Agenda item

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 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. 

 

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.”

 

2.      Royal Mail

 

A Motion had been received and set out in the Summons in the names of:-

 

Councillors A Audin, K Audin, M Bailey, D Bailey, N Bayley, J Black, P Bury, G Campbell, S Carter, D M Cassidy, J Columbine, M Connolly, A J Cummings, E FitzGerald, L Fitzwalter, J Frith, J Grimshaw, S Haroon, P Heneghan, T Holt, A Isherwood, M A James, D Jones,  J S Lewis, A K Matthews, N A Parnell, A Quinn, K Rothwell, R Shori, A Simpson, S Smith, J Smith, S Southworth, T Tariq and S Walmsley.

 

It was moved by Councillor Holt and seconded by Councillor John Smith:-

 

“This Council recognises the hard work carried out by our local postmen and women in delivering the Royal Mail Universal Service Obligation. The Council also recognises the huge changes Royal Mail have made to improve the service, address the pensions deficit and ensure the business is more successful, efficient and profitable. 

 

The Coalition Governments' plans to sell off this national institution will undoubtedly have a detrimental effect on service levels,  the uniform pricing structures and impact disproportionality on those living in rural areas. The privatisation could also jeopardise job security and protection of our “posties” conditions of employment. 

 

This Council therefore calls upon our two Constituency MP's to lobby the Government immediately to oppose the Privatisation of the Royal Mail. Our MP's should also ensure the Government works progressively with both Royal Mail and the Unions to further enhance the organisation and the service offered to businesses and the wider public.” 

 

It was moved by Councillor Walmsley and seconded by Councillor Parnell that the motion be amended as follows:-

 

“Paragraph 2:

 

Delete: "The Coalition Governments' plans to sell this national institution"

 

Insert: "This Council regrets the Privatisation of Royal Mail which..."

 

Paragraph 3:

 

Delete: "oppose the Privatisation of the Royal Mail. Our MP's should also."”

 

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

 

(At this stage in the Proceedings it was moved by Councillor Daly and seconded by Councillor Gunther that the question be now put with 27 voting against, 15 for and one abstention the motion was declared lost.)

 

The following substantive motion on being put with27 voting for, 15 against and one abstention was declared carried:- 

 

“This Council recognises the hard work carried out by our local postmen and women in delivering the Royal Mail Universal Service Obligation. The Council also recognises the huge changes Royal Mail have made to improve the service, address the pensions deficit and ensure the business is more successful, efficient and profitable. 

 

This Council regrets the privatisation of Royal Mail which will undoubtedly have a detrimental effect on service levels,  the uniform pricing structures and impact disproportionality on those living in rural areas. The privatisation could also jeopardise job security and protection of our “posties” conditions of employment. 

 

This Council therefore calls upon our two Constituency MP's to lobby the Government immediately to ensure the Government works progressively with both Royal Mail and the Unions to further enhance the organisation and the service offered to businesses and the wider public.”

 

3.       Broadband Services

 

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, K Hussain, S Nuttall, B Vincent, R Walker, J Walton, M Wiseman and Y Wright.

 

It was moved by Councillor Gartside and seconded by Councillor Daly:-

 

“This Council notes the crucial role that high speed broadband now plays in people's everyday lives.  However, there are still many rural communities in our Borough that do not have access to high speed broadband.

This Council views this situation as a serious inequality that should be addressed immediately. 

 

Therefore, this Council resolves to push for all rural and any remaining urban areas in our borough that do not have high speed broadband to receive their share of the £990,000 of Government funding held by the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities.

 

This Council also resolves to do everything it can to ensure that high speed broadband is turned on as quickly as possible once the funding has been received from AGMA.”

 

On being put, the motion was unanimously declared carried.