Agenda item - Notices of Motion.

(a)       Government Surveillance of Communications – The Database State.  Proposed by Councillor Brian Oxley.

 

(i) Amendment from the Green Group – Proposed by Councillor Jason Kitcat.

 

(b)       Democratic Accountability and the Quango State.  Proposed by Councillor Lynda Hyde.

 

(c)       Accelerated Development Zones.  Proposed by Councillor Ted Kemble.

 

(d)       Condemn Unfair Prepayment Meter Energy Prices.  Proposed by Councillor Anne Meadows.

 

(e)       Prepayment Meters.  Proposed by Councillor Jason Kitcat.

 

(f)        Wind Turbines.  Proposed by Councillor Warren Morgan.

 

(g)       Retail.  Proposed by Councillor Paul Steedman.

 

(h)       Easing the City’s Housing Crisis.  Proposed by Councillor Bill Randall.

 

(a)            Government Surveillance of Communications – The Database State

 

52.1       The Notice of Motion as detailed in the agenda was proposed by Councillor Oxley and seconded by Councillor Fallon-Khan.

 

52.2       Councillor Kitcat moved an amendment, seconded by Councillor Randall which was accepted by Councillor Oxley.

 

52.3       Councillor Elgood moved an amendment, seconded by Councillor Watkins which was accepted by Councillor Oxley.

 

52.4       The Mayor then put the following Notice of Motion as amended to the vote:

 

“This Council notes with grave concern the Home Secretary’s recent announcement of an Interception Modernisation Programme which will establish a central database of the electronic communications data records of all individuals in Britain. The proposals are as a result of the Government’s adoption into UK law of the EU Data Retention Directive 2006, which requires the introduction of such a scheme for internet communications by 1^st April 2009. A public consultation on the proposals is due to take place in early 2009.

 

Whilst this Council recognises the increasingly complex nature of investigating the terrorist threat, it believes that a database of this sort would represent a serious and unnecessary infringement of the ancient and hard-fought civil liberties of the people of Brighton & Hove and the rest of the country.

 

Notes that Home Office ministers describe the Intercept Modernisation

Programme as a ‘cross-government programme’ which will lead to unprecedented data sharing of our information in tax records, educational achievements, National Identity cards, the National Vehicle Tracking Database, CORE (the proposed central electronic electoral roll system), as well as our personal internet use.

 

This Council agrees with the Information Commissioner who stated recently that such proposals would be “a step too far for the British way of life”. Indeed, such an approach is counter-productive and hands a moral victory to the terrorists, and their apologists, who oppose the very democratic principles upon which our liberal society is founded.

 

This Council expresses concern with the proposals on the following grounds:

 

·       Cost – Government IT schemes are notoriously expensive. Initial estimates put the potential costs of the Interception Modernisation Programme at up to £12 billion.

·       Data security – The Government has an abysmal record of protecting personal information and sensitive data. Indeed, the Prime Minister recently admitted that “we cannot promise that every single item of information will always be safe”.

·       Efficacy – a recent report from the U.S. National Academies concluded that such a surveillance system would be inefficient, would create huge numbers of false leads and would be highly unlikely to detect or pre-empt terrorist attacks.

·       Surveillance overload – this is another in a long line of intrusive surveillance measures introduced or proposed by this government such as ID cards, the National DNA Database (which stores the DNA of innocent people) and the Contact Point child database.

 

Therefore, this Council instructs the Chief Executive:

 

·       To write to the Local Government Association and the Office of the Information Commissioner, requesting that they join the council in conveying to the Government their concern about the potential adverse impact on civil liberties of establishing a central electronic database.

 

·       To write to the Home Secretary expressing the views in this motion and asking her to reconsider her decision to push forward with such a wide array of hugely expensive programmes which threaten our civil liberties. 

 

·       To request that the Cabinet considers expressing the views set out in this motion as part of a response to the Home Office's consultation on the secondary legislation for ID Cards, which amongst other issues is seeking comment on the information held on the National Identity Register and the agencies required to share information held on citizens.”

 

52.5       The motion was carried.

 

 

(b)            Democratic Accountability and the Quango State

 

52.6       The Notice of Motion as detailed in the agenda was proposed by Councillor Hyde and seconded by Councillor Janio.

 

52.7       Councillor Duncan moved an amendment, seconded by Councillor Kitcat, which was put to the vote by the Mayor and carried.

 

52.8       Councillor Mitchell moved an amendment, seconded by Councillor Morgan, which was put to the vote by the Mayor and lost.

 

52.9       The Mayor then put the following Notice of Motion as amended to the vote:

 

“This Council believes that an over-reliance on unelected quangos and private enterprisesto deliver public services undermines the principle of democratic accountability that is fundamental to our society.  This Council thinks that local councils, and the partnership structure they head, are better positioned to deliver public services than either QUANGOs or privately-owned businessesbecause they command a clear democratic mandate from local residents.

 

This Council notes with concern that there has been a considerable growth in unelected, unaccountable QUANGOs and other private bodies over the last threedecades, from the privatisation of essential public services since the 1980s to the advent of the £2.6 billion a year South East England Regional Development Agency more than ten years later.

 

This Council believes this democratic deficit in the provision of public services requiresfundamental reform and wherever possible and appropriate, powers, resources and responsibilities should be devolved to directly-elected local authorities.

 

Therefore this Council:

 

Requests that the Chief Executive writes to the Minister for the Cabinet Office calling for him to:

 

a)    Encourage a higher proportion of all quango board appointments to be made from directly-elected local representatives or councillors – and that they should, in these times of economic hardship and increasing numbers of public sector redundancies, receive no extra pay or allowances for sitting on these bodies.

 

b)    Ensure that board members have a duty to stand down when they no longer represent the sector from which they were appointed.

 

c)     Introduce confirmation hearings in front of a House of Commons select Committee, or local authority overview & scrutiny committee (as appropriate), for all appointments to the board – and the annual budgets and accounts – of all QUANGOs, companies and other non-governmental organisations delivering public services.”

 

52.10    The motion was lost.

 

 

(c)            Accelerated Development Zones

 

52.11    The Notice of Motion as detailed in the agenda was proposed by Councillor Kemble and seconded by Councillor Oxley.

 

52.12    Councillor Elgood moved an amendment, seconded by Councillor Watkins, which was accepted by Councillor Kemble.

 

52.13    Councillor Turton moved an amendment, seconded by Councillor Mitchell, which was put to the vote by the Mayor and lost.

 

52.14    The Mayor then put the following Notice of Motion as amended to the vote:

 

“This Council believes that Accelerated Development Zones (ADZ) offer an innovative method for councils of raising much-needed funding for infrastructure investment and business growth. ADZs work by local authorities borrowing money against future additional business rate income that would be generated by new businesses following the development of new infrastructure. 

                            

Importantly, this additional income derives from new business creation rather than further taxation of existing business. ADZs are widely credited with the regeneration of industrial cities in the U.S., such as Pittsburgh and Chicago.

 

ADZs bring significant and additional benefits to local transformational projects which, without significant enabling infrastructure investment, would not otherwise be delivered. ADZs would, hence, have the potential to help deliver significant major projects in Brighton & Hove.

 

This Council welcomes the moves led by Birmingham City Council to establish an ADZ for the Birmingham city region. Research by the Core Cities Group has estimated that if an ADZ were introduced in the Eastside area of Birmingham, it would create up to 7,500 new jobs, 760 new homes and would add an extra annual Gross Value Added (GVA) to the local economy of £306 million.

 

This Council notes the Government’s efforts to give councils greater flexibility over business taxation through LAGBI, BIDS and recent proposals for supplementary business rates, but recognises that these measures don’t go far enough.

 

Therefore, this Council resolves to instruct the Chief Executive to:

 

·       Write to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government urging her to include provision for ADZs in the Business Rate Supplements Bill, currently before Parliament.

 

·       Write to the City’s three MPs urging them to support such a measure.

 

·       This Council also notes the concerns expressed in Parliament during the passage of the Business Rates Supplements Bill and urges the Government to resolve these before its final reading with a view of encouraging more flexible, localised and accountable business rate taxation, especially mindful of the impact of the recession on local businesses in the city.

 

·       This Council further requests that the Council's Overview and Scrutiny function to consider examining the possible benefits of ADZs for Brighton & Hove.”

 

52.15    The motion was carried.

 

 

(d)            Unfair Prepayment Meter Energy Prices

 

52.16    The revised composite Notice of Motion as detailed in the addendum papers was proposed by Councillor Meadows and seconded by Councillor Kitcat.

 

52.17    Councillor Caulfield moved an amendment, seconded by Councillor Mears, which was put to the vote by the Mayor and carried.

 

52.18    The Mayor then put the following Notice of Motion as amended to the vote:

 

“Since being appointed to the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Ed Miliband has made tackling unfair fuel pricing one of his main priorities.  

For 11 years, previous Labour Ministers have spectacularly failed to deal with fuel poverty. The Government’s own figures estimate that the number of ‘fuel poor’ households in England is now higher than at any time recorded since Labour came to power. Even the Government now accepts that it will fail to meet its legal duty to reduce fuel poverty in the time frame that it created.

Ed Miliband MP (Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change) warned,

     

     "The recent Ofgem report found that millions of vulnerable customers were losing out who were on pre-payment meters, off the gas grid, or served by companies that used to be the local monopoly.

 

     There can be no excuse for these practices, and unless all energy companies accept their responsibility for ending them, we will use our powers to do so."

 

Energy regulator Ofgem and the National Housing Federation have recently highlighted the unjustified overcharging for energy of those not on gas mains and those with prepayment meters.  

 

This Council welcomes Ofgem’s belated recognition that energy firms are not doing enough to reduce people’s fuel bills, but believes they should do more.

 

Ofgem began a six-week consultation on changes to the suppliers’ licences this month. This Council notes with concern that people in Brighton & Hove are struggling to heat their homes and pay their bills now, but the Government’s regulator is not likely take any decisions until the end of February.

 

The National Housing Federation report stated that customers using these meters typically paid £150 more a year than those paying by direct debit, and around £60 more than those who paid quarterly by cash or cheque. EDF, British Gas and Scottish and Southern Energy still charge gas pre-payment customers higher rates than their other customers.

 

This Council believes that the Government needs to do more to support the introduction of ‘smart meters’ in people’s homes. Smart meters cover both electricity and gas use (and can also cover water use), and offer accurate real-time information on households usage, allowing for accurate billing. Studies suggest smart meters offer a potential to deliver sustained energy savings of 5% to 10% for customers, and make people more conscious of their energy usage.

 

This motion asks that all members of the council;

 

•    Call on Ed Miliband to take real, effective action to make energy companies act more responsibly, which the Government has so far failed to do.

 

•    Support tougher action, in the form of legislation if energy companies fail to fairly regulate their energy prices, and refuse to stop targeting the most vulnerable members of our community.

 

•    Support the positive action taken by companies like Scottish Power who have already moved their prepayment tariffs in line with all other price plans.

 

•    Recognise that despite the increase in Winter Fuel Allowance in 2008, which ensured that all people over 60 received up to £250 and up to £400 for people over 80, older people still make up a significant proportion of the people suffering fuel poverty.

 

•    Welcome action by energy companies that have set up energy trusts or charities, such as British Gas energy trust and EDF energy trust which offer financial assistance and advice to low income families and individuals that are struggling to pay their bills.

 

•    Support the government-funded Warm Front scheme which aims to make homes warmer and more energy-efficient, by providing packages of insulation and heating improvements up to the value of £2,700 (or £4,000 if oil central heating is recommended). 

 

It therefore requests the Chief Executive to write:

 

1.  Calling on the Government to take action to end this ‘therm tax’ levied by the energy companies on pre-payment customers, who are generally people on low incomes struggling to make ends meet.

 

2.  Calling on the city’s three MPs to urge the Government to take action to end this iniquitous ‘therm tax’.

 

3. Responding to Ofgem’s consultation, entitled ‘Addressing unfair price differentials’, on the council’s behalf urging it to take stronger action against energy companies.

 

4.  Calling on the Government to introduce ‘smart meters’ to help people suffering fuel poverty reduce their energy bills.

 

5. Calling on the Government to make every energy company to offer social tariffs to vulnerable households and provide information on energy bills that clearly shows customers whether they are on the cheapest tariff offered by their energy company.” 

 

52.19    The motion was carried.

 

 

(e)            Pre-Payment Meters

 

52.20    The Mayor noted that following the submission of the composite notice of motion in (d) above, the notice of motion had been withdrawn.

 

(f)             Wind Turbines

 

52.21    The Notice of Motion as detailed in the agenda was proposed by Councillor Morgan and seconded by Councillor Hawkes.

 

52.22    Councillor Cobb moved an amendment, seconded by Councillor Steedman, which was accepted by Councillor Morgan.

 

52.23    The Mayor then put the following Notice of Motion as amended to the vote:

 

“This Council welcomes in principle the plans announced by the Government and the Crown Estate to spend £180 million, in conjunction with the private sector, on the placement of wind turbines off the Sussex Coast.

