Councillor Halden, Portfolio Holder for Education and Health, presented his Portfolio Holder report and updated Members on the following items:

•           Progress in leadership working with schools and attracting investments into Thurrock.

•           Three free schools bids won, two secondary schools and a special needs school in addition to the £10 million that will be invested through the Council’s capital over the next three years. That £70 million had been invested into school places.

•           A General Practitioners standards plan was in place with staff actioning this plan working with general practitioners and driving forward surgery by surgery plans showing them how rates can be improved to save the health care millions of pounds.

•           Children’s Centres were reformed to save millions of pounds by getting rid of expensive buildings and fragmented contracts.

•           The 1-2-1 sessions offered to children will be increased from 240 up to 480.

•           The Portfolio Holder’s fourth objective must now be delivery.

•           Cabinet will receive a report in July 2017 to begin the process of constructing the first Integrated Medical Centres.

•           Doors to the free school in Purfleet will open to students in September 2017.

Councillor Halden stated that next year will present similar challenges and opportunities.

Councillor Halden thanked all Officers and staff for their hard work.

Councillor Snell thanked the Portfolio Holder for his very positive report but questioned whether cuts were being made in education to fund Clean It Cut It Fill It. Councillor Halden stated that moving services out of expensive buildings generated funds to go into initiatives such as Clean It Cut It Fill It.

Councillor Snell asked the Portfolio that following the Queens speech how did Thurrock stand with having a grammar school in the borough. Councillor Halden stated that there was a clear demand for grammar school education and that a pilot area had been identified. Thurrock would not back down and would have a grammar school in the borough.

Councillor Okunade asked whether an impact assessment had been carried out when considering the closure of the children centres with regards to funding and future provision. Councillor Halden stated that this should have been a question for Overview and Scrutiny to answer last year and confirmed that a full consultation had been carried out.

Councillor Gerrish questioned whether the Portfolio Holder supported the amalgamation of Accident and Emergency Units across Essex. Councillor Halden stated that the Sustainable Transformations Plan was not to amalgamate units but to establish centres of excellence. The Annual Health Report identified that there were unnecessary Accident and Emergency admissions and these had to be addressed.

Councillor Sheridan thanked the Portfolio Holder for the report and was pleased to hear his passion and pride on building new schools in the borough but had concerns on the letters parents were receiving regarding funding reforms and proposed cuts. Councillor Halden stated that the net effect would be a net increase to Thurrock of £1.5 million. The funding formula was based on a block based formula and a calculation rebalancing bid was currently being undertaken. The cuts that schools were referencing parents to were pension cuts which would be an entirely different issue and should be addressed separately.