautions were given and conditions changed on the licence to deal with the situation.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013


Question

What is the procedure when a call is received by Lewisham Homes in relation to a broken down lift? Is there a guideline response time?

Reply

Once a lift breakdown has been received by Lewisham Homes Contact Centre it is dispatched to the relevant service provider. PDERS is the term contractor. Response times are as follows: � Emergency call out (people trapped in lift) - immediate to 1 hour � Normal working hours - 2 hours from receipt of call � Out of hours - 3 hours from receipt of call



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Johnson of the Cabinet Member for Customer Services

Question

Given that some local authorities have assessed the noise impact of refuse collections on their residents and sought ways to minimise this, will the Council agree to review current practice and investigate ways of taking a more sensitive approach, such as introducing later start times or staggering the weekly start point of each collection route so the same residents are not disturbed by a very early start each week?

Reply

We make every effort to balance the efficiency, safety and noise impact of our refuse collection service. We regularly make changes to our collection round to deal with specific complaints, but making significant changes to start times would push-up our costs. We are developing proposals to implement boundary/kerbside collections for our wheeled bin service. This will mean that our operatives will not need to retrieve bins from within property boundaries and should reduce noise associated with that activity. We are also looking to procure a new fleet of refuse vehicles that will be more fuel efficient and produce lower emissions.

QUESTION No. 51

Priority 5


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Feakes of the Cabinet Member for Youth

Question

Please state how many people have registered interest in the Council’s current round of apprenticeship schemes.

Reply

A total of 1087 applications were received from 563 people for the 62 apprenticeship opportunities advertised in 2012/13. In addition, the Youth Employment Coordinator has a distribution list with the names of 300 young people who have asked to be kept informed of apprenticeships and other employment, volunteering and training opportunities that come up either through the Council or through partner organisations.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Maines of the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People

Question

How many teachers, following disciplinary concerns, have Lewisham Council referred to the Teaching Agency over the two years ? How many teachers, following disciplinary concerns, have Lewisham Council referred to the Independent Safeguarding Agency over the two years ? What has been the outcome of these referrals ?

Reply

Two teachers have been referred to the Teaching Agency over the past two years, following disciplinary concerns. These teachers have also been referred to the Independent Safeguarding Authority. Teacher A was given a prohibition order for 2 years and will need to re-apply to the Teaching Agency after this period in order to teach again. In the case of Teacher B, no action has yet been taken by either Agency.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013


Question

What has been the total expenditure on the ‘Decent Homes Scheme’ for Lewisham Homes’ properties from its conception until now?

Reply

Following a budget review our initial allocation of £25.5m has been increased and we now anticipate DHS expenditure at the end of the current financial year of £28.4m. In 2011/2012 we spent £16.8m making a total of £45.2m. We estimate that by the end of the current financial year we will have made 1838 properties decent, and estimate that we will have in the region of 5783 non-decent properties remaining (circa 45%). Throughout this process we have maintained resident satisfaction with Decent Homes works of 94.6%.

QUESTION No. 54

Priority 6


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013


Question

Please list the 10 largest employers and the 10 largest non-public sector employers in the borough for each of the past five years, together with the number of people they employ.

Reply Data on the number and size of businesses is included in business databases which the Council purchases every three to five years. These databases are primarily used for company profiles and for producing contact details for businesses. The data is sourced from Companies House and businesses are not required to provide exact figures for employment. Therefore the employment figures in the following table are estimates. It should also be noted that there are some inconsistencies in the figures. For example some include only employees which are employed on site. Others include total employment for the business.

