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.   Councillors Pickstone and Parnell declared personal interests in respect of the Notice of Motion relating to the NHS Crisis as their respective partners are employed in the NHS.

6.   Councillor Quinn declared a personal interest in respect of the Notice of Motion relating to the NHS Crisis as his son is employed in the NHS.

7.   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 held on 30 November 216.

RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the Meeting of Council held on 30 November 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 congratulated Bury residents Sharon Bannister, Steve Grant and Betty Kenyon who had been recognised in the Queen’s New Years Honours List.

The Mayor reported that over five thousand pounds had been raised for Charity through December’s Mayoral Ball.

The Mayor paid tribute to all those who had showed their support at this year’s Holocaust Memorial Service.

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 eight written questions as set out below:

Meeting of the Cabinet held on 14 December 2016 – Mid Year Review Treasury Management Strategy

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

RESOLVED:

That approval be given to the addition of the Greater Manchester bodies to the Counterpart Investment List.

Meeting of the Cabinet held on 25 January 2017 – Mayoralty 2017/18

It was moved by Councillor Shori and seconded by Councillor Gartside and it was:-

RESOLVED:

That Councillor Dorothy Gunther be proposed as Mayor of Bury for 2017/2018.

The following Notices of Motion have been received:-

(i)                 Elections Pilot Scheme

Council welcomes the publication in August 2016 of the review into electoral fraud carried out by Sir Eric Pickles in his role as the Government’s Anti-Corruption Champion.

Council further welcomes the 50 recommendations contained in the review. In particular council wishes to see:

a)   Photo I.D being requested by voters and proxy voters at polling stations, along the lines of the system already in use in Northern Ireland

b)   Robust checks on nationality to make sure only those entitled to vote do vote

c)   Tightening of the law/rules regarding postal and proxy voting.

The review also advises that systems for voter photo ID at polling stations should be piloted and suggests doing this in areas that are considered at higher risk of electoral fraud.

Council resolves to either write to Government to volunteer as another pilot area for this scheme or runits own pilot scheme at the next Local Government elections in 2018.

In the names of Councillors I Bevan, R Caserta, J Daly, I Gartside, D Gunther, M Hankey, J Harris, R Hodkinson, K Hussain, G Keeley, O Kersh, S Nuttall,  I Schofield, D Silbiger,  R Walker, and Y Wright

(ii)                NHS Crisis

The NHS is facing the most serious crisis since its inception in 1948. The British Red Cross has described it as “humanitarian crisis”; something we normally hear about in Third World countries, not from the world’s fifth largest economy.

The Conservative government have claimed that the NHS is safe in their hands, far from this being the case, they have:

·         Created a funding crisis through the worst financial settlement in NHS history.

·         Created chaos through top down reorganization and increased bureaucracy.

·         Sold off huge chunks of the NHS to private providers.

This has led to:

·                     Increased waiting times.

·                     Ward closures.

·                     Rationing of services.

·                     Cuts to staffing.

This winter we have witnessed the distressing scenes of our residents waiting on trolleys outside A & E departments, not seen by a doctor for hours; in some cases dying in ambulances or in corridors. The complacency of the Prime Minister and the Health Secretary is staggering; they refuse to accept any responsibility for this situation and attempt to blame hard-working GPs for not being flexible enough with their opening times.

This Council resolves to write to the Prime Minister and the Health Secretary demanding that they:

·                     Restore the NHS as an accountable public service.

·                     Reverse the market place culture within the NHS.

·                     Abolish the purchaser/provider split; end contracting and re-establish public bodies and public services accountable to local communities.

·                     Support real integration of Health and Social Care.

·                     Restore the duty of government to provide health services fairly across England.

·                     Cancel its £22 billion cuts to the NHS.

In the names of Councillors  P Adams, N Bayley, J Black, S Briggs, R Cathcart, M Connolly, A Cummings,  E FitzGerald, J Grimshaw, S Haroon T Holt, M James, D Jones, J Kelly, S Kerrison, J Lewis, A Mckay, J  ...  view the full agenda text for item C. 529

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

(i)     Elections Pilot Scheme

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

Councillors I Bevan, R Caserta, J Daly, I Gartside, D Gunther, M Hankey, J Harris, R Hodkinson, K Hussain, G Keeley, O Kersh, S Nuttall,  I Schofield, D Silbiger,  R Walker, and Y Wright

It was moved by Councillor Caserta and seconded by Councillor Gartside that:-

Council welcomes the publication in August 2016 of the review into electoral fraud carried out by Sir Eric Pickles in his role as the Government’s Anti-Corruption Champion.

Council further welcomes the 50 recommendations contained in the review. In particular council wishes to see:

a)   Photo I.D being requested by voters and proxy voters at polling stations, along the lines of the system already in use in Northern Ireland

b)   Robust checks on nationality to make sure only those entitled to vote do vote

c)   Tightening of the law/rules regarding postal and proxy voting.

The review also advises that systems for voter photo ID at polling stations should be piloted and suggests doing this in areas that are considered at higher risk of electoral fraud.

Council resolves to either write to Government to volunteer as another pilot area for this scheme or runits own pilot scheme at the next Local Government elections in 2018.

It was moved by Councillor Walmsley and seconded by Councillor Parnell as an amendment to:-

Amend Para 1 to read:

Council notes the publication in August 2016 of the review into electoral fraud carried out by Sir Eric Pickles and the government response to it published on 27^th December 2016.

Amend Para 2 to read:

Council further notes the 50 recommendations contained in the review. In particular Council wishes to see:

Delete points a) b). Replace with:

a)  Greater powers to the returning officer and police to address unwanted behaviour in and around polling stations;

b)  Guidance and training for staff operating polling stations to ensure satisfactory behaviour within polling stations;

Retain:

c)   Tightening of the law/rules regarding postal and proxy voting

Add:

d)  The banning of cameras/camera phones or recording equipment being used within polling stations;

Retain:

The review also advises that systems for voter photo ID at polling stations should be piloted and suggests doing this in areas that are considered at higher risk of electoral fraud.

Replace final Para with:

Council resolves to await the outcome of the pilot schemes in the high risk areas following the Local Government elections in 2018.

On being put, with 34 voting for, 16 against and the Mayor abstaining the Mayor declared the amendment carried.

On being put, with 34 voting for, 16 voting against, and with the Mayor abstaining, the Mayor declared the substantive motion carried.

(ii)              NHS Crisis

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

Councillors P Adams, N Bayley, J Black,  ...  view the full minutes text for item C. 529

Report from the Leader of the Council attached.

Resolved:

The Contract Procedure Rules (Amendment to the Constitution) were duly approved.

(A)        A report from the Council’s representative on the work of Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority, Councillor Bayley

(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

Resolved:

The Joint Authority report was duly noted.

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.

Questions on the delegated decisions made by the Regulatory Committees and Scrutiny Committees contained in the Digest of Decision 4, 2016/2017 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 4.

There were no questions on the Delegated Decisions of the 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 10 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.

The Mayor called upon the Leader to move the Closure Motion in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 9, and with 50 voting for, 0 against and 1 abstention it was:-

RESOLVED:

That the whole of the remaining business before Council be approved.

THE WORSHIPFUL THE MAYOR

Note:   The meeting started at 7.00 pm and ended at 10.35 pm