On May 2, people throughout the country will be choosing who they want to represent them as local councillors. For those living in Tower Hamlets a borough ballot being held in mid-May will give all households the opportunity to tell the council how they want their elected councillors to make decisions.

At the moment decisions are made either by all the councillors in a full council meeting, or specific groups of councillors in committee meetings. Although Tower Hamlets has been piloting a Cabinet model for some time, decisions still have to be ratified by a formal committee. All this is about to change. Central government, through an act of parliament, has offered three options to local councils across the country, concerning the structure of their decision-making processes.

These are designed to enable the councils' decisions to be reached more efficiently and effectively making councillors more accountable to the electorate. Although residents in Tower Hamlets have been asked for their views on this issue before, the results were inconclusive, so the council needs to seek resident's views once more

The three options for the revised council structures are:

1. Directly elected Mayor and Cabinet

Under this model, a Mayor would be directly elected by the people to serve a four-year term. Alongside the Mayor a wider group of councillors would be elected by the people and together would form the council. From that group, the Mayor would ask a small group of councillors (the Cabinet) to join her or him to share in the leadership of the authority.

The Mayor would select these people. The Mayor would replace the current ceremonial Mayor who raises money for charities and represents the council at civic events although another councillor could take on these duties. The elected Mayor could be from any political party or no political party and need not have the support of the majority of councillors.

2. Leader and Cabinet

Under this model, a councillor is chosen by other councillors to be the council Leader. All councillors would be elected by the people and together would form the council. The council Leader or the council would in turn choose a small group of councillors (the Cabinet) to share in the leadership of the authority. The Cabinet operates like the government, with each of the Cabinet members being responsible for a portfolio, such as education or housing.

3. Directly Elected Mayor and Council Manager

Under this model a Mayor is directly elected by the people to serve a four year term and a paid officer is appointed by the whole body of separately elected councillors to run the council. The Mayor and the officer (known as the Council Manager) would together provide leadership to the authority. The Mayor would provide political leadership and the Council Manager would provide managerial leadership. All councillors would be elected by the people and together would form the council. The Mayor would replace the current ceremonial Mayor who raises money for charities and represents the council at civic events, although another councillor could perform this function. The elected Mayor could be from any political party or no political party and need not have the support of the majority of councillors.

You can tell the council which option you prefer by completing your ballot paper when it arrives in mid-May.

England have named a 42-strong swimming team for the Commonwealth Games, including three reigning champions. The oldest member, at 32, is Tower Hamlets' Martin Harris. James Hickman is included alongside Mark Foster and Katy Sexton. England's strongest chances for medals in the men's events this time around are the breaststroke duo of James Gibson and Darren Mew.

In the women's event, Sarah Price carries the burden of success in the backstroke. He won the 100m backstroke at the 1994 Games and made a successful comeback after two years out of the water to win the 50m backstroke at the qualifiers in Manchester this week and a place on the team. The youngest is 15-year-old Kate Haywood, who had only been back in the water for seven weeks following an elbow injury.

The debate over where a Queen Mother statue should be placed in the capital is beginning to gather momentum. Some architects and architects are citing the east end as the location of the memorial as the Queen Mother had such great affection for the area and the community held her in high esteem. Locations being proposed are Mile End, Poplar and Whitechapel. Meanwhile, others insist any statue of the Queen Mother belongs on the empty fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square. East End pressure group the Citizens Remembered Trust is dedicated to building a memorial garden to the 60,000 victims of the Blitz on the site of London's first bomb shelter at Hermitage Wharf, Wapping.

Trust leader Jon Alderton said: "We could place a statue of her in the garden. It's not enough just to have a statue - you've got to have some interpretation too." Other locations on the list for an East end remembrance of the Queen Mother include: Mile End Park which is built on heavily bomb damaged land and is the site of the first German V2 rocket attack of the Second World War; Whitechapel Road, where a statue of King Edward VII - erected by London's Jewish community - already stands. A location she visited during the Blitz - Brady Street in Whitechapel or Newby Place in Poplar - where she and her husband King George VI sat out an air raid in a deep shelter sharing tea with the locals, have both been suggested.

Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesman Simon Hughes yesterday tabled a Parliamentary motion proposing a Queen Mother statue in Trafalgar Square, claiming it would solve the problem of what to do with the troublesome empty plinth. Referring to Mayor Ken Livingstone's dislike of statues of military heroes in London - and especially in the Square - he said: "It seems to me that the Queen Mother and a statue of the Queen Mother fits many of the criteria people have argued for. "They've said they didn't want another man, because all the other statues are men, and they didn't want somebody in military uniform, who's a member of the armed services. They did want somebody who was popular and would bring public affection and public attraction to one of the most public places in the country. "I can't think of anybody at the moment who would better fit that model than the Queen Mother, and although I'm not somebody who believes that the only way to commemorate somebody when they've died is a statue, there is bound to be a statue somewhere, so why not Trafalgar Square?" Paul Hyett, president of the Royal Institute of British Architects, backed him who said: "I'd like to see a beautiful statue of her. There will be memorials to her all over the country, but Trafalgar Square is special."

Architect Sunand Prasad, a member of the committee who will decide on the fourth statue in the square, said: "It will be much better to use the opportunity of this empty plinth to have changing exhibits from aspiring young artists. "What is brilliant about the rotating exhibits in recent years is that they have got people talking about art. "I can understand that a statue of the Queen Mother seems appropriate, but it's not my view, and I don't think it will be the view of the committee." With East end opposition to a memorial being placed in Trafalgar Square the debate looks set to go on.

Police are appealing for information and assistance to identify a Bangladeshi boy who is approximately 10 years old. He was found in the middle of February, in Canon Street Road, East London by a member of the public. The boy speaks Sylheti, which could indicate that his family came from the Sylhet region of Bangladesh. He understands only a little English.

The boy has told us that his name is Abdul Korim and he is from Birmingham. He is approximately 4'8" tall and of slim build. He has short dark hair that is tidily cut and brown eyes. The child says he travelled to London in mid February with an Auntie who left him in Canon Street Road. He was later found by a member of the public who cared for him for four weeks.

The child's situation came to the attention of the police via a person associated with the family who were caring for him in London. In light of the above circumstances the child is now in the care of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and has been safely placed with a local Bangladeshi foster family.

Ian Wilson, Director of Social Services, said: "We are very anxious to trace this boy's family whether they are in Britain or Bangladesh. We hope that by issuing this picture it may jog somebody's memory so that we can interview the people with whom he has lived over the last few years."

Anyone with any information that can assist the police and social services in identifying this boy is asked to call the Child Protection Team based at Tower Hamlets on 020 8217 4941. Alternatively information can be given to the Missing Persons Helpline on 0500 700 700.

Commenting on the Queen Mother’s Death, Cllr Lorraine Melvin Tower Hamlets Mayor said:

"The Queen Mother had a very special and longstanding relationship with Tower Hamlets and she will be sadly missed. Her famous visits to the eastend during the Blitz won the hearts of many residents. She was respected and admired by people of all ages and backgrounds, her countless contributions to the borough will be remembered for a long time to come."

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