George Finch: Nuneaton HMO register will be released in face of more anger

[dutchman]

Councillors raised more concerns about the proposals to put the list online



Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council leader George Finch is defiant that he will publish a list of all HMOs online.

CoventryLive reported that, at a cabinet meeting, Town Hall leader councillor George Finch revealed he wanted to publish a full register of all Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMOs) in the borough online.

At the time it led to concerns being aired about this leading to 'vigilantism' but Cllr Finch said that the public wanted to be able to see the register.

Then it emerged that his plans to release the register were delayed due to police involvement, after issues were raised by Bedworth and North Warwickshire's MP Rachel Taylor.

But, at a full council meeting, despite coming under more fire, Cllr Finch said the list will be published.

""I will be releasing the HMO register when the time is right," he said.

"We are 100 per cent committed to that."

He made the statement as he faced more questions about the implications of the move, which would have to be GDPR compliant.

Cllr Kris Wilson, Conservative group leader, said: "While I am generally supportive of the principle of openness and transparency, I am concerned about what risk assessment was made by the leader politically about this statement because there are people who abuse access to that (the register) and could put others at risk, for example the rape crisis centres and people who are fleeing domestic abuse."

Cllr Finch responded: "I said, at cabinet, that I do know that people within the HMO register could be domestic violence victims, could be care leavers, could be very, very vulnerable people.

"he HMO register, which the public voted us in on to release that information as quickly as possible to make sure that everything was legally right before releasing it.

"We wanted to do that, that was one of our priorities after the incident that happened a year ago where an Asylum seeker from a HMO unfortunately raped a 12-year-old girl. This is the point, residents in this borough and tax payers in this borough feel that people who come from other countries, that are not vetted, most of them with medieval attitudes.

"People need to know who lives next door, who lives over the road from a school or a park or an alleyway. This is why this administration is 100 per cent committed to releasing the HMO register."

He said in regards to a risk assessment, he asked for expert officer advice.

"We understand the risks - mostly people from outside of the borough, " Cllr Finch said.

"As I find the people of Nuneaton and Bedworth are peaceful people and won't start rioting in the streets."

Cllr Finch once again pointed the finger of blame at the delay in releasing the register on Labour.

"I am not happy about is because we now have to follow processes because the Labour MP for North Warwickshire and Bedworth and two Labour councillors made comments made that they know are not true, they know the public in Nuneaton and Bedworth won't do things like that (vigilantism) but politicised that point, ensuring that other processes have to be made and increasing red tape and bureaucracy on this issue."

Labour group leader, Cllr Brady Hughes quizzed Cllr Finch on what he said at the cabinet meeting and whether he mentioned vulnerable people who live in HMOs, which a CoventryLive story reports he did.

Cllr Finch responded and said "You did mention vigilantism and you are accusing the people of Nuneaton and Bedworth, who are peaceful people, who protested peacefully outside this Town Hall, you are saying that they are capable of vigilantism if given that access (to the register) which I disagree with.

"If, when given this information (the register), things happen, Warwickshire Police will be contacted and I will move swiftly to make sure that people in HMOs are safe because we have to, under the law.

"However, quite frankly, illegal immigrants and asylum seekers that are in HMOs, should not be in the country anyway."

Cllr Tony Venson added: "There are lot pf professional people who live in HMOs, doctors who come from foreign climes and have different coloured skin.

"There is a risk that certain people, they see a person with a different skin colour and just assume they are somebody that is an asylum seeker, not an illegal immigrant because illegal immigrants are not allowed goods and services in this country."

Cllr Finch said: "You should not just assume someone on the colour of their skin, that is blatantly wrong and I don't advocate that and none of my colleagues do here.

"But we do advocate is the deportation of all illegal immigrants from this country and from this borough so then we can make sure that local tax payers money is spent on local residents

"People who enter this country illegally from safe countries, like France, so they have to come here illegally, they are breaking the law, they are illegal."

https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/george-finch-nuneaton-hmo-register-34699672

[rebbonk]

I believe that George is right.

The electorate has a right to know, and councillors are only in position because of the will of the electorate. The electorate employs them!