Agenda item

Notices of Motion

Meeting of County Council, Thursday 29 September 2022 10.00 am (Item 6.)

To consider the following motions submitted by members in accordance with Standing Order 5:

(1) Liberal Democrat Motion: Cost of Living

This Council recognises that we are in the middle of the worst cost of living crisis for 50 years and that it is having a major effect on many local people:

This Council therefore calls for a local Cost-of-Living Emergency Summit to be arranged, with stakeholders, including Citizens Advice, Food Banks, Local Trades Unions, Chambers of Commerce and local MPs to explore how more local help can be provided for those struggling with the cost of living – including extending the use of discretionary payments.

This Council also notes that increasingly Local Authorities are developing ‘Library Plus or ‘Warm Bank’ schemes, to give residents a place to stay warm and keep the cost of bills at home down after school and during evenings and weekends. The Council requests the Chief Executive to develop a funded plan for the use of ‘Warm Banks’ across the County which will include later opening for Libraries and other council owned buildings. where possible.

Finally this Council requests that the Leader writes to the Secretary of State expressing this Council's concerns over the impact that the cost of living is having on residents and also writes to the Mayor of the West Midlands Combined Authority and Leaders of all other Local Authorities in the West Midlands Region asking them to pass similar motions so we can take a united stand as Local Government to force the Government to do more to help local people.

Proposer: Councillor Jerry Roodhouse

Seconder: Councillor Sarah Boad

(2) Labour Motion: Cost of Living

In response to the current rate of inflation and its effect on the residents and businesses of Warwickshire, this Council will

• Expand on the information already available on the County Council Website, to create a ‘Cost of Living Hub’ as an online resource offering practical and financial advice to struggling residents.

• Convene a local Cost of Living Emergency Summit, inviting stakeholders such as Citizen’s Advice, food banks, trade unions, charities and other partners to help address the current crisis.

• Work with partner agencies to develop a ‘One Warwickshire’ regular system of partnership reporting to help track the impact of the cost of living crisis at local level to grow our evidence base for our needs analysis and so we can target our response accurately.

• Work with community and voluntary organisations to develop a community response to the crisis, building on what already exists and taking a social justice approach. Ideas include a network of welcoming spaces where people can spend time, have access to Wi-Fi, free activities and support.

• Work with council staff and VCSE organisations to roll out signposting training to ensure we maximise opportunities to inform and support residents in crisis and direct them towards services that can advise on saving money on heating bills, employment and skills and wellbeing support.

• Seek to prioritise, subject to available funding, children’s centres and nurseries when faced with real-terms Government funding cuts to Local Authorities.

• Call on Party Group Leaders to lobby the Government to:

i. Keep benefit payments in line with inflation, in a system similar to the state pension ‘triple lock’; and

ii. Continue to provide free school meals during school holidays and for it to expand eligibility to include anyone in receipt of Universal Credit.

Proposer: Councillor Sarah Feeney

Seconder: Councillor Sarah Millar

(3) Green Motion: Affiliation to Electronics Watch

This Council will:

1. Investigate affiliation to Electronics Watch in order to support our efforts for supply chain accountability for procurement of ICT hardware, electronics, including solar panels and batteries.

2. Bring a report to Resources and Fire & Rescue Overview & Scrutiny no later than February 2023.

Proposer: Councillor Jonathan Chilvers

Seconder: Councillor Will Roberts

Minutes:

The meeting adjourned while Members considered the amended Motions which had been tabled. The meeting reconvened at 11.55am.

Cost of Living

Two motions had been received on this topic with an amendment from the Conservative Group on each and, in the circumstances, the Chairman considered that the two motions and amendments should be debated in the round.

