Minute 41 a, 41 e

Councillor Turner declared he would not take part as he was on a secondment to the Foreign Office and so would not take part in Council debates or decisions on matters of government foreign policy. He left the chamber for these debates.

Minute 41 c

Councillor Harris clarified that although he was a barrister taking legal aid cases, the motion would have no impact on his income and his DPI*. Accordingly he remained in the chamber and took part in the debate.

Minute 41 d

Councillor Lloyd-Shogbesan noted he had a personal interest but not a DPI as he was the subject of the motion.  With the permission of the Lord Mayor he took the opportunity to unreservedly apologise to Council, councillors and residents for causing distress by naively and with poor judgement sharing unsuitable posts on Facebook two years ago. He left the chamber for this debate.

Minute 41 f

Councillor Brown and Djafari-Marbini declared that the motion affected their DPI as they were employed by OUH Trust. Councillor Hollingsworth’s DPI was also affected as his spouse was employed by the Trust. They left the chamber for this debate.

(Councillor McManners confirmed that as a GP he was not employed by the Trust and unaffected by this motion.)

* DPI is a disclosable pecuniary interest.

Minutes of the ordinary meeting of Council held on 23 July 2018.

Council is asked to approve the minutes as a correct record.

Note: Questions on Notice, public addresses and the responses to these are included in the full minutes pack of the previous meeting, from page 17 onwards, and available from the links here

Council agreed to approve the minutes of the ordinary meeting held on 23 July 2018 as a true and correct record subject to correcting subject to correcting text in Minute 15 ‘to read ‘older people’s champion’.

The Head of Law and Governance has not been notified of any proposed changes of membership to Committees.

Any proposed changes will be circulated with the briefing note.

Appointment of Parish Council co-optee to the Standards Committee

The Standards Committee recommends that Council appoints Dorian Hancock, Littlemore Parish Councillor, as the co-opted non-voting member of the Standards Committeerepresenting the four Parish Councils in Oxford until May 2020.

On being proposed by the Lord Mayor, seconded and put to the vote, the recommendation of the Standards Committee was agreed.

Council resolved to appoint Dorian Hancock, Littlemore Parish Councillor, as the co-opted non-voting member of the Standards Committee representing the four Parish Councils in Oxford until May 2020.

Announcements by:

1.    The Lord Mayor

2.    The Sheriff

3.    The Leader of the Council (who may with the permission of the Lord Mayor invite other councillors to make announcements)

4.    The Chief Executive, Chief Finance Officer, Monitoring Officer

The Lord Mayor thanked the Deputy Lord Mayor and Sheriff for their help with civic events, and  reported highlights of the last two months.

The Sheriff reported on the unsuccessful round-up but successful count of clearly healthy and active cattle on Port Meadow.

The Leader thanked those who had supported her sponsored abseil down the John Radcliffe tower.

Public addresses and questions to the Leader or other Board member received in accordance with Council Procedure Rules relating to matters for decision in Part 1 of this agenda.

The request to speak accompanied by the full text of the address or question must be received by the Head of Law and Governance by 5.00 pm on Tuesday 25 September 2018.

The briefing note will contain the text of addresses and questions submitted by the deadline, and written responses where available.

A total of 45 minutes is available for both public speaking items. Responses are included in this time. Up to five minutes is available for each public address and up to three minutes for each question.

There were no addresses or questions.

The Head of Financial Services and the Head of Business Improvement submitted a report to the City Executive Board on 18 September 2018  to update Members on Finance, Risk and Performance as at 30th June 2018.

The report and relevant appendices are attached here. The appendices are available as part of the agenda for the City Executive Board meeting.

The City Executive Board agreed all recommendations in the report and resolved to recommend to Council that it establish budgetary provision as below (and set out in paras 10 -12 of the report)

Councillor Turner, Board Member for Finance & Asset Management, will present the report.

Recommendation:  the City Executive Board recommends that Council resolves to:

1.    approvethe increase of the HRA capital budget for Social Rented Housing Acquisitions by £0.444 million to a total of £1.479 million.  This will be fully funded by Retained Right to Buy capital receipts;

2.    approve the additional capital budget for the Replacement of the Housing Computer System of £0.450 million.

