Members of the full council are due to meet at The Civic Centre on Tuesday (November 3) where councillor Robert Betton (Botcherby, Independent) will get the opportunity to quiz senior members.
His first question will be to councillor Mark Fryer (St Johns and Great Clifton, Labour), the leader of the council, regarding staffing and the use of agency staff.
He will ask: “Can the leader advise how much Cumberland Council has spent on externally provided workers, including agency staff, in the current financial year compared with last year, and whether this expenditure is increasing or decreasing?
“What savings are expected from measures to reduce reliance on agency staff, particularly in light of the council’s ongoing financial challenges?”
His second will be to councillor Barbara Cannon (St Michaels, Labour), the financial planning and assets portfolio holder, regarding the council’s financial management arrangements.
He will ask: “Given the concerns raised by CIPFA regarding the council’s financial management arrangements and the need for an integrated financial system, can the portfolio holder for financial planning and assets advise members of the total project cost?
“And whether the implementation remains on schedule, and what independent verification will be undertaken before go-live to ensure the system is fully operational and fit for purpose, particularly in light of ongoing challenges around legacy system integration, staffing capacity and staff turnover?”