Agenda item

Answers to questions from Members of the Council pursuant to Standing Order 17.

In accordance with the Council’s Procedure Rules, the Leader and relevant Cabinet Members provided written responses to 31 questions submitted by Members of the Council relating to;

·         Allocations for the Emergency Active Travel Fund, sums involved and where the schemes were in the County;

·         the effect of the pandemic on micro businesses across Devon and how this compared with SMEs and large employers;

·         current gender balance of the Councils staff, the existing gender pay gap, the impact of a public sector pay freeze and work being done to tackle the gender pay gap at the Council;

·         children or young people in the care of Devon County Council in placements outside of the Devon County Council area;

·         children or young people in the care of Devon County Council in placements outside of the county of Devon;

·         the furthest distance from County Hall that a child or young person had been placed in care;

·         children in the Council area in receipt of Free School Meals;

·         Children & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), and waiting times for treatment after referral;

·         numbers of social workers employed by the Council (head count - total number including newly qualified);

·         numbers of social workers directly employed by the Council;

·         numbers of social workers engaged through agency or through another employment form;

·         gross salaries for social workers employed by the Council;

·         salaries paid to social workers employed through an agency or personal company;

·         numbers of social workers who had left the Council for 2019/20 and the financial year 2020/21;

·         numbers of vacancies for social worker posts including those on the establishment but filled by an 'agency' social worker;

·         school exams and guidance for GCSE, A-Level and SATs in light of the ‘second wave’ of Covid-19;

·         clarity on the use of PPE in schools;

·         ICT equipment and internet access for disadvantaged students, when schools and children might receive the ICT equipment and how many laptops had been promised and delivered;

·         the number of Devon schools closed for more than 24 hours since 1st September; 

·         the Youngminds survey results, poor mental health and counselling services to support students and the comparison to national statistics;

·         whether the Council was consulted by the Police and Crime Commissioner on plans to merge the Devon & Cornwall Force with Dorset Police and any response sent;

·         the timeline for the report on the flash flooding event in Barnstaple in August and Local Member input;

·         the Devon economy Report and reference to special treatment for central Barnstaple, an explanation of such measures and consultation before identifying central Barnstaple for special treatment;

·         the effect of additional funding for schools on funding per pupil, Devon’s place in the national league table and the Chancellors budget statement of additional funding for schools in 2021/22 and beyond;

·         representations to Government for additional funding for schools to help defray the costs of making schools Covid safe and whether a reply had been received;

·         the trial of longer semi-trailers (LSTs) for articulated goods vehicles and how Devon’s road network and bridges would cope with such vehicles;

·         community funded vehicle activated signs (VAS), the process for community groups including Parish Councils obtaining permission from the authority and installing the equipment themselves;

·         availability of NHS hospital beds in the Council area at 1 January 2010 and at 31 October 2020;

·         availability of NHS beds in community hospitals at 1 January 2010 and at 31 October 2020;

·         numbers of community hospitals that had closed, or stopped being used for inpatient care and treatment since 1 January 2010; and

·         action of the Council to lobby for an increase in the number of NHS hospital beds available in its area since 1 January 2010.

The Leader and relevant Cabinet Members also responded orally, as appropriate, to any supplementary questions arising therefrom.

(A copy of the questions and answers are appended to the minutes and any supplementary questions and answers may be observed through the webcast of this meeting)