Agenda item

Members' Questions

5.1      Questions relating to urgent business – Council Procedure Rule 16.6(ii).

 

5.2      Questions relating to the discharge of the functions of the South Yorkshire Joint Authorities (under the provisions of Section 41 of the Local Government Act 1985) and of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority – Council Procedure Rule 16.6(i).

 

5.3      Supplementary questions on written questions submitted at this meeting – Council Procedure Rule 16.4.

 

 

Minutes:

5.1

Urgent Business

 

 

 

With the permission of the Lord Mayor (Councillor Sioned-Mair Richards), Councillor Ben Miskell asked the following questions relating to urgent business, under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 16.6(ii):-

 

 

 

Following the shocking murder of Brianna Ghey, what is Sheffield City Council’s Community Safety Team and South Yorkshire Police doing to provide extra support, reassurance, and protection to the trans community?

 

 

 

Will the Committee Chair ensure that a meeting will be convened with the trans and LGBT+ community, the City Council and senior South Yorkshire Police officers in order to provide assurance and also ensure that support and safety is provided?

 

 

 

In response, Councillor Richard Williams (Chair of the Communities, Parks and Leisure Policy Committee) expressed his shock regarding the murder of Brianna Ghey, especially as the perpetrators are so young.

 

 

 

He also reported that at this time, the Council was not aware of the final outcome of the police investigation, so was unable to comment further on this particular case.

 

 

 

He stated that Sheffield City Council, South Yorkshire Police and our partners, work together to make sure the city is a welcoming and safe place for local people and visitors to enjoy. The Safer Sheffield Partnership has a statutory duty to address and reduce community safety issues in the city and one of our key priorities is to protect vulnerable people.

 

 

 

He added that the Government had introduced the Serious Violence Duty on 31st January 2023. This duty was intended to create the right conditions for authorities to collaborate and communicate, using existing partnerships where possible, to share information and take coordinated action to tackle serious violence.

 

 

 

Councillor Williams stated that he would be happy to meet with representatives of the transgender community alongside representatives from South Yorkshire Police, who had already indicated that they would be happy to do so, and he would report back on the outcome.

 

 

 

In response to a supplementary question from Councillor Miskell, Councillor Williams confirmed that he would also be happy to attend a meeting of the Hate Crime Board.

 

 

5.2

South Yorkshire Joint and Combined Authorities

 

 

 

There were no questions relating to the discharge of the functions of the South Yorkshire Joint Authorities for Fire and Rescue and Pensions and of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 16.6(i).

 

 

5.3

Written Questions

 

 

 

A schedule of questions to Chairs of Policy Committees, submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 16, and which contained written answers, was circulated.  Supplementary questions, under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 16.4, were asked and were answered by the appropriate Policy Committee Chairs.

 

 

 

Supporting documents: