Agenda and draft minutes

Members of the Council are requested to declare any interests which they have in any items or issues before the Council for determination.

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

2.   Councillor Bevan declared a personal interest in any item which related to staffing as his wife is an employee within a Bury School.

3.   Councillor Mallon declared a personal interest in any item which related to staffing as his wife is an employee within a Bury High School.  

4.   Councillor S Wright declared a personal interest in any item which related to staffing as his wife is an employee within a Bury School.

5.   Councillor R E Walker declared a personal interest in respect of the ongoing Library Review as a Member of the Re-instate Bury Central Library Group.

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

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the last Meeting of the Council held on 14 September 2016 (Copy attached)

RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the Meeting of Council held on 14 September 2016 be signed by the Mayor as a true and correct record.

To receive communications from the Mayor and any announcements by the Leader of the Council or the Chief Executive on matters of interest to the Council.

The Mayor reported on the success of Council in this year’s North West in Bloom awards.

The Mayor congratulated Mrs Elsie Rigby who has been awarded the British Empire Medal.

The Mayor paid tribute to Rev. Dr John Findon, who is due to retire as Rector of Bury in January 2017.

Members stood in silent tribute to remember holocaust survivor, Mr Mayer Hersh, who had died at the age of ninety.

To answer questions from members of the public, notice of which has been given, on any matter relevant to the Council or its services to the community. Up to 30 minutes will be set aside for this purpose. If time permits, further questions will be invited from members of the public present.

The Mayor reported the receipt of three written questions as set out below:

On inviting questions from members of the public present, the following issues were raised:-

There were no recommendations of Cabinet or Council Committees.

To receive a Statement from the Leader of the Council on the work of the Cabinet and to answer written questions from Members of the Council to the Leader and Cabinet Members on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties which affect the Borough, provided the necessary written notice has been given.

Verbal questions on the work of the Cabinet since the last Council meeting will be allowed subject to a limit of one question per Councillor.

(a)                   Written question (Notice given)

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Shori, 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 17 to 29 inclusive, the Leader gave an undertaking that copies of those questions and responses 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 Leader’s Speech and the work of the Cabinet since the last Council meeting (without Notice)

(A)        A report from the Council’s representative on the work of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, Councillor Matthews

(B)        Questions (if any) on the work of the Joint Authorities to be asked by Members of the Council for which the necessary notice has been given in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11.2

The Joint Authority report was duly noted.

A report from the Cabinet Member for Strategic Housing and Support Services and Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and HR is attached.

It was moved by Councillor Walmsley and seconded by Councillor Lewis and it was:-

RESOLVED:

That the scheme introduced with effect from 1^st April 2013 be amended from 1^st April 2017 to 31^st March 2018 in line with the recommendations set out in the report. 

A report from the Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing is attached.

It was moved by Councillor Holt and seconded by Councillor R E Walker and it was:-

RESOLVED:

That the appointment of provider members to the Health and Wellbeing Board, effective from the current Municipal Year and as set out in the report, be approved.

The following Notices of Motion have been received:-

(i)                 Funding for Community Pharmacies

This Council notes:

The £170million reduction in NHS funding for community pharmacies announced on December 17th 2015 which could put many out of business

The announcement made by the Government on September 5th 2016 of the delay to the cuts which were originally due to be introduced in October 2016 

The scrapping of plans to introduce a “hub and spoke” model for community pharmacies 

This Council believes that:

The Government's plans threaten patient access to pharmacies and pharmacy services in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury and that the recent announcements are causing uncertainty about future investment in pharmacy services

Our local pharmacies are at risk of closure or being forced to cut services such as free delivery of prescription drugs, family planning advice and advice on medicines

This will put more pressure on GPs and hospitals and impact social services and is at odds with the local Clinical Commissioning Group's desire to increase the use of pharmacists to ease pressure on GPs.

This Council resolves to:

Request that the Chief Executive writes to the Secretary of State responsible calling for the Government to abandon these cuts, rather than just simply to postpone them, and to make a commitment to maintaining a fully-funded community pharmacy service 

Request that the Chief Executive also writes to the Borough’s two Members of Parliament and to the Chair of the NHS Bury Clinical Commissioning Group asking them to make similar representations on this matter to the Secretary of State

In the names of Councillors M D’Albert, T Pickstone and S Wright.