Top 10 Businesses in Lewisham

2007

All Businesses Private Sector Businesses

Company Name Number Of Employees Company Name

Number Of Employees

London Borough Of Lewisham 8296 Citibank 1000

Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust 2600 Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Ltd (Sydenham Sava Centre) 750

Citibank 1000 Jet UK Ltd 345

Goldsmiths College University Of London 1000 Cannon Wharf 300

Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Ltd 750 S R Communications Ltd 300

Lewisham College 600 Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd (New Cross) 300

Department for Work and Pensions 575 City Security Services Ltd 200

Jet UK Ltd 345 Evesham Motors Ltd 170

Cannon Wharf 300 City & Kent Cleaning Ltd 150

S R Communications Ltd 300 Manley Court Nursing Home 150

2011 London Borough Of Lewisham 8,136 CIS Security Ltd 789

Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust 2,500

Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Ltd (Sydenham Sava Centre)

750

Goldsmiths 1,000

Regular Cleaning Services Limited 648

Lewisham & Guys Mental Health NHS Trust

1,000

Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd (New Cross) 300

CIS Security Ltd 789 Cannon Wharf 300

Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd

750

Plus (Providence Linc United Services) 273

Regular Cleaning Services Limited 648

Holleran Group Limited 155

Lewisham College 600 Jones Catering Equipment Hire Service 150

Haberdashers' Aske's Federation Trust 453

The Adolescent And Children's Trust 144

Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd (New Cross) 300

Lewisham Nexus Service 131



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Brooks of the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People

Question

How many “unofficial exclusions” have there been in Lewisham over the past three years? What has been the longest gap that a child has been out of school while a “managed move” was taking place?

Reply

Unofficial exclusions are illegal and schools should not use them. DfE guidance is explicit on this point and gives examples of good practice to ensure that pupils do not miss education. If an illegal exclusion comes to light a record is kept. Records were first available for the academic year 2011/12, during which time there were 14 illegal exclusions from Lewisham schools which came to our attention. All of these were challenged immediately with the schools involved and all the pupils involved are back in education. All services, including the Attendance and Welfare Service and schools themselves, are aware of the dangers of illegal exclusions. Managed moves are not illegal and are used by schools and the Local Authority to allow children a second chance in a different school. Managed moves are governed by a strict protocol which is available at http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/SiteCollectionDocuments/FairAccessPolicy.pdf The protocol indicates that only one managed move should be used during a pupil’s school career. This guards against pupils moving from school to school. If schools are using this protocol correctly, a pupil should not be out of school as part of a managed move.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Feakes of the Cabinet Member for Resources

Question

A recent FOI by Big Brother Watch revealed that Lewisham Council was among the list of local authorities that had its access to the DVLA database suspended. Please detail (a) on how many occasions the council has been suspended from accessing the DVLA database since 2010 (b) the reasons given by the DVLA for suspension (c) any financial penalty incurred and (d) the estimated financial cost of suspension.

Reply

Local authorities must apply to the DVLA for access to their data base to make enquiries on an annual basis. In 2011 a number of London local authorities including Lewisham did not receive the authorisation paperwork from the DVLA and therefore did not make the application. As a result of this, the DVLA suspended the data base access for about 6 weeks. When the Council investigated the suspended access it found that it was due to the missing authorisation. The authorisation documents were completed and the suspension lifted. No financial penalty was incurred and there was no financial loss to the Council. The authorisation process is now dealt with electronically which will avoid the need for the DVLA to suspend access when paperwork goes missing.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013


Question

How much salt does Lewisham Council have in stock for this winter season? How does this compare with the amount of stock held for the past two years? Is the Council confident stockpiles will be adequate?

Reply

At the start of the winter salt gritting season which in Lewisham commenced on the 3rd December 2012, the Council had 1315T. The salt held at the start of the winter season on the previous two years was 1678T for 2010 and 1299T for 2011. The stock of salt held is sufficient to deal with our typical winter conditions and to meet any initial challenge posed by snow. A salt supplier is on standby should a further supply be required for this financial year (2012/13).

QUESTION No. 58

Priority 8


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Brooks of the Deputy Mayor

Question

When does Lewisham Council expect that the long promised and very much needed pedestrian improvements to the "Tiger's Head" junction of Bromley Road, Whitefoot Lane and Southend Lane will finally be completed following long standing promises by Ken Livingstone when Mayor of London and more recently by Boris Johnson?

