If you would like to ask a question or make a statement, then please refer to the
Document called Public Speaking Scheme (Physical Meetings)
and contact the Scrutiny and Governance Adviser in Democratic Services by no later than 11.59pm three clear working days before the meeting.
From Daniel Fulton (Fews Lane Consortium)
“Parliament has enacted a number of laws requiring that local authorities publish their accounts on an annual basis and that documents related to those accounts, including public procurement contracts, are made available for public inspection in accordance with the timeframes established by the Secretary of State.
For the last two financial years, this council has failed to meet those deadlines and has, in fact, failed to publish any accounts at all.
Residents of multiple villages in South Cambridgeshire have requested access to the contract documents for one expenditure from the council’s 2020-21 accounts. This was a limited and focused request that could have been easily fulfilled by the council.
Instead, the council refused the requests.
This refusal to allow public access to public information is part of a disturbing trend at this council that has become increasingly pervasive over the past 4 years.
When potential wrongdoing becomes apparent, this council’s response is all too often to hide the evidence at all costs and despite any legal obligations the council may be under to make the information available to councillors and members of the public.
The local members for Longstanton have declined to respond to residents’ requests to view the contract documents in question. Members of the opposition political group have remained silent as well.
What good reason could this council’s chief executive, monitoring officer, and section 151 officer possibly have for keeping details of a public procurement contract secret after the contract has been fulfilled, and why won’t a single member of this council support the documents being available for inspection, as is required by law?
Do you all honestly believe that this council should not be accountable to the public for how it spends public funds?
I would like to ask each member of this committee to please contact the leader of the council and ask her why she won’t support transparency and openness in regard to public spending by this council.
I will end on a positive note.
Change at this council is possible. Previously, I would not have been permitted to make these remarks at today’s meeting. I am glad those days are over. Democracy cannot operate without freedom of political expression.
The majority group at this council has shown that it is capable of renewal and self-improvement, and I would like to thank this committee and its chair for allowing me to speak today.”
Minutes:
Mr. Daniel Fulton (Fews Lane Consortium) asked the following question:
“Parliament has enacted a number of laws requiring that local authorities publish their accounts on an annual basis and that documents related to those accounts, including public procurement contracts, are made available for public inspection in accordance with the timeframes established by the Secretary of State.
For the last two financial years, this council has failed to meet those deadlines and has, in fact, failed to publish any accounts at all.
Residents of multiple villages in South Cambridgeshire have requested access to the contract documents for one expenditure from the council’s 2020-21 accounts. This was a limited and focused request that could have been easily fulfilled by the council.
Instead, the council refused the requests.
This refusal to allow public access to public information is part of a disturbing trend at this council that has become increasingly pervasive over the past 4 years.
When potential wrongdoing becomes apparent, this council’s response is all too often to hide the evidence at all costs and despite any legal obligations the council may be under to make the information available to councillors and members of the public.
The local members for Longstanton have declined to respond to residents’ requests to view the contract documents in question. Members of the opposition political group have remained silent as well.
What good reason could this council’s chief executive, monitoring officer, and section 151 officer possibly have for keeping details of a public procurement contract secret after the contract has been fulfilled, and why won’t a single member of this council support the documents being available for inspection, as is required by law?
Do you all honestly believe that this council should not be accountable to the public for how it spends public funds?
I would like to ask each member of this committee to please contact the leader of the council and ask her why she won’t support transparency and openness in regard to public spending by this council.
I will end on a positive note.
Change at this council is possible. Previously, I would not have been permitted to make these remarks at today’s meeting. I am glad those days are over. Democracy cannot operate without freedom of political expression.
The majority group at this council has shown that it is capable of renewal and self-improvement, and I would like to thank this committee and its chair for allowing me to speak today.”
The Chair replied as follows:
"Thank you for your statement Mr Fulton. Like all residents of South Cambridgeshire your participation in meetings of the council is welcome in supporting us to fulfil our responsibilities as councillors.
I have allowed your statement using the discretion given to me as chair of the committee under the public speaking scheme, even though you did not follow the correct procedure in submitting the statement in time. As you are no doubt fully aware, the rules of the council are in place in order to ensure the most effective and efficient management of our work. Statements, and questions, are required to be submitted three clear working days in advance of the meeting taking place so that full and clear answers can be prepared to any pertinent points or questions that are raised. By not following the procedures that are in place you have made it more difficult for me as chair to fulfil what I am fully aware are my duties in this role. Therefore, whilst it would have been good to be able to provide a full response to the points you have raised, that is not possible on this occasion. This is disappointing for me as chair as I wish to be fastidious in the delivery of my role as chair of the Scrutiny and Overview Committee on behalf of all stakeholders in our district and beyond.
Your question arrived yesterday (Monday 5th September) just after midday. I was first able to talk to Democratic Services about it at around 4pm when I had finished my working day. In order to be fair and maximise my capacity to respond I spent time last night and today talking to colleagues and officers so as to ascertain what information I could provide you with in response. I apologise if my answer is necessarily limited due to the very short period of time you gave me to do this. However, I will do my best in the circumstance and ask you to remember the short window of time I have had to do this.
In relation to the delivery of the audits of 2019/2020 and 2020/2021, as well as the specific request to view parts of the “contract documents” to which you refer, I am informed by the Monitoring Officer that you and he exchanged emails about this in August, and that an explanation was provided to you on 23rd August in answer to your specific questions that you have raised again in your statement today. I do not have anything additional to add to the response you have been given by the Monitoring Officer which in my view responds clearly and in full to your questions.
I thank you for your kind words at the end of your statement and look forward to continuing to work constructively with you and all residents in South Cambridgeshire in my role as chair of his committee. I would like to remind you that in January 2022 the previous chair of this committee specifically reminded you via email of the requirement to submit statements or questions three clear working days ahead of the meeting as per the council’s public speaking scheme. Whilst I have used my discretion to allow your statement in order to be as open as transparent as possible, I would like to remind you once again that the rules are in place to help you as well as the council’s members and officers to best be able to discharge their duties.”