Agenda item - Notices of Motion.

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

 

(a)          Local Welfare Assistance Fund.  Proposed by Councillor Daniel.

 

(b)          Establish a Community Fund.  Proposed by Councillor Simson.

 

(c)          ‘ActionAid’ Towns Against Tax Dodging Campaign.  Proposed by Councillor Littman.

 

(d)          NHS.  Proposed by Councillor Shanks.

 

(e)          Christmas Parking and Roadworks Suspension.  Proposed by Councillor G. Theobald.

(a)             Local Welfare Assistance Fund

 

39.1         The Notice of Motion as listed in the agenda was proposed by Councillor Daniel on behalf of the Labour & Co-operative Group and seconded by Councillor Wilson.

 

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

 

              “This Council is deeply concerned by the Government’s decision to scrap the Local Welfare Assistance Fund from April 2015 without any evaluation of the effectiveness of the fund; a move which has been condemned by the cross-party Local Government Association.

 

This Council supports those authorities, including neighbouring West Sussex and East Sussex County Councils, who have been lobbying for the fund to continue and requests that the Chief Executive write to Eric Pickles at DCLG seeking an assurance for the continuation of the fund in 2015/16 and for the Department to work with the Local Government Association and local authorities to review the future operation of the fund in subsequent years.”

 

39.3         The Mayor confirmed that the motion had been carried unanimously.

 

(b)             Establish a Community Fund

 

39.4         The Notice of Motion as listed in the agenda was proposed by Councillor Simson on behalf of the Conservative Group and seconded by Councillor K. Norman.

 

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

 

“The Council requests that Policy & Resources Committee use the money saved as a result of local government strike action this financial year to establish a Community Fund which local community and voluntary sector organisations can bid to for one-off capital funding projects.”

 

39.6         The Mayor confirmed that the motion had been lost by 16 votes to 31.

 

(c)             ‘ActionAid’ Towns Against Tax Dodging Campaign

 

39.7         The Notice of Motion as listed in the agenda was proposed by Councillor Littman on behalf of the Green Group and seconded by Councillor Wakefield.

 

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

 

“This Council resolves:

 

“To offer its support to the ActionAid 'Towns Against Tax Dodging' campaign, and, to that end:

 

(1)       Asks the Chief Executive to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to request an urgent review of the taxation system to remove all loopholes which currently allow for corporate tax avoidance; and

 

(2)       To write to all local MPs, asking for them to also pledge their support for this campaign.”

 

39.9         The Mayor confirmed that the motion had been carried by 31 votes to 16.

 

(d)             NHS

 

39.10      The Notice of Motion as listed in the agenda was proposed by Councillor Shanks on behalf of the Green Group and seconded by Councillor Hawtree.

 

39.11      Councillor Morgan moved an amendment on behalf of the Labour & Co-operative Group which was seconded by Councillor Robins.

 

39.12      The Mayor noted that the Labour & Co-operative Group’s amendment had not been accepted by Councillor Shanks and put the amendment to the vote which was lost by 12 votes to 34.

 

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

 

“Brighton & Hove City Council calls for the last fifteen years of privatisation of the National Health Service to be overturned, and the NHS returned to being a public service funded by, run by and accountable to local and national government.

 

This council believes that the NHS should be a cradle to grave service that works in tandem with social care services. However this council is concerned that instead of proper funding from general taxation, desperately-needed budgets are being directed to overheads involved in schemes such as commissioning healthcare and PFI contracts.  This negatively impacts residents of our city who use local NHS services, as well as social care services provided by this council.

 

Therefore this council opposes the legislation and changes introduced by current and previous governments, of the Health and Social Care Act, which forces those with commissioning responsibilities to put out virtually all services to tender.

 

We therefore also support campaigns such as Defend the NHS who campaign for markets for profit to be kept out of health care delivery.”

 

39.14      The Mayor confirmed that the motion had been carried by 30 votes to 16.

 

39.15      In accordance with Procedural Rule 17, Councillor Bowden moved a closure motion to effectively terminate the meeting.

 

39.16      Councillor Davey formally seconded the motion.

 

39.17      The Mayor stated that a closure motion had been moved and put the matter to the vote which was carried by 26 votes to 18 with 2 abstentions.

 

39.18      The Mayor stated each of the remaining items would need to be taken and voted on or withdrawn by the mover before the meeting was concluded. He noted that the remaining item was No. 39(e).

 

(e)             Christmas Parking and Roadworks Suspension

 

39.19      Following the motion to terminate the meeting, the Mayor asked Councillor G. Theobald if he wished to withdraw the motion or for it to be taken and whether he would accept the Labour & Co-operative Group’s amendment that has been circulated with the addendum.

 

39.20      Councillor G. Theobald indicated that he wished the item to be taken and that he did not accept the amendment.  He also asked for a recorded vote.

 

39.21      The Mayor noted that the Labour & Co-operative Group’s amendment had not been accepted by Councillor Theobald and put the amendment to the vote which was lost by 12 votes to 34.

 

39.22     The Mayor then asked for the electronic voting system to be activated and put the following motion to the vote:

 

“This Council resolves to

 

1.      Request that officers bring a report to the appropriate Committee which, if agreed, would introduce free parking at Norton Road, London Road, Regency Square, High Street and Trafalgar Street car parks on Small Business Saturday (6^th December) and the 3 Sundays before Christmas (7^th, 14^th and 21^st December).

 

2.     Request that the Executive Director of Environment, Development & Housing seeks the suspension of all non-urgent roadworks in the city centre during December.”

 

39.23      The Mayor confirmed that the motion had been carried by 28 votes to 16.

 

	For	Against	Abstain			For	Against	Abstain
Barnett	?				Meadows	?
Bennett	?				Mears	?
Bowden		X			Mitchell	?
Brown	?				Morgan	?
Buckley		X			A Norman	?
Cobb	?				K Norman	?
Daniel	?				Peltzer Dunn	?
Davey		X			Phillips		X
Deane		X			Pissaridou	?
Fitch	?				Powell		X
Gilbey	?				Robins	?
Hamilton	?				Shanks		X
Hawtree		X			Simson	?
Hyde	?				Smith	?
Janio	?				Sykes		X
Jarrett		X			C Theobald	?
A Kitcat		X			G Theobald	?
J Kitcat		X			Wakefield		X
Lepper	?				Wealls	?
Littman		X			Wells	?
Mac Cafferty		X			West		X
Marsh	?				Wilson	?
					Total	28	16