This item was taken after the break to allow the Board Member to present it.

Council considered a report of the Head of Financial Services and Head of Business Improvement, submitted to the City Executive Board on 18 September 2018, updating Council on finance risk and performance and seeking agreement for new expenditure requests for 2018/19.

Councillor Turner, Board Member for Finance and Asset Management, presented the report and moved the recommendations which were adopted on being seconded and put to the vote.

Council resolved to:

1.      approve the increase of the HRA capital budget for Social Rented Housing Acquisitions by £0.444 million to a total of £1.479 million.  This will be fully funded by Retained Right to Buy capital receipts; and

2.      approve the additional capital budget for the Replacement of the Housing Computer System of £0.450 million

The Head of Law and Governance submitted a report to the Standards Committee meeting on 11 September recommending that Full Council approve a number of general dispensations under the Localism Act 2011; such dispensations to remain in force for a period of four years; in the interest of good governance and the effective conduct of public affairs.

The Standards Committee agreed the recommendations in the report and extended the general dispensation for members in receipt of housing benefit to include Universal Credit.

Councillor Aziz, Chair of the Standards Committee, or the Monitoring Officer will present the report.

Recommendation: the Standards Committee recommends Full Council to:

1.    approve,under Section 33 of the Localism Act 2011, the general dispensations, listed at paragraph 4 of this report and including a dispensation for recipients of Universal Credit, for all elected and co-opted Members of Oxford City Council;

2.    agree that those general dispensations should remain in force for a period of four years; and

3.    agree that the granting of individual dispensations under Section 33 of the Localism Act 2011 be delegated to the Monitoring Officer.

Council considered a report of the Head of Law and Governance, submitted to the Standards Committee in 11 September, recommending that Council approve a number of general dispensations under the Localism Act 2011.

Councillor Aziz, Chair of that Committee, moved the recommendations which were adopted on being seconded and put to the vote.

Council resolved to:

1.   approve,under Section 33 of the Localism Act 2011, the general dispensations, listed at paragraph 4 of this report and including a dispensation for recipients of Universal Credit, for all elected and co-opted Members of Oxford City Council;

2.   agree that those general dispensations should remain in force for a period of four years; and

3.   agree that the granting of individual dispensations under Section 33 of the Localism Act 2011 be delegated to the Monitoring Officer.

The Head of Community Services submitted a report and accompanying appendices to the Licensing and Gambling Acts Committee on 19 September 2018 setting out the revised Statement of Gambling Licensing Policy to take effect from 31 January 2019.

The report and relevant appendices and the draft minutes of the meeting are attached.

The Licensing and Gambling Acts Committee agreed all recommendations in the report and resolved to recommend to Council adopt the final draft of the policy presented here.

Councillor Cook, the Chair of the Licensing and Gambling Acts Committee, will present the report and the policy.

Recommendation: the Licensing and Gambling Acts Committee recommends that Council resolves to:

adopt the Statement of Gambling Licensing Policy attached to the report on this agenda with effect from 31 January 2019.

Council considered a report of the Head of Community Services, submitted to Licensing and Gambling Acts Committee on 19 September 2018, setting out the revised Statement of Gambling Licensing Policy to take effect from 31 January 2018.

Councillor Cook, in his capacity as Chair of that Committee and moved the recommendations which were adopted on being seconded and put to the vote.

Council resolved to: adopt the Statement of Gambling Licensing Policy attached to the report on this agenda with effect from 31 January 2019.

The Head of Planning, Sustainable Development and Regulatory Services has submitted a report recommending that Council makes a modification order to amend the time period to submit reserved matters applications on planning permission 13/01383/OUT.

Councillor Hollingsworth, Board Member for Planning and Transport, will present the report.

Recommendation: That Council resolves to:

1.            make a modification order under section 97 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 in respect of planning permission 13/01383/OUT to enable further applications for reserved matters to be submitted for approval in respect of the development at Barton Park;

2.            delegate to the Development Management Services Manager (soon to be the Acting Head of Planning Services), the taking of any associated action following the making of the modification order.

Council considered a report of the Head of Planning, Sustainable Development and Regulatory Services recommending that Council makes a modification order to amend the time period to submit reserved matters applications on planning permission 13/01383/OUT.

