Agenda item - Motions

Agenda item

Motions

12.1      Motion in the name of Councillor Laban

 

“The officers who work in the group offices do an exceptional job supporting past and present councillors. Enfield Council wishes to thank officers in both groups for their tireless dedication to the borough and its residents over many years. Their work has been greatly appreciated by councillors and residents.”

 

12.2      Motion in the name of Councillor Laban

 

“Enfield Council is committed to delivering fairness and equality. However, it currently has one of the highest levels of nepotism in Local Government. This council agrees to deliver on its promise to tackling inequality by reducing the level of nepotism that exists within the organisation. This act will give a strong signal to the local community as well as Officers that we are truly committed to delivering fairness and equality.”

 

12.3    Motion in the name of Councillor Alessandro Georgiou

 

“For all future international tournaments, the St. George’s Flag should have a prominent place within the chamber whilst the England team is still in the tournament.”

 

12.4      Motion in the name of Councillor Nesil Caliskan

 

“London Borough of Enfield has significant inequalities. Enfield Council serves a complex borough with extremes of poverty and affluence and one of the most diverse areas in England.

 

This Council is committed to delivering high quality public services to create a borough of opportunity for all residents with vibrant, inclusive and economically strong communities.


Outstanding and responsive council services provide residents with an excellent quality of life. They are a catalyst to tackling deep rooted inequalities to ensure every resident can achieve their full potential. Public services also provide an essential safety net to support the most vulnerable from the worst excesses of Tory-imposed austerity. 


Outsourcing a local authority in its entirety is a long-held Tory municipal fantasy, first articulated by Margaret Thatcher in the late 1980s. Large Tory-run authorities in Cornwall, Suffolk and Barnet embarked on their own high-profile versions of this Thatcherite model, claiming that impoverishment gave them no choice but to pursue large-scale privatisation. 

 

Enfield Council rejects this failed Tory model of municipalism.


By 2019, local government funding will have been cut by 70% since 2010, and further cuts are planned. Local authorities are, therefore, reviewing how they deliver services in the light of severe budgetary pressure.  There is evidence that many councils are bringing a significant number and range of services back in-house to gain maximum value from decreasing resources. 


Enfield Council believes that bringing services back in-house is desirable.  The benefits of insourcing or direct council provision include: 
•       Improving efficiency and reducing costs 
•       Involving local people in the design of services
•       Delivering better satisfaction levels and outcomes
•       Enhanced public accountability and ownership 
•       Delivering genuine social impact
•       The ability to integrate a range of services 
•       Reducing cost and time spent managing contracts 
•       Greater staff motivation and improved service quality 
•       Creating expertise and capacity in the council

 

This Council will conduct a realistic analysis on a service-by-service basis to determine the best option whether it be insourcing or direct council provision, contracted services, co-operatives, mutuals and trusts, as well as partnerships with other boroughs.


This Council welcomes the recent decisions to insource services and resolves to support the renewed commitment from the Cabinet to recognise the benefits of direct council provision when routinely considering options as contracts end.”

 

12.5      Motion in the name of Councillor Joanne Laban

 

“2018 commemorates 100 years since the end of the Great War. This chamber honours the sacrifice given by so many from our borough in that war. Their courage and bravery will never be forgotten”. 

 

12.6      Motion in the name of Councillor Alessandro Georgiou

 

“Modern day Anti-Semitism is rife throughout the UK, not only in today’s political discourse but also on our streets. The London Borough of Enfield is proud that it has always stood up to the vile and disgusting actions committed by anti-semites against our Jewish community, especially in recent years. 

This Council reinstates its commitment to the IHRA definition of Anti-Semitism and will pledge to do everything in its power to make sure our Jewish community is kept safe at all times.”

 

12.7      Motion in the name of Councillor Keazor

 

“Enfield Council notes:

 

1.            The obligations it owes to the Armed Forces community within Enfield as enshrined in the Armed Forces Covenant; that the Armed Forces community should not face disadvantage in the provision of services and that special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given the most.

 

2.            The absence of definitive and comprehensive statistics on the size or demographics of the Armed Forces community within the London Borough of Enfield. This includes serving Regular and Reserve personnel, veterans, and their families.

 

3.            That the availability of such data would greatly assist the council, local partner agencies, the voluntary sector, and national Government in the planning and provision of services to address the unique needs of the Armed Forces community within the London Borough of Enfield.

 

In light of the above, this council moves to support and promote The Royal British Legion’s call to include a new topic in the 2021 census that concerns military service and membership of the Armed Forces community. We further call upon the UK Parliament, which will approve the final census questionnaire through legislation in 2019, to ensure that the 2021 census includes questions concerning our Armed Forces community.”

