Agenda item
Motions on notice
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 Rule 11.17 by the deadline of 1.00pm on 23 November 2016 is below. Motions will be taken in turn from the Green, Labour, and Liberal Democrat groups 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 2 December 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:
1. NHS Sustainability and Transformation Plans (Proposed by Councillor Simmons, seconded by Councillor Thomas)
Green member motion
This Council notes that the government is dividing the NHS in England into 44 areas or 'footprints', each of which has a 'Sustainability and Transformation Plan' (STP).
Government requires these STPs to collectively deliver cuts of at least £2.5bn nationally this year, and £22bn within the next five years, to wipe out the NHS’ so-called ‘financial deficit’ by implementing ‘new models of care’.
The former head of NHS commissioning, Julia Simon, has denounced the STP process as 'shameful', 'mad', 'ridiculous' and the plans as full of lies [1].
Locally, the Council notes that the Chief Exec of Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (Oxon CCG) has said that without changes to local NHS provision there will be a cumulative funding gap of about £200 million by 2020-21 and that the STP will need to change service provision to eliminate it [2].
Council believes it’s likely that the STP for the area which includes Oxfordshire (BOB- Bucks, Oxon and Berks) contains measures which could seriously impact on the health and welfare of the local population.
• It is understood that the STP calls for a relative decrease in the number of nurses. It also calls for a reduction in the training required for some nursing posts.
• The Oxon CCG is considering the elimination of all nine Community Hospitals, including Oxford City Community Hospital; to be replaced by 4 undefined 'hubs', including one at the JR. It does not say what current provision at the JR would be removed to make way for the 'hub'.
• The Horton Hospital's Paediatric and Obstetrics units have been downgraded. The Chief Executive said that the Horton might not be viable. There is discussion of devolving all consultant-led Obstetrics in the County to the JR, to replace units at Community Hospitals.
Council notes that wider consultation on the STP has not yet started despite earlier promises:
• There has been no consultation with frontline staff, patients or residents. It has been proposed that there be 'phased consultations'; one set to begin in January, another to begin in May. One of the few positive aspects of the STPs is to increase integration of various parts of the Health and Social Care services. Separate consultations defeat that goal.
• The only realistic way to stop these changes, which will seriously damage the health of the people of Oxford, is for the people of the City to learn what is being planned and to be able to respond vigorously.
Council rejects the suggestion that there is a safe way to reduce the current level of NHS provision by £200 million (the gap identified by the CCG) by 2020-21 and agrees to:
• Ask the Oxon CCG to fully disclose to the public what changes are being considered
• Publicise any information disclosed publicly by the Oxon CCG
• Ask the Oxon CCG to start a full consultation in January on all aspects of the proposed changes
• Encourage the public to make their views on the services reductions known by promoting the consultation on the Council's website, social media and through wider media communications
• Invite the County & District Councils to work together with the City to oppose any service cuts
• Write to the relevant Government Ministers to make them aware of this motion
• Write to the City’s MPs asking for their support
2. Universal Credit (proposed by Councillor Brown)
Labour member motion
This council expresses its grave concerns over the impact of the new lowered benefit cap and its impact on families struggling with high rents in Oxford.
This council notes that nearly 1,000 children are likely to be affected by these cuts as families on a number of benefits including working tax credit and housing benefit have a cap put on their benefit to a maximum of £20,000 a year.
This council notes that yet again, a different rate applies in London and yet the cost of living in Oxford is comparable.
This council requests its officers to raise with local MPs and government ministers the urgent need to reflect the true cost of living in Oxford in welfare allowances, the living wage and government grants to public services.
Liberal Democrat member motion
Council notes
• the increasing unaffordability of housing in the city
• that this is affecting the ability of the council as well as schools and hospitals to recruit and retain staff
Council recognises that this poses a threat to the continuing economic growth of the city and that a new approach is urgently needed.