Reply

The Council expects work to commence soon on the proposed road safety improvement works at the junction of Bromley Road, Whitefoot Lane and Southend Lane.

Transport for London have recently issued a notice to make the necessary temporary traffic orders enabling work to be delivered between 28 January and 30 August 2013.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013


Question

I have been informed that the number of people in this borough under the tag “no recourse” has increased. a. For each financial year since 2006 please state numbers under this tag. b. What is the average cost to house a “no recourse” resident ? c. Please list hostels etc or landlords that receive payments to house the above

Reply

a. For each financial year since 2006 please state numbers under this tag.

• 2006 - no record • 2007 - no record • 2008 - 28 • 2009 - 22 • 2010 - 22 • 2011 - 39 • 2012 - 50

b. What is the average cost to house a "no recourse" resident ?

• 1 bedroom - £900.00 a month. • 2 bedroom - £1,100.00 a month. • 3 bedroom - £1, 400.00 a month. • Bed & Breakfast - £65.00 per night

c. Please list hostels etc or landlords that receive payments to house the above

• Orange Properties • R&W logistics • Eaton Green • Cantel Investments • Harry Agent • Catford Hill Bed & Breakfast • Thames Accommodation • A&M Accommodation



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Brooks of the Cabinet Member for

Question

How many complaints has the Council received about the actions of bailiffs In last 5 years ? Please list by ward. In general terms….. a. How are these investigated ? b. How many were upheld ? c. How are complainants compensated ? d. What sanctions can the council enforce ? e. What sanctions have been enforced when upholding a residents complaint?

Reply

For the period 2008 to 2012 the Council referred approximately 80,000 cases to bailiffs for unpaid Council Tax and received 195 complaints about their actions. (The Council has only been able to identify complaints from the iCasework system where the main reason for the complaint was the bailiff). The Council has been unable to accurately identify bailiff complaints for the other types of debt that the Council collects but iCasework will be adjusted to collect the data in future. The 195 Council Tax bailiff complaints were investigated in line with the Council’s three stage complaints procedure and 17 were upheld. The data is not readily available by ward. A complaint about bailiff action is initially referred to the relevant bailiff company for them to review their records, check the individual bailiff report and respond to the Council. In some cases the Council will interview the debtor and/or meet with the bailiff company. The Council will review the bailiff

response and any other information available and make a decision based on the evidence available. In the event of a complaint being upheld the Council can remove some or all of the costs, withdraw action and if it chooses pay compensation which would normally be based on guidance from the Local Government Ombudsman. In the 17 cases that were upheld no compensation was paid out but some costs were withdrawn and procedures amended. The Council can enforce sanctions against the bailiff in line with the terms of the bailiff contract which include the removal of work and termination of contract. Of the cases upheld none have involved a breach of contract therefore no ‘sanctions’ have been imposed.



COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Brooks of the Cabinet Member for Community Safety

Question

Racist / Religious hate crime is on the increase in the borough. Can the council please list the actions it has taken to tackle this problem since Jan 2012 to now.

Reply

Racist and Religious Hate Crime offences have increased in Lewisham borough over the past year. It is worth noting that Racist and Religious Hate Crime have also increased in a number of London boroughs. Victim support provides individual support to victims of all crime. This could include counselling services, referrals to appropriate voluntary services and community groups. There is also victim and witness care units in the police to support victims of these crimes. The Council and Lewisham Police have made concerted efforts over the past two years to improve reporting around all hate crimes, launching a third party reporting scheme with independent reporting sites based across the borough, as well as online reporting. The third party reporting scheme has proved a successful method in encouraging victims of hate crimes in the borough to report incidents, with 32 reports being facilitated since April 2011 (12 between April – December 2011, and 20 between January – December 2012). During 2012, the Council’s Neighbourhood Community Safety Service has been working to expand the third party reporting scheme, by targeting resources at key communities in the borough who are vulnerable to this type of crime. Lewisham Islamic Centre, the Sivan Temple and the Tamil Association in Downham have all signed up as third party reporting sites, and