Councillor Jerry Roodhouse moved the Liberal Democrat motion as printed on the agenda:

“This Council recognises that we are in the middle of the worst cost of living crisis for 50 years and that it is having a major effect on many local people:

In moving the motion, Councillor Roodhouse noted the decisions of the Bank of England and the impact that would have on mortgages and considered that the economic situation was due to wider causes than the war in Ukraine. He considered that the winter, which could be harder due to climate change, would prove particularly difficult. He considered that a co-ordinated mechanism in the form of a website was needed to support residents through the cost of living crisis and also considered that the council’s buildings could be utilised in support and that the covid network should be reinvigorated. He noted the amendment and supported debating the motions in the round.

Councillor Sarah Boad seconded the motion and reserved her right to speak.

Amendment:

“This Council recognises that we are moving into one of the most significant ~~in the middle of the worst~~ cost of living ~~crisis~~ crises ~~for 50 years~~ and that inflation it is having a major effect on many local people and businesses.

This Council also notes that increasingly Local Authorities are developing ‘Library Plus’ or ‘Warm Bank’ schemes, to give residents a place to stay warm and keep the cost of bills at home down after school and during evenings and weekends.

This Council welcomes work officers are undertaking to prepare a package of measures to support residents and communities with the cost of living, and a recent meeting of the six Warwickshire Council Leaders and Chief Executives to discuss the cost-of-living crisis.

The proposed cost of living measures will be presented to October Cabinet, in the context of an evaluation of the Government’s recently announced package of measures to support people with the cost of living. This Council calls for the report to include the following:

· Extending the Warwickshire Local Welfare Scheme to support residents over the winter

· ~~The Council requests the Chief Executive to d~~Developding a funded plan for ~~the use of “Warm Banks” across the County which will include later opening for libraries and other council owned buildings where possibl~~e a network of “Library Plus” or “Warm Hub” schemes, working with community and voluntary organisations, to give residents a place to stay warm and keep the cost of bills at home down after school and during evenings and weekends

· Working with key partners, expand on the information already available on the County Council Website, to create a “Cost of Living Hub” as an online resource offering practical and financial advice to struggling residents

· Convening a Warwickshire Cost of Living Summit to be arranged with key stakeholders and partners to help address the current crisis

· Working with community and voluntary organisations to develop a community response to the crisis, building on what already exists, and

· Working with Council staff and VCSE organisations to ensure we maximise the opportunities to inform and support residents in crisis and direct them towards services that can advise on saving money on heating bills, employment and skills and wellbeing support.

[Additions in bold and underlined]

In moving the above amendment, Councillor Isobel Seccombe considered that a consolidated coordinated approach was at its essence. She reflected on the risk to budgets and needed to understand how the cost of living was going to impact residents so that resources could be targeted appropriately between the county, district and borough councils, town and parish councils and the voluntary sector. To this end, she suggested the inclusion of town and parish councils wherever voluntary organisations were mentioned in the amendment. Councillor Seccombe noted that much of the amendment was already being anticipated with a report scheduled for Cabinet in October 2022. Meetings with district leaders and chief executives had taken place about a coordinated response and she considered that this approach would avoid duplication and recognise and support the role of other organisations such as the Citizens Advice Bureau. Councillor Seccombe was supportive of a Warwickshire Summit and noted that this would provide an opportunity to test proposals against need with partnership agencies. She did not accept that it was appropriate to write to the secretaries of state and instead believed the focus in Warwickshire should be on delivery with partners.

Cllr Heather Timms seconded the motion and reserved her right to speak.

Councillor Roodhouse accepted the amendment as friendly.

Councillor Sarah Feeney then moved the Labour motion as printed in the agenda:

“In response to the current rate of inflation and its effect on the residents and businesses of Warwickshire, this Council will

• Convene a local Cost of Living Emergency Summit, inviting stakeholders such as Citizen’s Advice, food banks, trade unions, charities and other partners to help address the current crisis.

• Seek to prioritise, subject to available funding, children’s centres and nurseries when faced with real-terms Government funding cuts to Local Authorities.

• Call on Party Group Leaders to lobby the Government to:

i. Keep benefit payments in line with inflation, in a system similar to the state pension ‘triple lock’; and

ii. Continue to provide free school meals during school holidays and for it to expand eligibility to include anyone in receipt of Universal Credit.”

