Agenda and draft minutes

There were no apologies made at the meeting.

To receive any declarations of interest. Members are advised to consider the advice contained within the Declaration of Interest form attached at the back of this agenda. If a Member declares an interest, they should complete that form and hand it to the officer clerking the meeting and then take the prescribed course of action.

There were no declarations of interest made at the meeting.

To approve the Minutes of the QEQM Hospital Cabinet Advisory Group meeting held on 13 December 2016, copy attached.

Councillor Lin Fairbrass proposed, Councillor Matterface seconded and Members agreed the minutes as a correct record of the meeting that was held on 13 December 2016.

Penny Button, Head of Safer Neighbourhoods introduced the item for discussion and gave a brief back ground to the issue. Ms Button advised Members that the purpose of the meeting was to collectively complete the questionnaire that would then be signed off by Councillor Game, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Safer Neighbourhoods before being forwarded to the NHS.

Members expressed some concern that the questionnaire was geared towards an outcome that the NHS wanted and suggested that the cabinet advisory group took a position that showed these concerns and provide the reasons for rejecting the NHS proposals. Ms Button further advised Members to complete the questionnaire in order not to risk forwarding responses that where not addressing the questions in the public consultation document as there was no guarantee that such responses would be considered by the NHS.

Ms Button further indicated that the questionnaire had sections for additional information to be included in the responses. This would provide the opportunity for the council to add in the concerns that Members wanted forwarded to the NHS.

Three Members spoke under Council Procedure 20.1.

Members then studied the questionnaire and provided draft responses to the consultation document. They asked Ms Button to write the final responses and get a sign-off from the Councillor Game.

The cabinet advisory group then drafted a press statement that they request be published by the Council’s Communications Department in relation to the position taken by Thanet District Council regarding the public consultation by the NHS.