workshops have been held with all three groups to raise awareness of hate crime and how to report incidents. Expansion is also taking place into libraries and leisure centres as potential sites for reporting. The Neighbourhood Community Safety Service has also rolled out a number of workshops to Lewisham secondary schools over 2012, targeting pupils in Year 7 (aged 11-12 years). This workshop focuses on educating students on how hate crime differs to other types of crime and the impact it can have on the individual and the wider community. The Council has also undertaken publicity in the borough around hate crime, what it is, how to report incidents and available support. Revised leaflets have been published and distributed, with contact details of reporting sites and support agencies. Web pages on the Council website have also been updated to provide comprehensive information on hate crime.

QUESTION No. 62

Written Reply


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013


Question

What is the council’s policy regarding the use of surveillance powers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act?

Reply

The Council has a written policy for the lawful use of its surveillance powers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 which is available on the Council's intranet. The written policy is also the subject of regular formal review by the Government's Surveillance Commissioners.

QUESTION No. 63

Written Reply


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013


Question

Which council officers can authorise or co-authorise surveillance under RIPA?

Reply

This Council has currently 3 specifically trained Council officers who have been trained to authorise lawful surveillance under RIPA. These are:

• 2 x Service Group Managers from Resources and Regeneration

• Anti-Fraud & Corruption Team Manager

QUESTION No. 64

Written Reply


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013


Question

Please provide the figures for the number of successful requests by council officers for surveillance activity under RIPA for each of the past five years, broken down by department. How many surveillance actions have not been agreed? How many of the actions have led to successful prosecutions or enforcement?

Reply

Authorisations for the use of RIPA cover two distinct aspects of surveillance. i) Under Part II of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act

authorised officers working for the London Borough of Lewisham are able to authorise the use of Directed Surveillance. This function is independently scrutinised by the Office of Surveillance Commissioners.

ii) Under Chapter II of Part I of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers

Act 2000 the Council is able to acquire certain Communications data. This function is independently scrutinised by the Interception of Communications Commissioners Office.

The number of requests each year are shown below:

Year Number of requests for Directed Surveillance

Number of requests for Communication data

1 Jan – 31 Dec 2008 4

2 Offence of repairing vehicles on the highway

2 Child Protection

11

11 Trading Standards offences

1 Jan – 31 Dec 2009 4

1 Child protection, 1 counterfeit DVD’s, 1 establishing level of need

of service user, 1 Blue Badge

13

6 Benefit & Housing Fraud, 7 Trading Standards offences

1 Jan – 31 Dec 2010 8

1 Fly tipping, 5 Test purchasing of age controlled goods, 2 Counterfeit

DVDs

22

9 Offences contrary to the Fraud Act 2006, 2 Trading Standards offences,

11 Housing Benefit

1 Jan – 31 Dec 2011 11

10 Test purchasing of age controlled goods, 1 Trading Standards

offences

4

1 Offences contrary to the Fraud Act, 3 Trading Standards offences

1 Jan – 31 Dec 2012 11

10 Test purchasing of age controlled goods, 1 Food Safety

12

9 Offences contrary to the Fraud Act, 3 Trading Standards Offences

We do not keep records on whether these applications resulted in successful prosecutions. Any officer making an application under RIPA will have received comprehensive training and be an experienced investigator. As a result all applications were successfully approved by the authorising officer.

QUESTION No. 65

Written Reply


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Feakes of the Mayor

Question

What is the council’s policy in respect of when the Union Flag is flown at the town hall?

Reply

The Council’s policy is set out in the answer to Council Question 7.

QUESTION No. 66

Written Reply


COUNCIL MEETING

23 JANUARY 2013

Question by Councillor Feakes of the Cabinet Member for Resources

Question

Has the Council been suspended or prohibited from accessing any public or private databases, other than the DVLA database, over the past five years? If so, please can the Council detail the database/s and reason/s given.

Reply

The Council have not been suspended or prohibited from accessing any public or private databases.