(i) The Right to Food
A motion had been received and set out in the Summons in the names of:
Councillors J Black, S Briggs, R Cathcart, A Cummings, C Cummins, R Gold, J Grimshaw, M Hayes, S Haroon, T Holt, D Jones, K Leach, G McGill, C Morris, B Mortenson, E O’Brien, A Quinn, T Rafiq, A Simpson, L Smith, S Smith, Sarah Southworth, Susan Southworth, T Tariq, K Thomas, S Walmsley, C Walsh and M Whitby
This Council notes that:
The Covid Pandemic has laid bare the vast inequalities that exist across communities. The crisis has highlighted the levels of poverty and inequality that has manifested itself in the lack of access to food. A recent analysis of Greater Manchester shows that an additional 4500 children have crossed the poverty threshold and have become eligible for free school meals. Data from the DWP also shows the number of households who receive Universal Credit in the region has increased to 252, 609 from 149,638 in February 2020. The government’s constant u-turns on the issue has added to the stress of food insecurity and increased workloads on key workers. This insecurity is increased by the government’s failure to agree to incorporate the additional £20 uplift in Universal Credit payments as a permanent measure.
The government is undertaking an independent review intended to set out a vision and a plan for a better food system for England, the National Food Strategy. The review will include economic and social issues.
The ‘Right to Food’ campaign, launched by Fans Supporting Foodbanks, calls for a change in the law to make access to food a legal right for all in the UK making Government legally responsible to help people suffering from food poverty. Greater Manchester has become the first city-region to support a campaign which calls for the ‘Right to Food’ to become a legal requirement.
In addition, Sustain a powerful alliance of organisations and communities working together for a better system of food, farming and fishing, and cultivating the movement for change, some of the measure it advocates are that Local Authorities should:
Measures that this Labour administration has supported.
This Council resolves to:
(ii) Tackling Litter
and working towards cleaner communities
A motion had been received and set out in the Summons in the names of:
Councillors M Powell, C Tegolo and S Wright
Bury Council commits to tackling issues with litter across our
Borough and to working for cleaner streets and public spaces across
our communities.
Council notes that:
· The existing work of the Authority in tackling rubbish and fly-tipping, and that additional resource has been put into this area of work.
· The Keep Britain Tidy Campaign offers local authorities the opportunity to become a member of a Network, which provides access to specialist advice and support.
· The campaign is also promoting a Love Parks campaign and a Charity Bin sponsorship scheme whereby the monies raised from recycling cans deposited in designated local authority bins is contributed to local charities.
· Several national supermarket chains are now operating trials of reverse vending machines, where customers are rewarded for returning used cans and bottles for recycling.
· The Government department DEFRA has also previously published a voluntary code for local businesses and local business partnerships to sign up to and reduce the litter that results from fast food businesses.
Council recognises that:
· Whilst we are committed to tackling litter across Bury, and to working for cleaner streets and public spaces across our communities, we cannot do this alone.
· In the battle for cleaner streets and public spaces, we must involve the public and our business partners in a co-operative effort.
· There are community champions and organisations commendably ‘doing their bit’.
· The Keep Britain Tidy and DEFRA initiatives provide extra opportunities and an extra incentive for members of the public and business partners to become actively engaged and empowered in tackling the litter which blights our streets.
· In doing their bit, residents and business will help the Council to make the streets, district centres, parks and public amenities of our Borough cleaner and more inviting to residents and visitors.
Council resolves to:
· Promote participation in litter prevention activities to members of the public, community, faith and youth groups, and businesses through our social media, website and existing email-outs to partners.
· Ask the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to examine the merits of becoming a local authority member of the Keep Britain Tidy Network, and identify which of the campaign’s initiatives, including Love Parks and Charity Bins, could be introduced in the Borough.
· Ask the Chief Executive to write to national supermarket chains with stores in this borough asking them to consider Bury as the location for a future trial of a reverse vending machines.
· Promote take up of the DEFRA voluntary code amongst our fast-food businesses and local business partnerships and seek their sponsorship for the introduction of a Charity Bin scheme and for public education programmes.
Please note the Conservative Notice of Motion has been withdrawn
Minutes:
A motion had been received and set out in the Summons in the names of:
(i) Right to Food
This Council notes that:
The Covid Pandemic has laid bare the vast inequalities that exist across communities. The crisis has highlighted the levels of poverty and inequality that has manifested itself in the lack of access to food. A recent analysis of Greater Manchester shows that an additional 4500 children have crossed the poverty threshold and have become eligible for free school meals. Data from the DWP also shows the number of households who receive Universal Credit in the region has increased to 252, 609 from 149,638 in February 2020. The government’s constant u-turns on the issue has added to the stress of food insecurity and increased workloads on key workers. This insecurity is increased by the government’s failure to agree to incorporate the additional £20 uplift in Universal Credit payments as a permanent measure.
