Agenda item - Notices of Motion.

The following Notices of Motion have been submitted by Members for consideration (copies attached):

 

(a)               Blacklisting of Construction Workers.  Proposed by Councillor Morgan.

 

(b)              Protests in Brighton and Hove.  Proposed by Councillor G. Theobald.

 

(c)               Public Service Delivery and Staff Led Mutuals.  Proposed by Councillor Wealls.

 

(d)              Independent Commission on Whole Person Care.  Proposed by Councillor Mitchell.

 

(e)               Government ‘Land Transfer Scheme’.  Proposed by Councillor Buckley.

 

(f)                 Brighton and Hove – A One Planet City.  Proposed by Councillor Littman.

(a)                     Blacklisting of Construction Workers

 

126.1          The Notice of Motion as detailed in the agenda was proposed by Councillor Morgan on behalf of the Labour & Co-operative Group and seconded by Councillor Farrow.

 

126.2          The Mayor then put the following motion to the vote:

               “This council notes evidence which has emerged as part of a Parliamentary inquiry into blacklisting in employment, which has brought forward allegations of widespread use of blacklists in relation to major public sector construction projects.

               This council further notes that secret files on thousands of workers in the construction sector have resulted in people being denied employment after raising legitimate health and safety concerns, or exercising their human right to belong to a trade union, and were used by more than 40 of the UK’s largest construction firms.

               This council deplores the practice of ‘blacklisting’ within the construction industry, and requests the Policy & Resources Committee to ensure that any company known to have been involved in blacklisting practices and not to have indemnified their victims will not be invited to tender contracts by the Council.”

 

126.3          The motion was carried.

 

 

(b)                    Protests in Brighton and Hove

 

126.4          The Notice of Motion as detailed in the agenda was proposed by Councillor G. Theobald on behalf of the Conservative Group and seconded by Councillor Hyde.

 

126.5          Councillor Duncan moved an amendment to the notice of motion on behalf of the Green Group which was seconded by Councillor Jarrett.

 

126.6          The Mayor noted that the amendment had not been accepted by Councillor Theobald and put it to the vote which was carried.

 

126.7          The Mayor then put the following motion as amended to the vote:

 

               “This Council respects the right of individuals and groups to protest peacefully in the city.  However, this right must be carefully balanced against a) the loss of trade for local businesses caused by protests, b) the cost to taxpayers of policing protests, and c) the rights of citizens to go about their lives free from fear and intimidation.  This Council considers that the costs of the recent March for England (which for the Policing alone could amount to hundreds of thousands of pounds) were unacceptable.

 

               Therefore, this Council resolves to request the Chief Executive to write to the Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex and the city’s Chief Superintendent requesting that, together with the City Council and key partners, a wide-ranging review is carried out into how the negative impact of protests on the city’s residents, businesses and visitors can be minimised. 

 

               The Council further requests that this review should include giving strong consideration to locating marches and protests where there is a concern for public safety and public order away from the seafront and city centre locations where they do so much damage to local businesses and community cohesion.”

 

126.8          The motion was carried.

 

 

(c)                     Public Service Delivery and Staff Led Mutuals

 

126.9          The Notice of Motion as detailed in the agenda was proposed by Councillor Wealls on behalf of the Conservative Group and seconded by Councillor Cox.

 

126.10      Councillor Mitchell moved a joint amendment to the notice of motion on behalf of the Labour & Co-operative and Green Groups which was seconded by Councillor Rufus.

 

126.11      The Mayor noted that the amendment had not been accepted by Councillor Wealls and put it to the vote which was carried.

 

126.12      The Mayor then put the following motion as amended to the vote:

 

               “This Council welcomes the Government’s support for, and promotion of, staff-led mutuals and other forms of co-operative service delivery across the public sector and notes that employees are one of the key groups eligible to submit expressions of interest under the 'Community Right to Challenge' in the Localism Act.

 

               This Council notes that the Government’s Mutual’s Taskforce has found that the benefits of mutual and co-operative service delivery are wide ranging and include: (i) greater customer satisfaction; (ii) greater ability of staff to innovate and use their initiative; (iii) lower production costs and higher productivity; (iv) increased resilience; (v) job creation; and (vi) higher morale and motivation amongst staff.  This Council, therefore, agrees with the cross-party Communities and Local Government Select Committee’s recent conclusion that more local authorities should be considering setting up mutuals and co-operatives[1].

 

               The council also notes the significant concern amongst organisations working in the mutual, co-operative and social enterprise sectors that the word ‘mutual’ is being used in ways which do not meet the established definitions of the term – in particular with regard to the absolute requirement that mutuals must be majority owned by staff.

 

               Therefore this council requests that the council’s Policy Team undertakes an evaluation of staff-led mutuals currently in operation, working with expert organisations in the sector such as Co-ops Uk, Mutuo and the Employee Ownership Association, and seeking the views of staff representatives and trade unions as part of this work. Issues the report should examine include:

 

·         The importance of mutual spin-offs being driven by the staff themselves rather than imposed

·         Success factors in the establishment of staff led mutual organisations.

·         How to ensure that the staff led mutuals continue to provide services in the long term, and avoid mutualisation becoming a step towards privatization

·         How to secure assets within the mutual organisations to ensure that they continue to contribute to the public benefit.