 

12.8      Motion in the name of Councillor Hamilton

 

“The public health grant funds vital services that prevent ill health. Local authorities are responsible for delivering most of these services, but their ability to do so is compromised by public health grant reductions and the broader funding climate.

 

In 2018/19 and 2019/20 every local authority will have less to spend on public health than the year before. Taking funds away from prevention is a false economy. Unless we restore public health funding, our health and care system will remain locked in a ‘treatment’ approach, which is neither economically viable nor protects the health of residents. The Government is looking to phase out the Public Health Grant by 2020/21, it is vital that local authorities have enough funding to deliver the services we need to provide for deprived areas who often suffer the worst health outcomes.

 

Four in ten cancers are preventable, largely through stopping smoking, keeping a healthy weight and cutting back on alcohol. Smoking accounts for 80,000 early deaths every year and remains the largest preventable cause of cancer in the world. Additionally, obesity and alcohol account for 30,000 and 7,000 early deaths each year respectively. All three increase the risk of: cancer, diabetes, lung and heart conditions, poor mental health and create a subsequent burden on health and social care. 

 

This Council believes that the impact of cuts to public health by the current government has become impossible to ignore. We support Cancer Research UK’s call for increased and sustainable public health funding and we call on the Government as a matter of urgency, to deliver increased investment in public health and to support a sustainable health and social care system by taking a ‘prevention first’ approach. “

 

12.9      Motion in the name of Councillor Yasemin Brett

 

“The UK will leave the EU on March 29th, 2019 if the majority of MPs in parliament approve the final withdrawal agreement.

 

Uncertainty in the Conservative Government approach to Brexit has seen the pound drop to its lowest level against the dollar in August and the Bank of England to state economic activity will be hampered.  Savills Director of Residential research stated when you've got people borrowing bigger multiples of income, they are much more exposed to a change in sentiment of any degree of uncertainty about the impact of Brexit.

 

Crucially any form of Brexit is likely to weaken public finances which hits women the elderly and the young the hardest. It is also affecting social cohesion with an increase in hate crimes reported.

 

The Centre for London research already states there are fewer EU nationals seeking work in London. Skill shortages in construction, health and social care, important for Enfield which is home to both the North Mid and Chase Farm, the Meridian Water Regeneration project and numerous care homes could be affected. The Arts are also very seriously impacted.

 

This Council maintains that EU nationals living here should have a right to remain in the UK.

 

That the Council should identify all EU nationals in its workforce and those in its supply chains.

 

That the Council does all it can to protect the local economy by promoting public sector careers as an option through its schools.

 

That the Council continue to lobby with other London councils for motivation measures to be identified by Central government early.”

 

12.10   Motion in the name of Councillor Yasemin Brett

 

“The London Borough of Enfield and hopefully the CCG working in partnership will lobby NHS England to help redress the lack of appropriate funding to the local CAHMS. Funding needs to be based on local need. Enfield is less well funded than other London boroughs. Our children's mental health is our priority.”

 

12.11   Motion in the name of Councillor Doug Taylor

 

“Council notes that the Chancellor did not end the divisive austerity of the Tory government in the recent budget. They have presided over 8 years of economic failure and caused significant hardship to residents of the borough. This, in reality continues.


Enfield residents will continue to suffer the consequences of cuts to the Council budget, if welfare cuts are not reversed, mental health services remain undervalued, adult social care remains underfunded, school budgets remain in crisis, public sector pay remains squeezed. Council agrees to produce a report on the consequences of austerity for a Council meeting in early 2019.”

 

12.12   Motion in the name of Councillor Joanne Laban

 

“This Council is concerned that the local Member of Parliament for Edmonton continues to employ her son who has recently been convicted of drugs charges. Kate Osamor MP’s Office handles delicate information about Enfield residents and works closely with the Council, so it is right that our chamber puts on record it’s disdain for her action on this matter.”

Minutes:

The Mayor has agreed to accept the urgent motion set out below for the following reason.

 

The reason given as to why the motion had not been submitted earlier was because the motion had been about the incidents in Edmonton over the weekend, where some shooting and multiple stabbings had occurred.  Councillors have had many enquiries about the issue, and it was therefore felt that it was too important to wait until the next meeting.

 

Motion in the name of Cllr Terry Neville

 

Councillor Neville moved, and Councillor Laban seconded the following motion: 

 

“Following the shooting on Saturday 17 November of three men in Gordon Road and the soaring level of serious crime in Enfield and across the capital, the Council expresses its dismay at the continuing lack of action on the part of the Mayor of London and the Metropolitan Police Commissioner to re-prioritise the use of police resources to tackle this most serious problem. This has led to abysmally low detection and clear up rates. Against this background the council is also concerned at the cost of policing the increasing number of marches in central London (to which officers from all over London are drafted in to the centre), and urges the Mayor to seek to re -charge a fixed percentage of the policing cost to the march organizers, which would assist in funding additional officers for front line policing.

