Question
Kinver Business Solutions has secured more than £1 million in project management fees from Ashfield district council. It now turns out that one of the project managers is actually the son of the chief executive of Ashfield district council. I thank the Department for arranging an appointment this week, but does the Minister agree that it is time to send the commissioners in to Ashfield district council? There is not a minute to spare.
Answer
I know that the hon. Gentleman raised the same point at Prime Minister’s questions last week, and it is clearly concerning. There should not be that type of conflict. I have written to him today, and he should have a copy of the letter in his office. We take such matters seriously. I have asked the Department to conduct an urgent best-value assessment of the local authority. Meetings are taking place with officials and the council’s chief executive to find out exactly what is going on.33% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (30/100)
The reply responds to the question in part. It sets out a concrete step, an urgent best-value assessment of the council, and describes meetings with officials and the chief executive. It does not say whether the Minister agrees that commissioners should be sent in, nor why or why not, so the central point of the question is left unanswered. The asker would likely need to ask again for a clear position.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether the Minister agrees that it is now time for commissioners to be sent into Ashfield District Council. | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply names a concrete step, an urgent best-value assessment of the council, which is the route that would inform any intervention, and describes meetings with officials and the chief executive. However, it never says whether the Minister agrees that commissioners should be sent in, nor gives a reason for or against, so the core yes/no question is left unanswered. |