Councillor Hollingsworth, Board Member for Planning and Transport, presented the report, answered questions, and moved the recommendations which were adopted on being seconded and put to the vote.

Council resolved to:

1.  make a modification order under section 97 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 in respect of planning permission 13/01383/OUT to enable further applications for reserved matters to be submitted for approval in respect of the development at Barton Park; and

2.  delegate to the Development Management Services Manager (soon to be the Acting Head of Planning Services), the taking of any associated action following the making of the modification order.

This item has a time limit of 15 minutes.

Councillors may ask the Board Members questions about matters in these minutes:

There were no questions.

Minute 61 Scrutiny Committee Reports – Fusion Lifestyle

Councillor Simmons asked about progress on the audit of Fusion Lifestyle’s performance data requested by Scrutiny Committee.

Councillor Linda Smith replied that the audit would be carried out to ensure these well scrutinised figures were accurate and reliable.

Minute 63 – Consultation on Wolvercote Neighbourhood Plan

Councillor Goddard asked if his thanks and appreciation could be recorded for the hard work of the Wolvercote Neighbourhood Plan team and the neighbourhood forum who had brought the plan to this stage.

Questions on notice from councillors received in accordance with Council Procedure Rules.

Questions on notice may be asked of the Lord Mayor, a Member of the City Executive Board or a Chair of a Committee. One supplementary question may be asked at the meeting.

The full text of questions must be received by the Head of Law and Governance by no later than 1.00pm on Monday 24 September 2018.

The briefing note will contain all questions submitted by the deadline, and written responses where available.

Councillor Iley Williamson arrived during this item.

30 written questions on notice were submitted. These, written responses, and summaries of the 14 supplementary questions and responses are set out in the printed pack of these minutes.

Public addresses and questions to the Leader or other Board member received in accordance with Council Procedure Rules and not related to matters for decision in Part 1 of this agenda.

The request to speak accompanied by the full text of the address or question must be received by the Head of Law and Governance by 5.00 pm on Tuesday 25 September 2018.

The briefing note will contain the text of addresses and questions submitted by the deadline, and written responses where available.

A total of 45 minutes is available for both public speaking items. Responses are included in this time. Up to five minutes is available for each public address and up to three minutes for each question.

There were two addresses to Council and two questions to Board Members.

1. Artwell gave an address asking what measure the Council would make to ensure that Oxford people who are concerned to campaign for justice of the Semitic people of Palestine could for so without being labelled ‘anti-Semitic following the Council’s adoption of the IHRA code (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance)

2. Judith Harley gave an address asking about the use by council staff of the Cowley Marsh Car Park

3. Artwell asked whether the Council would reconsider its use of glyphosate in light of new evidence.

4. Nigel Gibson reiterated his previous statement that in his view the charges at the Council’s leisure centres were still not correct and still resulted in Oxford City Council discriminating against disabled people, and asked how many times people with Bonus Cards had been charged £2 after evening peak hours.

The full text of these speeches and question where these were read as submitted; responses from the Board Members in writing before the meeting; and summaries of verbal responses given at the meeting are set out in the printed pack of these minutes.

1.    On behalf of Councillor Brown the Economic Development Manager has submitted a report on the work of the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

Council is invited to comment on and note the submitted report.

2.    Each ordinary meeting of Council shall normally receive a written report concerning the work of one of the partnerships on which the Council is represented.

The programme of reporting at future meetings will be:

3.    As set out in procedure rule 11.15, Members who are Council representatives on external bodies or Chairs of Council Committees who consider that a significant decision or event has taken place, may give notice to the Head of Law and Governance by 1.00 pm on Thursday 27 September that they will present a written or oral report on the event or the significant decision and how it may influence future events. Written reports will be circulated with the briefing note.

This item was taken before the public addresses.

Council had before it the report of the Leader of the Council, Councillor Brown,  outlining the work of the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership

Councillor Brown introduced the report and answered questions.

Council noted the report without comment.

The Chair of the Scrutiny Committee has submitted a report which updates Council on the activities of scrutiny and other non-executive Councillors and the implementation of recommendations since the last meeting of Council.

Council is invited to comment on and note the report.

