| C.211 | (A) FAIRFIELD HOSPITAL - CHILDREN’S SERVICES
The following Motion had been received and set out in the Summons:-
It was moved by Councillor Bevan and seconded by Councillor Creswell that:-
“This Council welcomes the decision by the Secretary of State for Health to stop the planned closure of the Children’s Services Department at Fairfield Hospital pending a review to ensure the planned reconfiguration meets the new criteria issued by the Secretary of State, recognises the importance of the views of local GP’s in this process and urges all local GP’s particularly in the North of the Borough to submit their views to the NHS review process and in making their submissions they reflect the wishes of Bury residents who overwhelmingly want maternity and children’s services to be retained at Fairfield Hospital.”
In the names of Councillors: I Ahmed, I Bevan, R Bibby, D Bigg, R Brown, R Caserta, S Cohen, Y Creswell, I Gartside, D Gunther, M Hankey, J Harris, D Higgin, S Hurst, S Magnall, S Penketh, J Taylor, B Theckston, B Vincent, R Walker, J Walton, M Wiseman and Y Wright.
An amendment was moved by Councillor Connolly and seconded by Councillor Smith that:
The Motion be amended by the deletion, in line 1, of the word “welcomes” and the substitution of the word “questions” and the addition of the following paragraph:
‘We demand that the Secretary of State for Health fulfils his pledge to the people of Bury, “If I am Secretary of State for Health after the General Election, Maternity and Children’s Services will be maintained at Fairfield and I will ensure this happens.”
Source Conservatives: Election Special 5 May 2010.’
The amendment on being put, 23 members voted for, 23 against and with no abstentions, was declared carried following the Mayor’s casting vote.
The substantive motion on being put, 44 members voted for, none against, and with one abstention, was declared carried.
(Note: One Member had left the Chamber when the substantive motion was put)
(B) LOCAL AREA PARTNERSHIPS
The following Motion had been received and set out in the Summons:-
It was moved by Councillor Shori and seconded by Councillor Parnell
“This Council recognises the vital role of the Local Area Partnerships in delivering local solutions for residents. We note with concern the decision to suspend all funding from the Area Based Grant to the Local Area Partnerships. We, therefore, call on this Council to re-instate forthwith funding to the Local Area Partnerships.”
In the names of Councillors: A Audin, K Audin, D Boden, D M Cassidy, M Connolly, S Costello, A J Cummings, J Grimshaw, T Holt, A Isherwood, J Lewis, A K Matthews, N Parnell, A Quinn, K Rothwell, R Shori, J Smith, T Tariq and S Walmsley.
An amendment was moved by Councillor Pickstone and seconded by Councillor O’Hanlon that:-
The Motion be amended by the deletion of “We therefore call on this Council to re-instate forthwith funding to the Local Area Partnerships”, and the addition of the following paragraph.
“We therefore call for a report to be considered by the Internal Scrutiny Committee outlining proposals for how the LAP Grants can be re-instated in the current and future financial years, and to ensure that all available advice and information on alternative sources of funding for local projects is made available to groups as needed.”
The amendment on being put, 46 members voted for, none against and with one abstention, was declared carried.
(C) Electoral Registration
The following Motion had been received and set out in the Council Summons:-
“This Council is committed to ensuring that all of our residents who are eligible to vote are registered to vote. The electoral register is the foundation stone of our democracy and we have a duty to ensure that it is both accurate and complete - helping to empower citizens and increase public engagement in the democratic process.
This Council believes that the Council should take every effort to ensure that the 2010 electoral register in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury is as complete and accurate as possible, so as to provide a proper basis for any revision to electoral boundaries in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury. In addition, this Council notes that the Electoral Commission currently believes that approximately 3.5 million people are missing from registers in England and Wales alone and that this trend is especially stark amongst many specific social groups.
This Council, therefore, directs:
1. The Electoral Registration Officer and his staff to conduct door-to-door inquiries at all households where no-one responds to a letter requiring registration, with at least two personal calls on all non-responding households:
2. That an effective advertising campaign is launched now to encourage people to register, targeted at social groups among whom under-registration is known to be a problem and targeted at residents in those neighbourhoods where the electoral register is believed to have the lowest levels of completeness;
3. The Chief Executive to ensure a joined-up approach across all parts of the Council to encourage residents to register to vote;
4. The Electoral Registration Office to ensure that in the absence of any evidence that a particular household is empty or that the electors have moved or died, that the names in all such non-responding households should be carried over. ”
In the names of Councillors: A Audin, K Audin, D Boden, D M Cassidy, M Connolly, S Costello, A J Cummings, J Grimshaw, T Holt, A Isherwood, J Lewis, A K Matthews, N Parnell, A Quinn, K Rothwell, R Shori, J Smith, T Tariq and S Walmsley.
The motion on being put, 46 members voted for, none against and with one abstention, was declared carried.
At this stage, in the proceedings, the Mayor informed Members that it was 10.20 pm, and under Council Procedure Rule 9.1 business should be concluded.
It was moved and seconded that standing orders be suspended in order to enable the meeting to continue.
The motion on being put, 16 members voted for, 30 against and with one abstention, was declared lost.
The Mayor called upon the Leader to move The Closure Motion in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 9.
The Leader moved and it was: |