To receive questions from members of the public who wish to ask a general question in respect of matters within the Council’s area of responsibility or influence.
Subject to the Chair’s discretion, members of the public may ask one question and one supplementary question, which should relate to the original question and answer received.
Councillors may also ask questions under this agenda item.
Minutes:
There were two questions from members of the public:
1.
Mr Iqbal: Please could the Leader and Chief Executive extend an
invitation, on behalf of the Petitioners, to all Rotherham Members
of Parliament, Councillors, Council Officers and Local Dignitaries
to the Petition Announcement Event at Rotherham Town Hall on 23
October at 5.30pm. The invitation was also extended to the solemn
occasion of raising the Palestinian Flag event on 29 November at
5.30pm at the Town Hall. Mr Iqbal asked if his colleague, Mr
Ashraf, could be emailed once the invitation had been sent?
The Leader stated that he did not know what the arrangements were
for those events. However, he confirmed that they would invite
people and bein touch regarding the events.
In
Mr Iqbal’s supplementary question, he ask for a written
response to his question from the Cabinet meeting held on 16
September 2024 which was:
“notwithstanding repeated requests made specifically to
the Council’s solicitor on multiple occasions, including in
the Chamber, petitioners had not received the minutes of the second
sub-OSMB group meeting from Tuesday 30 April 2024. Mr Iqbal asked
when they would receive them?”
Mr Iqbal also asked how long the Ukrainian Flag would fly
for on the Council’s premises and who the Cabinet
spokesperson was?
The Leader confirmed that a written response would be provided.
2.
Mr Ashraf: Thanks to the Chair of OSMB for making the request to
expedite the response from Cabinet to the petition at the last
meeting. At that meeting, the Chair had advised that the
particulars of the implementation of the 22 OSMB
recommendations would be shared. A month later they had not been
shared. Could the letter be sent to Mr Ashraf’s email address
along with an explanation of why nothing had been sent for the last
month?
The Leader explained that he had signed the letter off, and it
would be sent shortly.
In his supplementary question, Mr Ashraf asked if, when the
Palestine flag is raised on 29 November, could it remain raised
until Israel abides by all international laws and UN resolutions
affecting the rights of Palestinians including the refugees right
of return? Until the Palestinian people are no longer under the
occupation that had lasted 76 years? This was an apartheid that was
more brutal and had lasted longer than the one in South Africa
which Rotherham had helped to end. There was ethnic cleansing that
decades ago wiped out 400 towns and villages from the face of the
earth and still continues day after day. Genocides of the
indigenous Palestinian people just to steal their land. Mr Ashraf
stated that he had repeated, especially since the racist riots in
August, that the petitioners were only asking for equality before
the law and equal law for all. The Council’s public sector
equality duty under the Equalities Act 2010 that the Council was
bound by should also make that clear. Quoting a Rotherham resident,
Mr Ashraf asked if the Palestinian flag could be raised for a long
as for the blonde, blue-eyed people of Ukraine whose occupation the
Council did not hesitate to show compassion for and kept the flag
raised?
The Leader stated that a decision had been taken at the meeting in
September to raise the Palestinian flag on 29 November. The Leader
would not commit to keep flying it for a prolonged period after
that. The Council would join with organisations globally to fly the
flag on 29 November.