Agenda item - Deputations from members of the public.

A list of deputations received by the due date of 12noon on the 19 March 2021 will be circulated separately as part of an addendum at the meeting.

121.1      The Mayor reported that five deputations had been received from members of the public and that he would invite the spokespersons to introduce their deputation and for the relevant Chair to respond. He noted that 15 minutes were set aside for the consideration of deputations.

(1)  CLIMATE CHANGE & PLANT BASED DAYS IN SCHOOLS

121.2      The Mayor invited Ms Alison Plaumer as the spokesperson for the first deputation to come forward and address the council. The deputation related to climate change and having plant-based days in schools in Brighton and Hove.

121.3      Ms Plaumer spoke on the deputation relating to the issue of climate change and having plant-based days in schools.

121.4      Councillor  Hills thanked Ms Plaumer for her deputation and stated that she fully supported the aims outlined and hoped that the committee would give it full consideration.

121.5      The Mayor thanked Ms Plaumer for attending the meeting and speaking on behalf of the deputation. He explained that the points had been noted and the deputation would be referred to the Children, Young People & Skills Committee for consideration. The persons forming the deputation would be invited to attend the meeting and would be informed subsequently of any action to be taken or proposed in relation to the matter set out in the deputation.

121.6         RESOLVED: That the deputation be noted and referred to the Children, Young People & Skills Committee.

121.7         The Mayor then invited Madeleine Dickens as the spokesperson for the second deputation to come forward and address the council.

(2)   Deputation concerning HOSPITAL TRUSTS MERGER

121.8      The Mayor reported that five deputations had been received from members of the public and that he would invite the spokespersons to introduce their deputation and for the relevant Chair to respond. He noted that 15 minutes were set aside for the consideration of deputations.

121.7      The Mayor invited Ms Madeleine Dickens as the spokesperson for the second deputation to come forward and address the council. The deputation related to the proposed hospital trusts merger.

121.8      Ms Dickens spoke on the deputation relating to the issue of the proposed merger of the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals Trust and Western Sussex hospitals NHS Foundation Trusts.

121.9      Councillor  Evans thanked Ms Dickens for her deputation and stated that the 2013 Health Scrutiny Regs explicitly exclude constitutional changes (such as mergers) from Substantial Variations in Service (SViS) scrutiny, unless they also involve service change. The BSUH position is that the merger proposals do not entail any service change, hence there is no statutory role for HOSCs in this matter. However, BSUH were happy to engage with Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee informally, and a senior management team from the hospital trust came to the December 2020  HOSC meeting. In this meeting they gave a long presentation and answered member questions. Minutes of this discussion are publicly available on the Council website.

Separately from this Adam Doyle (Chief Executive Officer – Sussex NHS Commissioners) and Marianne Griffiths (Chief Executive NHS Trusts for Western Sussex Hospitals and BSUH) have also met with the Chairs of all Sussex HOSCs to talk through the merger plans.

With this context in mind I’m not sure what benefit there would be to looking at this again at HOSC, given that it sits outside HOSC legal powers and that BSUH have already presented to the committee.

121.10   The Mayor thanked Ms Dickens for attending the meeting and speaking on behalf of the deputation. He explained that the points had been noted and the deputation would be referred to the Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee for consideration. The persons forming the deputation would be invited to attend the meeting and would be informed subsequently of any action to be taken or proposed in relation to the matter set out in the deputation.

121.11      RESOLVED: That the deputation be noted and referred to the Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee.

121.12      The Mayor noted that the time allowed for the consideration of deputations had been reached and therefore confirmed that the remaining deputations listed on the agenda would be referred directly to the appropriate committee or held over for the July meeting following consultation with the spokespersons.