This item was taken before the public addresses.

Council had before it the report of the Scrutiny Committee Chair.

In the absence of the Chair, the Vice-Chair Councillor Henwood introduced the report.

Council noted the report without comment.

This item has a time limit of 60 minutes.

The full text of motions received by the Head of Law and Governance in accordance with Council Procedure Rules by the deadline of 1.00pm on Wednesday 19 September 2018 is below.

Motions will be taken in turn from the Green, Labour, and Liberal Democrat groups and an independent member in that order.

Substantive amendments to these motions must be sent by councillors to the Head of Law and Governance by no later than 10.00am on Friday 28 September so that they may be circulated with the briefing note.

Minor technical or limited wording amendments may be submitted during the meeting but must be written down and circulated.

Council is asked to consider the following motions (as set out in the briefing note):

a.         Freedom of the City for Benny Wenda  (proposed by Councillor Simmons, seconded by Councillor Howlett) -motion for debate is that amended by proposer

b.         Opposition to Investment in Fracking  (proposed by Councillor Tanner)

c.         Improve Legal Aid (proposed by Councillor Harris, seconded by Councillor Roz Smith)

d.         Call for resignation (proposed by Councillor Haines)    

e.         Brexit and the Sustainable Communities Act (proposed by Councillor Simmons) -motion for debate includes amendments by proposer

f.          Oxford Weighting (proposed by Councillor Bely-Summers)     

g.         Building a statutory youth service (proposed by Councillor Simm) -motion for debate includes amendments by proposer

Council had before it seven motions on notice and amendments submitted in accordance with Council procedure rule 11.17, and reached decisions as set out below.

Council resolved to adopt the following motions as set out in these minutes:

a.    Freedom of the City for Benny Wenda

b.    Opposition to Investment in Fracking

c.    Improve Legal Aid

d.    Brexit and the Sustainable Communities Act

e.    Oxford Weighting

Council resolved not to adopt Motion d (call for resignation) as set out in these minutes.

Motion g - Building a statutory youth service - was not taken as the time allocated for debate had elapsed.

Proposed by Councillor Simmons, seconded by Councillor Howlett

Green and Labour Member motion

Council resolves:

That the Honorary Freedom of the City be conferred on Benny Wenda at a special meeting to be held at a later date, in accordance with Section 249 of the Local Government Act 1972.

This item was taken before the break.

Councillor Simmons, seconded by Councillor Howlett, proposed his submitted motion, amended as set out in briefing note. He expressed Council’s condolences for the people of Sulawesi affected by the tsunami and earthquake, and explained that the proposal made no comment about the independence movement but recognised contributions as a campaigner for peaceful democracy and to the wider life of the city.

After debate and on being put to the vote, the amended motion was agreed.

Council resolved to adopt the following motion:

To request the Chief Executive in consultation with the Lord Mayor to convene a special meeting of Council at a later date to consider conferring the Honorary Freedom of the City on Benny Wenda, in accordance with Section 249 of the Local Government Act 1972.

Proposed by Councillor Tanner

Labour member motion

Oxford City Council reaffirms its opposition to investment in fossil fuels. We deeply regret the investment by the Oxfordshire County Council pension fund in companies which are promoting and engaging in fracking in the United Kingdom and overseas.

Campaigners calculate that out of a total pension fund of £2 billion (£2,174,177,881), £84 million (£83,645,909) or 3.85% is invested in companies which practice fracking. The pension fund has indirect fracking investments in Shell of £24,560,465 and direct investments in BHP Billiton — £4,936,494, EOG Resources — £3,908,397, Marathon Oil — £2,819,711 and Pioneer Natural Resources — £2,650,534.

Oxford City Council is part of the Oxfordshire Council pension fund through which it provides pensions for our staff.

Oxford City Council believes that:

·         Investment in fracking is damaging to the environment

·         Investment in fracking is not a sound investment for the future

·         Fracking goes against the City Council’s commitment to help combat climate change.

Oxford City Council resolves to call on the Oxfordshire County Council pension fund to disinvest in fracking in particular and fossil fuels in general and to invest instead in renewable energy, and asks the Chief Executive to inform the pension fund managers of this resolution.

This item was taken before the break.