In moving the motion, Councillor Feeney recognised the principle of local government to support and serve its communities. She noted that inflation had reached a 40 year high and there were 50% increases in energy prices. She recognised that people were already living in debt and struggling, and noted reports that even households with an income of £45,000 per year would struggle, that women would be disproportionately affected and those with disabilities were facing very difficult choices. She noted that impacts were not just on individuals, but also on businesses. She highlighted that the crisis was exacerbated by numerous factors, including low increases in real wages and cuts to benefits. Councillor Feeney went on to point out the increasing reliance on foodbanks. She urged the council to work with as many partner organisations as possible to ensure that the right information was delivered to the right people at the right time. She sought a practical solution that supported local families to remain in their homes.

Councillor Sarah Millar seconded the motion and reserved her right to speak.

Amendment:

“This Council recognises that we are moving into one of the most significant cost of living crises and that~~In response to the current rate of~~ inflation is having a major ~~and its~~ effect on ~~the~~ many local people ~~residents~~ and businesses. ~~of Warwickshire, this Council will~~

· Extending the Warwickshire Local Welfare Scheme to support residents over the winter

· developing a funded plan for a network of ‘Library Plus’ or ‘Warm Hub’ schemes, working with community and voluntary organisations, to give residents a place to stay warm and keep the cost of bills at home down after school and during evenings and weekends

· Working with key partners, Eexpand on the information already available on the County Council Website, to create a ‘Cost of Living Hub’ as an online resource offering practical and financial advice to struggling residents

· Conveninge a ~~local~~ Warwickshire Cost of Living ~~Emergency~~ Summit, to be arranged with key ~~inviting~~ stakeholders and ~~such as Citizen’s Advice, food banks, trade unions, charities and other~~ partners to help address the current crisis

· Work with partner agencies to develop a ‘One Warwickshire’ regular system of partnership reporting to help track the impact of the cost of living crisis at local level to grow our evidence base for our needs analysis and so we can target our response accurately.

· Working with community and voluntary organisations to develop a community response to the crisis, building on what already exists, and ~~taking a social justice approach. Ideas include a network of welcoming spaces where people can spend time, have access to Wi-Fi, free activities and support~~

· Working with council staff and VCSE organisations to ~~roll out signposting training to~~ ensure we maximise opportunities to inform and support residents in crisis and direct them towards services that can advise on saving money on heating bills, employment and skills and wellbeing support.

· ~~Seek to prioritise, subject to available funding, children’s centres and nurseries when faced with real-terms Government funding cuts to Local Authorities.~~

· Call on Party Group Leaders to lobby the Government to: i. Keep benefit payments in line with inflation, in a system similar to the state pension ‘triple lock’; and ii. Continue to provide free school meals during school holidays and for it to expand eligibility to include anyone in receipt of Universal Credit.”

[Additions in bold and underlined]

Councillor Isobel Seccombe moved the amendment above, noting that it brought the motions into alignment and lamented that this approach had not been taken from the outset. Again, she noted that the content of the amendment reflected the work that was already taking place to bring a paper to Cabinet in October 2022 and hoped that it supported the intentions of the original motion and what could be achieved by working together with other councils and organisations.

Councillor Heather Timms seconded the motion and reserved her right to speak.

Councillor Feeney accepted the amendment as friendly (with the similar addition of town and parish councils already suggested) and requested that all groups had an input into the summit, which was agreed by Councillor Seccombe.

Debate

Councillor Barbara Brown noted the impact on the third sector with increasing customers and reducing funding resulting in the need, in some cases, to use reserves. She pointed to statistics which demonstrated a decline in the third sector offer and noted that donations would also reduce as donors felt the impact of the cost of living themselves. Councillor Brown, therefore, cautioned against placing emphasis on the role of an unsupported third sector and asked that thought be given to the stress that was mounting on the sector.