·         Establishing criteria for tendering and commissioning of existing externally provided services that favour mutual and co-operative organisations”

 

               [1] http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmcomloc/112/112.pdf

 

126.13      The motion was carried.

 

 

(d)                    Independent Commission on Whole Person Care

 

126.14      The Notice of Motion as detailed in the agenda was proposed by Councillor Mitchell on behalf of the Labour & Co-operative Group and seconded by Councillor Morgan.

 

126.15      Councillor Jarrett moved an amendment to the notice of motion on behalf of the Green Group which was seconded by Councillor Bowden.

 

126.16      The Mayor noted that the amendment had been accepted by Councillor Mitchell and put it to the vote which was carried.

 

126.17      The Mayor then put the following motion as amended to the vote:

 

               “This council notes predictions from the Nuffield Trust which show, unless we improve the way services are delivered, growing social care needs will leave a shortfall of up to £29 billion a year by 2020 in NHS funding.

 

               This council also notes the launch of an Independent Commission led by respected international expert and former Department of Health specialist Sir John Oldham OBE. We trust this Commission will be truly independent and non partisan with genuine cross-party involvement.  The Commission will seek to find ways of integrating health and social care to meet the challenge of an ageing population with rising needs for care and growing numbers of people with chronic illnesses like cancer, diabetes and dementia.

 

               This council believes in the principle of organising services around the needs of patients, rather than patients around the needs of services, with teams of doctors, nurses, social workers and therapists all working together and care being arranged by a single person. Integrated care will lead to better outcomes and greater efficiency for the whole system. 

              

               This council supports a greater focus on preventing people getting ill and more care being provided directly in people’s homes so they avoid unnecessary hospital visits, and integrating social care services between the NHS and local authorities.

 

               This council resolves to support the principle of “whole person care”.

 

               This council requests the appropriate council committee, to make a positive contribution towards pursuing the goal of integrating health and social care between the NHS and local authorities.”

 

126.18      The motion was carried.

 

 

(e)                     Government ‘Land Transfer Scheme’.

 

126.19      The Notice of Motion as detailed in the agenda was proposed by Councillor Buckley on behalf of the Green Group and seconded by Councillor Shanks.

 

126.20      Councillor Pissaridou moved an amendment to the notice of motion on behalf of the Labour & Co-operative Group which was seconded by Councillor Gilbey.

 

126.21      The Mayor noted that the amendment had not been accepted by Councillor Buckley and put it to the vote which was lost.

 

126.22      The Mayor then put the following motion to the vote:

 

               “Recently the Department for Education identified the playing fields situated between BHASVIC and Cardinal Newman as the most suitable permanent location for the King's Free School. The recommendation takes advantage of recent legislation allowing the government to transfer council-owned land to an academy or free school. This transfer does not compensate the council for the loss of land. 

 

               This council notes that Government ministers and/or private consultants paid to source the cheapest location do not take into account the value of the land to the local community.

 

               In keeping with the Olympic legacy, playing fields and green spaces need to be protected to encourage sports participation, teamwork and an appreciation of the local environment. Studies conducted by the Greenwich Teaching Primary Care Trust show a lack of access to green space is a main factor in predicting poor mental health and vitality. 

 

               This council believes that the government's 'Land Transfer Scheme' undermines councils, and obstructs the strategic delivery of new school places. We remain unconvinced of the necessity of a role for central government in deciding the locations for the local provision of maintained schools. 

 

               Therefore, this Council calls on the Government:

 

-        To stop appropriating council-owned land without recompense or consideration of its value to the wider community;

 

-        To instead reinstate councils’ funding for building new schools;

 

-        To allow local authorities to identify suitable sites for educational purposes and not have them imposed by central government.”

 

126.23      The motion was carried.

 

 

(f)                       Brighton and Hove – A One Planet City

 

126.24      The Notice of Motion as detailed in the agenda was proposed by Councillor Littman on behalf of the Labour & Co-operative Group and seconded by Councillor Mac Cafferty.

 

126.25      The Mayor then put the following motion to the vote:

 

               “At a time when Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, at the Council of foreign relations [1], talked of “the gathering threat of climate change,” we are proud that Brighton and Hove has received accreditation from BioRegional as the World’s first One Planet City.

 

               BioRegional’s recognition is far from being the end of the project - merely an encouraging step on the way. We now need to make the agreed Action Plan, produced by the council’s Sustainability Team, into a reality.

 

               This excellent plan sets out clear and practical ways in which we will save money from the public purse; cut carbon; improve our local communities; and strengthen the economic and environmental resilience of our city.

 

               For example we are slashing our energy and water bills by cutting down on waste, and supporting residents and businesses around the city to do the same. Paying the living wage puts money back into resident’s pockets; thus supporting local businesses.

 

               Globally cities such as Brighton and Hove produce 75% of carbon emissions but are also uniquely placed to combat climate change through technological innovation. We will support the Eco Technology show, which gives a platform and networking opportunities for business in this burgeoning sector.

 

               Already, many organisations in the city are working with us, applying One Planet Living principles to boost our local economy, become more resistant to price hikes in energy, fuel and food, and fostering a more equal, healthy and resilient Brighton & Hove.

 

               To that end this council resolves to:

 

-                Welcome the historic One Planet City designation, the prestige it brings to our city, and the unique opportunity to showcase our strengths and innovation;

 

-                Support the council’s Sustainability Action Plan;

 

-                Express support for work with partners within the City and beyond, whose invaluable contributions have helped earn our city this accreditation.”

 

 [1] http://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/climatechange/pages/gateway/template/news_item.jsp?cid=39006

 

126.26      The motion was carried.