(ii)                Protecting children from alcohol advertising

This Council notes:

·         That alcohol can be enjoyed in a responsible way by adults.

·         That alcohol can cause serious and fatal diseases, including several types of cancers; that the UK Chief Medical Officers’ Alcohol Guidelines advise both men and women that it is safest not to drink regularly more than 14 units per week, to keep health risks from drinking alcohol to a low level

·         The UK Chief Medical Officer advises not to drink on consecutive days and to have at least THREE Alcohol Free days in a week

·         The UK Chief Medical Officer  Advises that no child under the age of 15 should consume alcohol

·         That there are 4,120 alcohol-related hospital admissions every year in Bury.

·         That alcohol can only be legally purchased by adults over 18 years old.

·         That the advertising of alcohol is designed to make products more appealing and in turn can appeal to children and young people.

·         That the Science Committee of the European Alcohol and Health Forum concluded in 2009 that “alcohol marketing increases the likelihood that adolescents will start to use alcohol, and to drink more if they are already using alcohol”.

·         That underage drinkers are more likely to be a victim of crime and those who get drunk at least once a month are twice as likely to commit a criminal offence as those who don’t.

·         That  ...  view the full agenda text for item C. 385

Three Notices of Motion had been received and set out in the Summons.

(i)     Funding for Community Pharmacies

A motion had been received and set out in the summons in the names of:

Councillors M D’Albert, T Pickstone and S Wright.

It was moved by Councillor Pickstone and seconded by Councillor D’Albert that:-

This Council notes:

The £170million reduction in NHS funding for community pharmacies announced on December 17th 2015 which could put many out of business

The announcement made by the Government on September 5th 2016 of the delay to the cuts which were originally due to be introduced in October 2016 

The scrapping of plans to introduce a “hub and spoke” model for community pharmacies 

This Council believes that:

The Government's plans threaten patient access to pharmacies and pharmacy services in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury and that the recent announcements are causing uncertainty about future investment in pharmacy services

Our local pharmacies are at risk of closure or being forced to cut services such as free delivery of prescription drugs, family planning advice and advice on medicines

This will put more pressure on GPs and hospitals and impact social services and is at odds with the local Clinical Commissioning Group's desire to increase the use of pharmacists to ease pressure on GPs.

This Council resolves to:

Request that the Chief Executive writes to the Secretary of State responsible calling for the Government to abandon these cuts, rather than just simply to postpone them, and to make a commitment to maintaining a fully-funded community pharmacy service. 

Request that the Chief Executive also writes to the Borough’s two Members of Parliament and to the Chair of the NHS Bury Clinical Commissioning Group asking them to make similar representations on this matter to the Secretary of State

On being put, with no-one voting against the Mayor declared the motion carried

(ii)     Protecting Children from Alcohol Advertising

A motion had been received and set out in the summons in the names of:

Councillors P Adams, N Bayley, J Black, S Briggs, R Cathcart,  A Cummings, M Connolly,  E FitzGerald, J Grimshaw, S Haroon, T Holt, M James, D Jones, J Kelly, S Kerrison, J Lewis, A Mckay, J Mallon, A Matthews, E O’Brien, N Parnell, C Preston, A Quinn, R Shori, R Skillen, S Smith,  Sarah Southworth, Susan Southworth, T Tariq, J Walker, S Walmsley and M Whitby.

It was moved by Councillor Mckay and seconded by Councillor Cathcart that :-

This Council notes:

·         That alcohol can be enjoyed in a responsible way by adults.

·         That alcohol can cause serious and fatal diseases, including several types of cancers; that the UK Chief Medical Officers’ Alcohol Guidelines advise both men and women that it is safest not to drink regularly more than 14 units per week, to keep health risks from drinking alcohol to a low level                       

·         The UK Chief Medical Officer advises not to drink on consecutive days and  ...  view the full minutes text for item C. 385

There were no scrutiny review reports or specific items called in by   the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Questions on the work of Outside Bodies or partnerships on which the Council is represented to be asked by Members of the Council (if any).

There were no questions on the work of Outside Bodies or Parnterships.

Questions on the delegated decisions made by the Regulatory Committees and Scrutiny Committees contained in the Digest of Decision 3 published  since the last ordinary meeting of the Council, providing four clear working days’ notices has been given of the question.

Members are asked to bring to the meeting their copy of Digest 3