 

The council also condemns the Labour administration for not taking the issue more seriously and calls upon the cabinet member for community safety to bring forward proposals for tackling the root causes of gang related violence.

 

It further calls on the council to either instruct the Crime Scrutiny Panel to inquire into the problem, taking evidence from all interested parties, and to make recommendations to the council within six months, or to follow the successful precedent of the Conservative administration in2004/5 and set up a Special Commission to undertake such Inquiry.

 

Finally, it instructs the Director of Law and Governance to write to the Sentencing Council asking them to remind sentencers of both their power to depart from Sentencing Guidelines where, as now in respect of soaring levels of violent crime and burglary, deterrent sentences are required and to remind them that such sentences are exility provided for in section 142(1)(b), Criminal Justice Act 2003.”

 

During the debate, Councillor Ergin Erbil moved and Councillor Hasan seconded a procedural motion seconded the procedural motion 14.11 (a) (ii) that the question now be put.  This was not allowed by the Mayor, as she felt that sufficient debate had not taken place.

 

After further debate, Councillor Ergin Erbil moved and Caliskan seconded another procedural motion 14.11 (a) (ii) that the question now be put.  This was not allowed by the Mayor as she felt that sufficient debate had not taken place.”

 

Following further debate, the motion was put to the vote and not agreed with the following result:

 

For:  13

Against:  36

Abstentions: 0

 

The Mayor agreed to accept the following urgent motion for the following reason: 

 

The reason why the motion had not been submitted earlier was because the motion was about the incidents in Edmonton over the weekend, where a shooting and multiple stabbings occurred.  The Labour Group feel that the issue was far too important to wait until the next meeting. 

 

Motion in the name of Councillor Keazor

 

Councillor Keazor moved and Councillor Caliskan seconded the following motion:  

 

“Following reports of a shooting on Saturday 17 November in Gordon Road, injuring three men; and four men being found with stab wounds on Fraser Road on Sunday 18 November, the Council expresses its deep concern about the soaring level of serious and violent crime in Enfield.

 

The Council is concerned that Enfield has suffered from historic levels of under resourcing to the Metropolitan Police due to Conservative Government cuts. Our borough has lost far too many Police officers from our streets over the past few years. The Government's funding cuts of £7.7 billion equate to 30% less funding than in 2010 (according to the National Audit Office). The Council calls on the Government to put an end to austerity by providing urgently needed funding to the Metropolitan Police to ensure that Policing in Enfield is properly funded and that we have adequate numbers of Police officers on our streets.”

 

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

 

For: 37

Against: 3

Abstentions: 10

 

Councillor Ergin Erbil moved and Councillor Caliskan seconded a proposal under paragraph 2.2(B) of the Council procedure rules to change the order of items on the agenda so that that motions 12.7 and 12.5 be taken together as the next item of business.

 

This was agreed without a vote. 

 

Motions in the name of Councillor Keazor and Councillor Laban: 

 

Councillor Keazor moved and Councillor Laban seconded the following joint motion:  

 

“Enfield Council notes:

 

1.         The obligations it owes to the Armed Forces community within Enfield as enshrined in the Armed Forces Covenant; that the Armed Forces community should not face disadvantage in the provision of services and that special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given the most.

 

2.         The absence of definitive and comprehensive statistics on the size or demographics of the Armed Forces community within the London Borough of Enfield. This includes serving Regular and Reserve personnel, veterans, and their families.

 

3.         That the availability of such data would greatly assist the council, local partner agencies, the voluntary sector, and national Government in the planning and provision of services to address the unique needs of the Armed Forces community within the London Borough of Enfield.

 

In light of the above, this Council moves to support and promote The Royal British Legion’s call to include a new topic in the 2021 census that concerns military service and membership of the Armed Forces community. We further call upon the UK Parliament, which will approve the final census questionnaire through legislation in 2019, to ensure that the 2021 census includes questions concerning our Armed Forces community.”

 

2018 commemorates 100 years since the end of the Great War. This chamber honours the sacrifice given by so many from our borough in that war. Their courage and bravery will never be forgotten”.

 

Following the debate, the motions were agreed without a vote. 

 

The following motions lapsed under the guillotine:  12.1,12.2,12.3,12.4, 12.6, 12.8,12.9, 12.10, 12.11, 12.12

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