Councillor Roz Smith left the chamber for the duration of the debate and then returned. 

Councillor Howlett, seconded by Councillor Hayes, proposed the submitted motion as set out in the agenda and briefing note.

Councillor Hollingsworth proposed and Councillor Howlett agreed an amendment to correct the name of the pension fund and include the ‘pool fund’ manager Brunel Pension Partnership.

After debate and on being put to the vote, the amended motion was agreed.

Council resolved to adopt the submitted motion, as amended to correct the name of the pension fund and add the fund managers.

Council resolved to adopt the following motion:

Oxford City Council reaffirms its opposition to investment in fossil fuels. We deeply regret the investment by the Oxfordshire Pension Fund (the Local Government Pension Scheme (LPGS) in Oxfordshire, with LGPS Pool fund manager Brunel Pension Partnership (Brunel))in companies which are promoting and engaging in fracking in the United Kingdom and overseas.

Campaigners calculate that out of a total pension fund of £2 billion (£2,174,177,881), £84 million (£83,645,909) or 3.85% is invested in companies which practice fracking. The pension fund has indirect fracking investments in Shell of £24,560,465 and direct investments in BHP Billiton — £4,936,494, EOG Resources — £3,908,397, Marathon Oil — £2,819,711 and Pioneer Natural Resources — £2,650,534.

Oxford City Council is part of LGPS in Oxfordshire through which it provides pensions for our staff.

Oxford City Council believes that:

·         Investment in fracking is damaging to the environment

·         Investment in fracking is not a sound investment for the future

·         Fracking goes against the City Council’s commitment to help combat climate change.

Oxford City Council resolves to call on the LGPS in Oxfordshire (Oxfordshire Pension Fund) and pool fund managers Brunel Partnership to disinvest in fracking in particular and fossil fuels in general and to invest instead in renewable energy, and asks the Chief Executive to inform the pension fund managers of this resolution.

Proposed by Councillor Harris, seconded by Councillor Roz Smith

Liberal Democrat member motion

Council notes that:

1.            Legal Aid was created as part of the post-war welfare state of which Liberals such as Keynes and Beveridge were key architects;

2.            Legal Aid, providing legal advice and legal representation, is a vital ingredient of a democratic society without which access to justice would depend on wealth;

3.            Legal Aid, already grossly under-funded,  is being subjected by the Government to unprecedented further cuts, which will result in a £600 million reduction by 2019/2020, a 40% real terms cut since 1997;

4.            As a result many of the poor and vulnerable are being denied access to justice; and

5.            The faith of the public in the legal system is being undermined by under-staffing and chaos in our courts.

Council therefore calls on the Government to:

1.            Recognize the concerns of the legal profession at all levels about this issue;

2.            Consider how the reduction in legal aid provision is affecting the Government’s ability to comply with its international human rights obligations, and to ensure that effective remedies are provided under British legislation.

3.            Undertake an urgent independent review of the cumulative effect of legal aid reductions on the provision of access to legal advice and assistance, taking evidence from professionals, from agencies which assist litigants such as Citizens Advice Bureaux and Law Centres, and from people who are themselves affected by the lack of legal aid support, to include recommendations to ensure adequate legal aid provision;

4.            Abandon the cuts planned for 2019/2020.

Council accordingly resolves to ask the Leader of the Council:

1.            to ask the Oxford MPs Layla Moran and Anneliese Dodds to write to the Prime Minister to communicate the resolution of the Council as expressed above;

2.            to ask Oxfordshire County Council to join us in this request to the Prime Minister.

Councillor Harris, seconded by Councillor Roz Smith, proposed the submitted motion as set out in the agenda and briefing note.

After debate and on being put to the vote, the amended motion was agreed.

Council resolved to adopt the following motion:

Council notes that:

1.            Legal Aid was created as part of the post-war welfare state of which Liberals such as Keynes and Beveridge were key architects;

2.            Legal Aid, providing legal advice and legal representation, is a vital ingredient of a democratic society without which access to justice would depend on wealth;

3.            Legal Aid, already grossly under-funded,  is being subjected by the Government to unprecedented further cuts, which will result in a £600 million reduction by 2019/2020, a 40% real terms cut since 1997;

4.            As a result many of the poor and vulnerable are being denied access to justice; and

5.            The faith of the public in the legal system is being undermined by under-staffing and chaos in our courts.

Council therefore calls on the Government to:

1.            Recognize the concerns of the legal profession at all levels about this issue;

2.            Consider how the reduction in legal aid provision is affecting the Government’s ability to comply with its international human rights obligations, and to ensure that effective remedies are provided under British legislation.