Councillor Will Roberts welcomed the motions and recognised the need to work together to help Warwickshire residents. He noted that not all residents were connected to the internet and sought opportunities to connect with and signpost those residents too.

Councillor Adrian Warwick considered that conflict in Europe was the root cause of the current climate and he emphasised the need for unity at this time. He welcomed the inclusion of parish councils in the Motion and noted national support that had been made available for households.

Councillor Pete Gilbert welcomed the collegiate atmosphere in the Chamber. He stated that it was clear to him that local residents would struggle and it was important to ensure that action taken for them was effective. He noted that it was not just the vulnerable and elderly who might find themselves unable to access online services, but also those residents with pay as you go plans who may struggle to top up their credit. He noted that there was misinformation among residents and it would be important to make sure that messages were clear and accurate. Councillor Gilbert also acknowledged that there would be an impact on small businesses who were already struggling against the tide after the impacts of the credit crunch and Covid-19.

Councillor John Holland welcomed the agreement on the motions but was moved by the lack of action that local authorities could actually take and that the crisis had been building for some time. He believed that lobbying government was, therefore, key to the debate. He particularly noted widening inequalities and the rise of foodbanks. Councillor Holland sought a joint approach to the proposed summit to ensure that everyone who could make a valuable contribution through their attendance received an invite.

Councillor Jonathan Chilvers noted the stark portraits of the cost of living that had been shared. He believed that it made sense to take a co-ordinated approach and provide clear support and guidance for residents. Councillor Chilvers believed that there were many reasons for the current economic difficulties but that the situation had been exacerbated by recent fiscal moves by central government which would have long term implications for residents.

Councillor Heather Timms welcomed the united approach in the Chamber. She recalled the reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic which had supported growth in the voluntary sector and considered that this would provide a backdrop of support to the cost of living crisis. By way of illustration, she pointed to the introduction of community pantries. She also highlighted the importance of the skills agenda and the local welfare scheme. She emphasised the need to work together to do practical things to deliver results for residents of Warwickshire, including the establishment of a cost of living hub and the need for local councillors to be fully aware of the opportunities available so that they were well placed to provide advice and signposting to residents.

Councillor Isobel Seccombe noted that there was already a report being drafted on this topic which was due to be presented to Cabinet in October. However, events leading up to its publication could result in a change to its content and work with the district and borough councils was a particularly important factor that would be key to ensuring an appropriate delivery mechanism. Councillor Seccombe noted comments regarding overburdening the voluntary sector, recognising that many organisations were facing financial and capacity challenges. She noted that it would not be possible for the Council to solve the problem, but it was possible to make things easier and provide clarity on what support was available. The financial challenges ahead would also impact on the Council and, therefore, a practical approach was needed. She concluded that the summit would provide a worthwhile opportunity to bring together partners and the business sector.

Cllr Sarah Boad welcomed the discussion on joint working. She challenged assertions that the crisis was a result of conflict in Europe, considering that there were other economic reasons for the situation. She echoed comments about the need to manage misinformation, the impact of rising prices and welcomed the inclusion of town and parish councils in the response.

Cllr Sarah Millar reflected on the deletion of the word emergency from the motion despite the tone of the debate. She considered that the roots of the situation extended further back than the commencement of the war in Ukraine and highlighted the impact of the recent mini budget. She looked forward to the summit and urged more data tracking as she believed it was important to understand how the situation could be managed. She put on record her view that she did not think the amended motion was addressing the cost of living emergency in the right way.

Councillor Jerry Roodhouse considered that the debate had resulted in some interesting and valid comments. He reflected on recent events and the potential impact on local government. He echoed comments to revitalise and reinvigorate the Covid-19 network to tackle the cost of living crisis. He concluded by emphasising the need for central government to recognise the importance of local government and its ability to deliver results.

