Minutes:
(1) Councillor Thirlwall asked if the Leader could provide this Chamber with the evidence to show whether or not the “Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food” had been successful in reducing obesity in Rotherham?
The Leader reported that the Ministry of Food was raising awareness through the use of fresh food rather than frozen and had continued to give a high profile to the importance of a healthy diet. It had provided many groups and individuals with opportunities to develop cooking skills. This kind of initiative supported the Healthy Weight Framework, but it did not set out to reduce obesity in Rotherham. There was good evidence from the project team that the objectives of raising awareness and developing cooking skills have been achieved.
The Ministry of Food had been running now for twelve months and evidence on its success was being evaluated.
(2) Councillor Fenoughty asked why were there no women in Cabinet?
The Leader explained that the fact that there were no women on this Council's Cabinet was simply a result of the democratic process in that there were no votes for a woman this time, although there had been in the past and may well be in the future.
It was a fact, however, that all the Scrutiny Panel Chairs were women – Councillors Austen, Boyes Jack, McNeely and Ann Russell were indeed a formidable team of women.
The Council did, however, have a number of women in key positions as follows:-
Strategic Director, Children and Young People's Services
Director, Borough Wide and Health Services,
Director, Schools and Lifelong Learning
Director, Resources Planning and Performance
Director of Safeguarding and Corporate Parenting
Director of Independent Living
Director of Health and Wellbeing
Director of Commissioning and Partnerships
Head of Scrutiny Services
Head of Policy and Performance
(3) Councillor Turner was constantly aware of new faces in the town centre and felt that immigrants were coming specifically to Rotherham in droves. He asked would the Council agree with him that this town would shortly only be English by name?
Councillor Hussain reported that this question could be taken two ways. It could be taken in a positive way in congratulating Councillor Turner in how much time he was spending in the town centre noting new faces or secondly by saying the town centre needed new faces to promote it and to assist in increasing its economic vitality.
(4) Councillor Parker asked if the Leader, following his meeting with Corus on 5th March, 2009 in London, could please tell him if there had been any understanding reached between the parties involved at that meeting, in respect of closing the Aldwarke Steel Plant in favour of keeping Scunthorpe open, if there was a choice to be made?
The Leader reported that it was not a simple case of a direct choice between Rotherham and Scunthorpe and he had no evidence whatsoever of keeping Scunthorpe open at the expense of Aldwarke. In the discussions it was clear that Corus were committed to maintaining operations in Rotherham including the plant at Aldwarke and every effort would be made to work with them on this.
A meeting did take place between representatives from Steel Alliance and other steels areas and dialogue with Corus would continue, especially with the local management. Meetings were taking place regularly to understand the key issues relating to the company and especially its Rotherham and South Yorkshire operations.
(6) Councillor Thirlwall referred to the predicted draconian cuts in the funding of public services, and asked the Leader to provide the people of Rotherham and this Chamber with the details of any work the Council had undertaken to merge backroom services with other Councils in order to mitigate the impact on front line local services.
The Leader reported that in recent years the Council had made significant savings by improving back office services. A big part in this had been played by the Council’s partnership with BT. That Partnership – RBT Ltd. – had helped to make big savings in procurement costs, which in turn had helped to put this Council at the top of the league table of metropolitan authorities for making efficiency gains.
In recent years Council services such as Finance and HR had been brought together, again leading to improvements in service quality whilst allowing more savings to be made.
The Council would continue to explore all options for making further savings and put front-line services first. Everything would be done to protect front line services during these difficult times of world economic downturn. Sharing services with other partners, including other Councils and partner organisations in Rotherham, would be considered by Members and decisions would be taken on the merits of the proposals.
(6) Councillor Fenoughty asked did this Council think that the Carnegie Weight Management project would be value for money?
Councillor Doyle reported that NHS Rotherham had commissioned a Healthy Weight Framework which sought to reduce obesity and improve health in the population. This framework had won a national award and was being adopted by NHS commissioners across the country. It was also endorsed by the National Obesity Forum as a model of good practice.
The services commissioned for children included a residential Carnegie Weight Loss Camp (for a period of up to six weeks in the Summer School Holiday – provider was Carnegie Weight Management, an organisation working under the umbrella of Leeds Metropolitan University) and a weekly Carnegie Club (delivered in Rotherham by DC Leisure in partnership with Carnegie Weight Management).
The Carnegie Weight Management programme had been running for ten years and now had contracts with a number of NHS Commissioners across the country. The programme was evidence based and researched (Carnegie Weight Management have the best evidence data amongst providers of such activity internationally).
The programme (the Summer Camp and weekly club) sought to make real and sustainable changes, dietary modification and increased levels of physical activity, for children participating in the programme and their families.
This year’s campers (fifty three children and young people from Rotherham) achieved a weight loss of fifty three stone between them. This was a tremendous success and had again put Rotherham on the map. There had been extensive media coverage of their progress and achievement (BBC/GMTV breakfast shows, BBC The One Show, local and national radio stations and print media).
In addition to weight loss, the Carnegie Weight Management programme showed improvements in a range of physical and psychological measures including increased levels of confidence and self-esteem. This had been shown to impact positively on learning and attainment. In addition this year, the parents of campers were supported by a series of Parenting Sessions provided by the Council’s Childen and Young People’s Service. This had led to increased engagement and acceptance of the role of all family members in making and sustaining lifestyle change. Qualitative feedback included positive behavioural change and an opportunity to learn from others in a supportive and safe environment.
The cost of attendance at the residential camp for a period of six weeks was £3,200. He believed that this represented good value for money if the changes which families made were built on and maintained. We would be seeking to offer a non-residential option next year (in Rotherham), which would enable us to reduce costs and increase the number of places available.
Obesity was the leading cause of Type 2 Diabetes, for which treatment with medicines could run to £2,000 per year for life. The complications of diabetes included renal failure. Dialysis cost the NHS £23,000 per patient per year and a lower limb amputation cost almost £7,000. There were many other social and economic costs to someone living with diabetes and it was imperative action was taken now to reduce the risk of children and young people developing diabetes, heart disease or cancer as a result of being overweight.
(7) Councillor Turner asked would the Council accept that the new restrictions in numbers of words to a question could seriously inhibit proper explanation as to the reason and reasonability of a question?
The Leader disagreed. Fifty words should be sufficient to construct a reasonable question that was to the point without excessive preamble.
(8) Councillor Thirlwall asked if the Cabinet Member could provide for both the people of Rotherham and himself the programme of consultation on the proposed South Yorkshire Transport Plan?
Councillor Smith reported that following the Transport Act 2008 and the creation of the South Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority (SYITA) in February, 2009, responsibility for the preparation and delivery of the next South Yorkshire Local Transport Plan (SYLTP3) now rested with the SYITA. In July, 2009, the DfT published national guidelines on what they would like to see in the next plans. Essentially they should set out our local aspirations, but also how we were supporting the national agendas and targets. LTP3s should contain an upto twenty year strategy with a number of three to five year delivery plans.
Work has commenced on developing the strategy. An update report was presented to the SYITA meeting on 3rd September, 2009 at Item 3(c). Appendix ‘C’ of that report set out the work packages, including how we were going to consult with the public and the many stakeholder groups that transport supported in developing the plan and strategy.
The full agenda, report and appendices were available on the South Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority website, but Councillor Thirlwall and other Members could have a hard copy of the report if they so wished.
Answers to all questions that remained unanswered after the thirty minute guillotine would be provided for all Members in writing.