3.            Undertake an urgent independent review of the cumulative effect of legal aid reductions on the provision of access to legal advice and assistance, taking evidence from professionals, from agencies which assist litigants such as Citizens Advice Bureaux and Law Centres, and from people who are themselves affected by the lack of legal aid support, to include recommendations to ensure adequate legal aid provision;

4.            Abandon the cuts planned for 2019/2020.

Council accordingly resolves to ask the Leader of the Council:

1.            to ask the Oxford MPs Layla Moran and Anneliese Dodds to write to the Prime Minister to communicate the resolution of the Council as expressed above;

2.            to ask Oxfordshire County Council to join us in this request to the Prime Minister.

Proposed by Councillor Haines

Independent Member motion

Council calls for Councillor Ben Lloyd-Shogbesan to resign and step down immediately as an Oxford City Councillor following his reposting of articles on Facebook, especially the claim that Cancer is not a disease but a business.

Councillor Lloyd-Shogbesan left the chamber for the duration of this debate and then returned.

The Monitoring Officer advised councillors that the motion was non-binding and if agreed would not compel the councillor to resign and reminded them of that the independent investigation found the Code of Conduct was not engaged so no sanctions under the Code could be applied.

Councillor Haines, seconded by Councillor Harris, proposed the submitted motion as set out in the agenda and briefing note: Council calls for Councillor Ben Lloyd-Shogbesan to resign and step down immediately as an Oxford City Councillor following his reposting of articles on Facebook, especially the claim that Cancer is not a disease but a business.

After debate and on being put to the vote, the motion was declared lost.

Proposed by Councillor Simmons

Green member motion

This Council notes the recent use of Section 5A(b) of the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 by Plymouth City Council to demand that the Government releases “all government departmental information and analysis pertaining to the impacts upon Plymouth’s communities and businesses of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, including any information deemed by the government to be confidential”. Like Oxford, where a report commissioned by Finance Panel has identified the risks to our City posed by Brexit, Plymouth City Council had also identified a number of risks to the economic and social wellbeing of its communities as a result of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.

Council agrees to similarly invoke the Sustainable Communities Act by writing to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, so that it can obtain the accurate and up-to-date information it needs to best engage with businesses, institutions and communities and inform its own actions with respect to protecting Oxford, the Council and Council services from the effects of the Government’s approach to Brexit.

Councillor Turner left the chamber for the debate on this motion and then returned.

Councillor Simmons, seconded by Councillor Garden, proposed the submitted motion with minor amendments as set out in the briefing note.

After debate and on being put to the vote, the motion as amended by the proposer was agreed.

Council agreed the submitted motion as amended by the proposer.

Council resolved to adopt the following motion:

This Council notes the recent use of Section 5A(b) of the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 by Plymouth City Council to demand that the Government releases “all government departmental information and analysis pertaining to the impacts upon Plymouth’s communities and businesses of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, including any information deemed by the government to be confidential”. Like Oxford, where a report commissioned by Finance Panel has identified the risks to our City posed by Brexit, Plymouth City Council had also identified a number of risks to the economic and social wellbeing of its communities as a result of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.

Council agrees to similarly invoke the Sustainable Communities Act and asks the Leader of the Council to write on its behalf to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, so that this Council can obtain the accurate and up-to-date information it needs to best engage with businesses, institutions and communities and inform its own actions with respect to protecting Oxford, the Council and Council services from the effects of the Government’s approach to Brexit.

Proposed by Councillor Bely-Summers

Labour member motion

Oxford is the most expensive city to live in the UK. A band 2 porter working for the NHS Hospital trusts and renting a single bedroom flat in Oxford can expect to pay 85% of their wages on rent.

For staff in higher bands the situation is little better. As a result the NHS in Oxfordshire has twice the national vacancy rate. Patient care is undermined; vital cancer operations are being delayed. Staff are having to work extra shifts due to high living costs and high number of vacancies.