Council therefore asks the Executive Board
• to give due consideration, in the development of the Local Plan and other planning policy, to prioritise or make recommendations to Council which prioritise such initiatives as community land trusts and smart homes, which offer opportunities to provide permanently affordable private homes;
• to actively encourage neighbouring districts to do the same for land in their areas, as this is a problem affecting them too.
4. Oxford's future within the EU (proposed by Councillor Simmons, seconded by Councillor Wolff)
Green member motion
On 23rd June the people of Oxford expressed a strong preference for remaining within the EU. As a City Council, we believe it is right and proper that we do our utmost to represent the views of our electors to those ministers negotiating the UK's exit.
On the assumption that the UK Government are intending to push ahead with Brexit, we ask the Leader to write on behalf of the Council to the relevant ministers reminding them of the city's strong views on EU membership and asking them to seek to negotiate a revised Treaty relationship with the EU which would preserve the undoubted benefits that Oxford and our local economy have gained from the free movement of labour within Europe and from the common standards attaching to product certification and common environmental standards.
For example, a negotiated settlement could offer UK residents e-citizenship of the EU or EU or dual citizenship could be available to those who meet certain criteria (as is already permitted in several countries). It could allow certain companies who agreed to be bound by EU legislation preferential access to the single market
The City Council will seek to adopt into its own practices and regulatory standards, those aspects of EU legislation which currently or in future provide better social and environmental protection to our citizens eg on air quality, pollution and family rights.
On the basis that we believe Brexit will have a negative impact on Oxford’s economy, its environment and its people, and that the majority of the electorate voted to remain, we will also commit as a Council to do what we can to promote alternatives to Brexit. We therefore call upon the City’s MPs to join the growing number of MPs committed to voting against the triggering of Article 50 and calling for a new referendum on the terms of any EU deal.
Labour member motion
The government’s proposed 15% reduction in the Early Years Funding formula will impact directly on early years education provision in Oxford, particularly in the most deprived areas where it is most needed. It will threaten the future of nursery schools and will accentuate the damage that will be caused to child development and support by the closure of the Children’s Centres. Since 2009, over 2000 childcare places have been lost in Oxfordshire, and there are 233 fewer childcare providers.
Council calls on the local MPs to oppose these reductions and to support measures to increase vital early years childcare provision.
6. Support the Paris Climate Change Agreement (proposed by Councillor Tanner)
Labour member motion
This Council is deeply concerned by the reported views of the president-elect of the United States about climate change. We welcome the conclusion of the United Nations climate change conference in Marrakesh that the Paris Agreement should be implemented in full.
For the sake of Oxford’s children and grandchildren we again commit this city to playing its full part in tackling climate change. We will continue to work to reduce CO2 and other climate warning gases in Oxford. We will continue to embrace a low carbon future for the benefit of the people of Oxford and the wider world.
We congratulate the residents of Oxford on making big reductions in their carbon footprints at home, travelling and at work. We continue to support the aim of reducing Oxford’s carbon footprint by 40% by 2020, compared to levels in 2005. We pledge to achieve 100% clean energy for Oxford by 2050.
Oxford City Council will carry-on reducing its own carbon footprint by at least 5% a year every year. We will continue to work with Low Carbon Oxford, the Low Carbon Hub, the Covenant of Mayors, Climate Alliance and others to reduce carbon emissions across the whole of Oxford city.
We call on our MPs and MEPs to do all they can to support the Paris Climate Change Agreement. We call on the other councils of Oxfordshire, our twin cities and everyone in Oxford to redouble their efforts to prevent the over-heating of our planet.
Minutes:
Council had before it six motions on notice and amendments submitted in accordance with Council procedure rules and reached decisions as set out below.
Council resolved to adopt the following motions:
a) NHS Sustainability and Transformation Plans - motion including both amendments
b) Universal Credit - original motion
c) Prioritise initiatives to provide permanently affordable private homes – motion including amendment
d) Oxford's future within the EU - motion including amendment
e) Support measures to increase vital early years childcare provision – original motion
This motion was not taken due to lack of time:
Support the Paris Climate Change Agreement
The full minute and text of each adopted motion is below.
Supporting documents:
PDF 185 KB