Councillor Sarah Feeney welcomed suggestions to utilise soft powers and thanked the chamber for recognising the impacts that the current situation had on local people and businesses. She reiterated comments that advice and information needed to be clear and precise with delivery methods on- and off- line. She also considered that there were a myriad of causes for the current situation.

Vote

A vote was held. The motions (as amended) were carried unanimously.

Resolved:

This Council recognises that we are moving into one of the most significant cost of living crises and that inflation having a major effect on many local people and businesses.

· Extending the Warwickshire Local Welfare Scheme to support residents over the winter

· Developing a funded plan for a network of “Library Plus” or “Warm Hub” schemes, working with community and voluntary organisations and town and parish councils, to give residents a place to stay warm and keep the cost of bills at home down after school and during evenings and weekends

· Convening a Warwickshire Cost of Living Summit to be arranged with key stakeholders and partners to help address the current crisis

· Working with community and voluntary organisations and town and parish councils to develop a community response to the crisis, building on what already exists, and

Green Motion: Affiliation to Electronics Watch

Councillor Jonathan Chilvers moved the following motion as printed on the agenda:

“This Council will:

Investigate affiliation to Electronics Watch in order to support our efforts for supply chain accountability for procurement of ICT hardware, electronics, including solar panels and batteries.

Bring a report to Resources and Fire & Rescue Overview & Scrutiny no later than February 2023.”

In proposing the Motion, Councillor Chilvers recognised that devices were built all over the world, including areas where the workforce could be exploited during the metal extraction process. He noted that the number of devices procured by the Council was relatively small and it was, therefore, difficult to make an impact on the transparency of complicated global supply chains to reduce the impact on those being exploited. The Motion therefore sought to assist through an organisation called Electronics Watch. Details of the organisations’ website had been circulated prior to the meeting.

Councillor Will Roberts seconded the Motion and reserved his right to speak.

Debate

Councillor Sarah Boad supported investigating affiliation further and looked forward to hearing more in a future report.

Councillor Tim Sinclair had investigated the company’s website, and believed Electronics Watch to be an initiative from an organisation seeking radical change, with a political premise and an anti-corporate philosophy. He was, therefore, unable to support affiliation.

Councillor Sarah Millar considered that the Motion supported key themes important to the Council, including addressing the climate emergency, and therefore supported investigations into affiliation.

Councillor Warwick echoed the concerns of Councillor Sinclair. He noted that the Council had robust procurement methods in place and stated he would not be comfortable working with a politically motivated organisation.

Councillor Tracey Drew highlighted growing awareness of an increase in demand for resources and the impact on sourcing materials. She considered that this Motion represented an opportunity to counter these impacts and human exploitation in a small and meaningful way.

Councillor Isobel Seccombe considered that the organisation’s website did not have enough information and she felt it lacked credibility at the current time. In the future, this may change, but she currently felt it was more of a political statement. She urged the Chamber to be aware that agreeing to explore affiliation would divert finite resources away from other workstreams. She also pointed out that the Council had a credible procurement process.

Councillor Caroline Phillips countered comments about the organisation’s website, considering that it did not show political influence.

Councillor Ian Shenton reflected on the time that had been spent during this meeting focussing on the cost of living crisis and, in light of that, he believed that diverting attention and resources to explore affiliation at this time was not appropriate.

Councillor Will Roberts lamented the arguments against the motion. He emphasised that the motion was seeking investigation into affiliation and focussed on the independent, not for profit, status of the organisation which he stated other Councils had signed up with. He expressed the view that it was important to ensure public funds were spent in a fair and ethical way to address human rights issues around the world.

Councillor Jonathan Chilvers also expressed disappointment at the response to the Motion and did not recognise the poor characterisation of the organisation that had been put forward during the debate. He emphasised the independence and not for profit status of Electronics Watch and explained the aims of the organisation to make ethical links across the globe. He noted that, as an end consumer, the Council had more power as a buyer than many other people around the world. He considered this was a constructive tool to use in the procurement process and hoped that the principles of the Motion could be supported.

Vote

A vote was held and the Motion was defeated.