Issue - meetings

Councillor Hamilton moved and Councillor Cazimoglu seconded the following motion:

“This Council condemns the financial and re-organisational pressures being imposed upon the NHS by this Tory led government which, in Enfield, has resulted in the announcement that the Evergreen Walk-In Centre will reduce opening hours.

Now that Andrew Lansley has been spectacularly sacked by David Cameron, we call upon the new Secretary of State for Health to properly fund Primary Health Care in Enfield and address the £70million shortfall needed for the development of Primary Health Care provision.”

Following a lengthy debate, the motion was put to the vote and agreed with the following result:

For: 28

Against: 23

Abstention: 0

Councillor Hamilton moved and Councillor Rye seconded the following motion:

“This Council deplores the 100s of police vacancies, plus secondments out to other boroughs that is the current situation in Enfield, which is having a detrimental impact on Safer Neighbourhood teams especially in our most deprived wards.

Knife and gang crime is a serious concern and the Council is opposed to any shortfall and reduction to police numbers in the borough which would limit the ability to apprehend offenders who are members of gangs and carry and use knives.

We urge the GLA and MOPAC to review the policing numbers in Enfield and raise staffing levels to the numbers required to meet the Borough’s policing priorities.

This Council also believes that imprisoning people for violent knife crime is only half the battle.  It is vital that the criminal justice system provides the resources and expertise required to rehabilitate all young offenders rather than allowing them to languish in prison and become hardened criminals.”

During the debate it was noted that Councillor Hamilton (as Cabinet member for Community Wellbeing and Public Health) would:

·              inform Councillor Rye (as Chair of the Crime & Safety and Stronger Communities Scrutiny Panel) of the representation to be submitted to the GLA and MOPAC regarding the review of police numbers within the borough; and

·              be willing to provide Councillor Rye with the opportunity to co-sign the representation, should he be minded to support its wording.

Following a short debate on the motion Councillor Lavender moved and Councillor Neville seconded that the motion be put to the vote.  This was agreed without a vote.

The motion was then put to the vote and agreed unanimously.