 

This council believes that the turbines would be a major addition to sustainable energy generation in the South East, providing up to 500 megawatts an hour for the National Grid and forming part of the national goal of 25 gigawatts by 2020.

 

Furthermore, this council welcomes the economic benefits and creation of ‘green-collar’ jobs that an offshore wind farm would potentially bring to Brighton & Hove, and endeavours to do everything possible to maximise these benefits for the City’s residents.

 

This Council also welcomes the work currently being carried out to consider the merits of setting up a local Energy Service Company (ESCO) in Brighton & Hove. This would not only utilise localised renewable energy sources but would also potentially lead to reduced energy bills for council house tenants.

 

This Council believes that increasing use of sustainable forms of energy including wind, tidal and solar generation will reduce our use of fossil fuel and give much needed help to the U.K. in meeting its target of producing 20% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. The UK’s current renewal energy production is only 4.6%.

 

This Council requests that the Chief Executive write to the Crown Estate andthe Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP, expressing our support for theoffshore wind farm plans and asking how Brighton & Hove can facilitate the development in order to make most economic benefit from it.”

 

52.24    The motion was carried.

 

 

(g)            Retail

 

52.25    The Notice of Motion as detailed in the agenda was proposed by Councillor Steedman and seconded by Councillor Kennedy.

 

52.26    Councillor Kemble moved an amendment, seconded by Councillor Smith, which was put to the vote by the Mayor and carried.

 

52.27    The Mayor then put the following Notice of Motion as amended to the vote:

 

“This Council gives its fullest support to Brighton and Hove’s unique, independent traders and wishes to ensure their long term viability.

 

This Council notes that:

 

·            Brighton and Hove’s smaller, independent traders are central to the appeal of the city to visitors and residents alike, and thus central to the creation and retention of local jobs;

 

·            The recession is making life particularly tough for these unique shops as people re-evaluate their spending and the Council has recently launched a Be Local, Buy Local campaign to support local traders; in addition to other positive council actions which include:

-             emergency ‘recession relief’ package

-             establishment of the economic taskforce

-             suspension of city centre roadworks over Christmas

-             promotion of small business rate relief

-             funding more business support clinics

 

·            The Centre for Cities recently estimated that Brighton could lose between 2400 - 7400 jobs in the period to 2011, and 30 - 40% of these could come from the retail and leisure sector;

 

·            This council recognises that the economy is in a state of flux; however the Retail Strategy 2006 identified capacity in Brighton & Hove for growth in convenience and comparison retailers in the longer-term.In many cases independent and high street retailers are not market competitors and a strong regional shopping centre is important to attract shoppers and tourists who support the independent sector.

 

This Council therefore:

 

·            Expresses its support for Brighton and Hove’s unique, independent retailers in these difficult financial circumstances and the council’s proactive action to support these important small businesses;

 

·            Acknowledges that the national and local economy is in a state of flux that may affect economic assumptions in the short term. Once economic conditions have stabilised for a sustained period, requests  the Cabinet consider whether it would be appropriate to take a fresh look at the assumptions behind, and conclusions of, the present Retail Strategy (a key background document to the emerging Local Development Framework), to make certain that they are still sound.”

 

52.28    The motion was carried.

 

 

(h)            Easing the City’s Housing Crisis

 

52.29    The Notice of Motion as detailed in the agenda was proposed by Councillor Randall and seconded by Councillor West.

 

52.30    The Mayor then put the following Notice of Motion to the vote:

 

“This council notes with regret the calamitous effects of the recession on the city’s regeneration programme, which has left many development sites in Brighton and Hove in limbo and the affordable house-building programme in disarray.

It also notes the empty buildings on some these sites, which could be used to help tackle the city’s housing crisis by providing homes for some of the 11,000 households with their names on the Brighton and Hove housing waiting list and the many more who fill the ranks of the hidden homeless in the city.

The council therefore asks:

 

1.          The Cabinet to consider the possibilities of carrying out an audit of all development sites to indentify any buildings that could be brought back into use on a temporary basis for housing and other purposes. 

 

2.          The Chief Executive write to the government and the Housing and Communities Agency to make short-life funding available through the social housing programme 2008/11 to make suitable buildings habitable as homes. 

 

3.          The Chief Executive to write to the city’s three MPs to support the council’s call for short-life funding.”

52.31    The motion was lost.