The government is undertaking an independent review intended to set out a vision and a plan for a better food system for England, the National Food Strategy. The review will include economic and social issues.
The ‘Right to Food’ campaign, launched by Fans Supporting Foodbanks, calls for a change in the law to make access to food a legal right for all in the UK making Government legally responsible to help people suffering from food poverty. Greater Manchester has become the first city-region to support a campaign which calls for the ‘Right to Food’ to become a legal requirement.
In addition, Sustain a powerful alliance of organisations and communities working together for a better system of food, farming and fishing, and cultivating the movement for change, some of the measure it advocates are that Local Authorities should:
· Support fair pay by promoting the Real Living Wage to the local council and employers
· Ensuring children’s access to food 365 days a year
· Supporting services that provide financial crisis support and advice
· Developing an alliance and action plan to tackle food poverty.
· Support measures to improve the uptake of Healthy Start vouchers
Measures that this Labour administration has supported.
This Council resolves to
· Endorse the campaign for the ‘Right to Food’ to be incorporated into the ‘National Food Strategy’.
· Endorsing a legal mechanism for enforcing the right to food. The mechanism could set out responsibilities for the wide range of public bodies who would need to take action to improve incomes (such as the introduction of the RLW), control every day costs (such as utility costs) and improve access to good food (such as free school meals 365 days of the year).
· To write to the Independent Lead of the National Food Strategy commission to support the incorporation into law the Right to Food.
· To work with other authorities within the Greater Manchester region to develop ‘No Child Should Go Hungry’ campaign.
· To write to Government that the £20.00 uplift in Universal Credit should be retained permanently and for government funding of food vouchers to children entitled to Free School Meals during the school holidays.
On being put, with 30 voting for, 16 voting against, and with the Mayor abstaining, the Mayor declared the motion carried.
(ii) Tackling Litter and working towards cleaner communities
A motion had been received and set out in the Summons in the names of: Councillors: Powell, Tegolo and S Wright
Bury Council commits to tackling issues with litter across our Borough and to working for cleaner streets and public spaces across our communities.
Council notes that:
· The Keep Britain Tidy Campaign offers local authorities the opportunity to become a member of a Network, which provides access to specialist advice and support.
· The campaign is also promoting a Love Parks campaign and a Charity Bin sponsorship scheme whereby the monies raised from recycling cans deposited in designated local authority bins is contributed to local charities.
· Several national supermarket chains are now operating trials of reverse vending machines, where customers are rewarded for returning used cans and bottles for recycling.
· The Government department DEFRA has also previously published a voluntary code for local businesses and local business partnerships to sign up to and reduce the litter that results from fast food businesses.
· Existing good work that the Authority has done towards tackling litter and fly-tipping and the good work of many voluntary and community groups.
Council recognises that:
· Whilst we are committed to tackling litter across Bury, and to working for cleaner streets and public spaces across our communities, we cannot do this alone.
· In the battle for cleaner streets and public spaces, we must involve the public and our business partners in a co-operative effort.
· There are community champions and organisations commendably ‘doing their bit’.
· The Keep Britain Tidy and DEFRA initiatives provide extra opportunities and an extra incentive for members of the public and business partners to become actively engaged and empowered in tackling the litter which blights our streets.
· In doing their bit, residents and business will help the Council to make the streets, district centres, parks and public amenities of our Borough cleaner and more inviting to residents and visitors.
Council resolves to:
· Promote participation in litter prevention activities to members of the public, community, faith and youth groups, and businesses through our social media, website and existing email-outs to partners.
· Ask the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to examine the merits of becoming a local authority member of the Keep Britain Tidy Network, and identify which of the campaign’s initiatives, including Love Parks and Charity Bins, could be introduced in the Borough.
· Ask the Chief Executive to write to national supermarket chains with stores in this borough asking them to consider Bury as the location for a future trial of a reverse vending machines.
· Promote take up of the DEFRA voluntary code amongst our fast-food businesses and local business partnerships and seek their sponsorship for the introduction of a Charity Bin scheme and for public education
On being put, with 46 for voting for, 0 voting against, and with the Mayor abstaining, the Mayor declared the motion carried.