Agenda and minutes

Councillor Connolly declared an interest in any item which related to staffing as his partner is an employee of Bury Council.

2.  Councillor Jones declared an interest in any item which related to staffing as his wife is an employee of Bury Council.

3.  Councillor Holt declared a personal interest in Minute C.447(2) “Notice of Motion – Royal Mail,” as he is a retired postman and a member of the Communications Workers Union.

4.  Councillor Walmsley declared a personal interest in Minute C.447(2)”Notice of Motion – Royal Mail”, as she is a member and activist of the Communications Workers Union.

5.  Councillor Bevan declared a personal interest in Minute C.447(1), “Notice of Motion – School Meals,” as his spouse is employed at Summerseat Methodist Primary School and he has a child in that School’s Reception Class who will benefit from the Central Government Proposal.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 11 September 2013 be signed by the Mayor as a true and correct record. 

1.     The Mayor referred to the recent passing of former Councillor and former Mayor, Winston Ramsey, and Members observed a brief silence as a mark of respect.

2.     The Mayor referred to the following forthcoming events:-

·         Local Democracy Week was taking place between 14 and 21 October 2013, and events programmed included a talk on Democracy on Thursday, 17 October 2013 and a Question Time Session on Saturday 2 November 2013.

·         The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers would be staging a Homecoming Parade on Tuesday, 19 November 2013.

·         The Mayor would be hosting a charity Afternoon Tea on Friday, 25 October 2013.

The Mayor reported that there were no written questions from members of the public.  Questions were invited from members of the public present and the following issues were raised:-

Minutes 1 and 2 of the meeting of the Democratic Arrangements Forum on
3 October 2013 – Managing the Business of Council – Deadline for Member Questions to the Leader and the Six Month Rule.

It was moved by Councillor Connolly and seconded by Councillor John Smith and it was:-

Resolved:

(1)     That the deadline for receipt of questions from Members to the Leader at meetings of the Council be changed to Midnight on the Thursday prior to the Wednesday Council Meeting. 

(2)     That Council Procedure Rule 16 be amended to read as follows:-

          “16.1 Motion to rescind a Previous Decision

A motion or amendment to rescind a decision made at a   meeting of Council within the past six months cannot be moved.

16.2   A Committee or Sub-Committee of the Council acting under   delegated powers may rescind a resolution adopted under delegated powers within a period of six months provided the Summons to attend the meeting of the Committee or Sub-Committee contains a notice that the matter is to be reconsidered.

          16.3  Motion Similar to One Previously Rejected.

A motion or amendment in similar terms to one that has   been rejected at a meeting of the Council in the past six months cannot be moved.”

(a)    Written questions (Notice given)

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Connolly, made a statement on the work undertaken by him since the date of the last Council meeting.  The Leader and the relevant Cabinet Members answered questions raised by Councillors on the following issues:

Due to the lack of time to answer questions 10 to 13 inclusive, the Leader gave an undertaking that copies of the answers to those questions will be circulated to all Councillors.  The Leader also gave an undertaking to make these available on the Council Web Site.

(b) Oral questions on the work of the Cabinet since the last Council meeting (without Notice)

(a)        Councillor Connolly, the Council’s representative, on the Crime and Police Panel, gave a verbal report on the work of the Committee to all Members of the Council.

(b)        The following questions had been received in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11.2.

A report of the Leader was submitted which sought approval to revised Terms of Reference of the Corporate Parenting Panel and a change of title to “Corporate Parenting Board.”

It was moved by Councillor Connolly and seconded by Councillor John Smith that the report be approved and it was

Resolved

That the draft Terms of Reference for the Corporate Parenting Panel (CPP) be approved and in future the CPP to be known as the Corporate Parenting Board.

Three Notices of Motion have been received in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 12:-

1.Government Announcement regarding School Meals

A motion had been received and set out in the Summons in the names of Councillors O’Hanlon and Pickstone. 

“This Council welcomes the announcement by the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg that all pupils in reception and years 1 & 2 will receive a hot school meal free of charge.

 Council notes that:

a - Around over 6,800 pupils in Bury schools will be eligible for a hot lunchtime meal.

b - It is estimated that this will save families an average of £437 per year - a £2.5 million annual saving for Bury families (assuming 100% take up of existing free school meals).

c - Pilot schemes have indicated that where meals have been provided pupils have been two months ahead of their peers academically and increased literary and numeracy levels by 5%.

d - Universal free meals have also improved behaviour and concentration levels at schools in the pilot areas.

e - Research by the Children’s Food Trust has indicated that up 14% of low income families have failed to make a claim for free school meals.

f - Universal free meals will assist hard pressed families who are struggling to balance the family budget.

Council Resolves:

To work with our local schools and with parents to ensure a successful roll-out of this initiative and in particular to ensure that the provision of appropriate healthy meals.”

It was moved by Councillor Campbell and seconded by Councillor Heneghan as an amendment that the motion be amended by the addition of the following:-

 “Although this Council welcomes any initiative to support hard pressed families who are struggling to balance the family budget, this Council believes that this initiative does not come close to addressing the hardship this Government has placed on families in Bury, many of whom are having to resort to food banks, pay day lenders and loan sharks to feed their families.  This Council condemns the relentless cuts in funding for Bury and the impact this has on hard pressed families.

The Council would also like to raise its concerns regarding the discussions taking place presently that this initiative would be funded through the ‘pupil premium’. Taking into consideration the Chancellor of the Exchequer announcing in his summer review that there will be a 20% reduction in the Educational Services Grant, this will place further pressures on schools and appears at odds with the Government policy that schools budgets will be ring fenced.”

The amendment on being put with 27 voting for, 15 against and one abstention was declared carried.

The following substantive motion on being put with 27 voting for, 0 against and 16 abstentions was declared carried:-

“This Council welcomes the announcement by the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg that all pupils in reception and years 1 & 2 will receive a hot school meal free of charge.

 Council notes that:

a - Around over 6,800 pupils  ...  view the full minutes text for item C. 447

There were no Scrutiny Review Reports or specific items “called in” by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to be considered at this Council meeting.

There were no written questions on the work of the outside bodies or partnerships on which the Council is represented, submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11.2.

There were no written questions asked on the delegated decisions of the Committees or Scrutiny Committee contained in the Digest of Decision No.d 4 (2013-2014).