With a much higher proportion of BAME staff among the lower bandings these issues are disproportionally affecting them.

Local MPs support the Oxford Weighting for NHS staff to help address the recruitment and retention crisis. NHS employers would like to see additional funds to help them recruit the workforce needed to provide care for the local population.

Oxford City Council resolves

1.    to Campaign publicly for Oxford Weighting for NHS staff and against in work poverty with officer resources allowing data collection around this vital issue to contribute to the development of a comprehensive workforce strategy and tackle inequalities;

2.    to use its influence via Oxfordshire Joint Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee and the Oxfordshire Health & Wellbeing Board to call for higher wages for all;

3.    to give a clear message to our NHS partners that the health of our Oxford residents is vitally important at a time when health inequalities are increasing especially in the most deprived areas of Oxford.

Councillors Brown, Djafari-Marbini and Hollingsworth left the chamber for the duration of this debate and then returned.

Councillor Bely-Summers, seconded by Councillor Aziz, proposed the submitted motion as set out in the agenda and briefing note.

After debate and on being put to the vote, the motion was agreed.

Council resolved to adopt the following motion:

Oxford is the most expensive city to live in the UK. A band 2 porter working for the NHS Hospital trusts and renting a single bedroom flat in Oxford can expect to pay 85% of their wages on rent.

For staff in higher bands the situation is little better. As a result the NHS in Oxfordshire has twice the national vacancy rate. Patient care is undermined; vital cancer operations are being delayed. Staff are having to work extra shifts due to high living costs and high number of vacancies.

With a much higher proportion of BAME staff among the lower bandings these issues are disproportionally affecting them.

Local MPs support the Oxford Weighting for NHS staff to help address the recruitment and retention crisis. NHS employers would like to see additional funds to help them recruit the workforce needed to provide care for the local population.

Oxford City Council resolves

1.    to campaign publicly for Oxford Weighting for NHS staff and against in work poverty with officer resources allowing data collection around this vital issue to contribute to the development of a comprehensive workforce strategy and tackle inequalities;

2.    to use its influence via Oxfordshire Joint Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee and the Oxfordshire Health & Wellbeing Board to call for higher wages for all;

to give a clear message to our NHS partners that the health of our Oxford residents is vitally important at a time when health inequalities are increasing especially in the most deprived areas of Oxford.

Proposed by Councillor Simm

Labour member motion

Oxford City Council notes:

·         That excellent work being carried out, on a limited budget, by the City Council’s Youth Ambition service in Oxford, especially in areas of high deprivation.

·         That the Conservative Government has failed young people by overseeing unprecedented and cruel cuts to youth services across Oxford City. Overall spending on youth services in England has fallen by £737m (62%) since 2010.

·         Youth work as a profession has been eroded and undermined through funding cuts and market reforms. This has resulted in a reduction in the number of JNC programmes, the number of providers employing JNC qualified workers and the number of students enrolling in undergraduate programmes.

·         Between 2012 and 2016, 600 youth centres closed down and 3,500 youth workers lost their jobs.

·         Cuts to youth services have devastated the lives of young people by damaging community cohesion, making it harder to stay in formal education, and having a negative impact on their health and wellbeing.

·         83% of youth workers say the cuts have had an effect on crime and anti-social behaviour.

·         Youth work is a distinct educational process offering young people safe spaces to explore their identity, experience decision-making, increase their confidence, develop inter-personal skills and think through the consequences of their actions. This leads to better informed choices, changes in activity and improved outcomes for young people.

Oxford City Council believes:

·         Youth services should be made statutory, recognising the important role universal youth work plays in supporting young people to realise their potential.

·         Oxfordshire County Council should set up a local youth services partnership with young people, parents, professionals and councillors, to ensure that provision is tailored to the needs of each community.

·         It should be the responsibility of the Secretary of State to promote and secure youth services in each local authority across the country.

·         There should be a mandated national body with dedicated ring fenced funding to oversee youth service provision across England.

Oxford City Council resolves to ask Oxford’s MPs to support and campaign for statutory youth services.

This was not taken as the time for debate on motions had elapsed.