To receive any questions from Members, notice of which has been given in accordance with Procedure Rule 15.2, attached marked 8.

The Speaker advised that the following seven questions had been received in accordance with Procedure Rule 15 (a copy of the report containing the detailed questions and their formal responses is attached to the signed minutes).

(i)              Received from Mr A Mosley and answered by Mr M Price, Portfolio Holder for Regulatory Services, Housing and Commissioning (Central) about the Housing and Planning Bill.

By way of a supplementary question Mr Mosley asked what the Council proposed to do given the proposed changes in legislation.

In response the Portfolio Holder thanked Mr Mosley for his question and confirmed that he too was not happy with some of the proposals, but assured that challenges to the Bill were being made through the Local Government Association and various other avenues.  He undertook to report back on progress with these challenges in due course.

(ii)             Received from Mrs V Parry and answered by Mr S Jones, Portfolio Holder for Highways and Transport about parking in Ludlow.

There was no supplementary question.

(iii)            Received from Mr R Evans and answered by Mr S Charmley, Portfolio Holder for Business Growth, ip&e, Culture and Commissioning (North) about ip&e

By way of a supplementary question Mr Evans asked when would a public meeting be held to allow people to ask questions about ip&e and more importantly, to enable the Council to regain the good reputation he considered it had recently lost.

In response the Portfolio Holder stated that a Working Group had been set up to review ip&e as the new Council went forward.

(iv)           Received from Mr R Evans and answered by Mr D Turner, Portfolio Holder for Resources, Finance & Support and IT about the quality of Shropshire Council’s information technology.

By way of a supplementary question Mr Evans stressed the urgency of improving the situation and asked what the value was of the external contract and whether there was financial provision in the budget to cover this.

In response the Portfolio Holder said that he would obtain the contract figure after the meeting and report back directly to Mr Evans.

(v)            Received from Mr A Mosley and answered by Mr M Pate, Leader about ip&e.

By way of a supplementary question Mr Mosley asked when the first meeting of the independent Working Group that had been set up to review ip&e would be held.  He very much welcomed this move and looked forward to getting involved.  Mr Mosley also asked for an assurance that all options would be looked at.

In response the Leader confirmed that the group hoped to meet in January 2016 and confirmed that all options would be considered.

(vi)           Received from Mrs V Parry and answered by Mr S Jones, Portfolio Holder for Highways and Transport about Fixed Penalty Notices in Ludlow.

By way of a supplementary question Mrs Parry asked for a formal response to a letter from Ludlow Town Council about Fixed Penalty Notices, that had been sent three months previously.

In response, the Portfolio Holder said that he knew nothing of the letter and assured that income from fines was utilised in accordance with Council policy.

(vii)          Received from Mr M Kenny and answered by Mr S Jones, Portfolio Holder for Highways and Transport about air quality in Shropshire.

There was no supplementary question.