Council Procedure Rule 11.16 refers.

 

Motions received by the Head of Law and Governance by the deadline of 1.00pm on Wednesday 18^th September 2013 are attached to this agenda.

Council had before it 10 Motions on Notice and reached decisions as follows.

 

(1)          Freight Consolidation Centre for Oxford – (Proposed by Councillor Graham Jones, seconded by Councillor Mike Gotch)

 

Council notes

 

-           the current Air Quality Action Plan to reduce Nox emissions in the city and the Low Carbon Energy Strategy to reduce carbonemissions

            -           that current levels are too high

-           that the Westgate development will bring more traffic into the city centre with consequent increases in traffic-related pollutants.

 

            It therefore requests the Executive Board to ask officers to work with the County Council and other partners to develop a series of measures to address both these pollutants and carbon constraints in the new development generally.

 

Noting too the high levels of congestion and pollution caused by commercial vehicles in district retail centres as well as the city centre, Council further requests the Executive Board

 

-           to ask officers to explore and report on the establishment of a freight consolidation depot as is happening in cities across the UK and abroad

            -           identify feasible sites, and

-           explore the feasibility of making the use of electric delivery vehicles a condition of such a scheme's operation.

 

Councillor Graham Jones moved the following amendment to his own Motion:

 

In Paragraph 2, insert between the words ‘officers to’ and ‘work with’ the words ‘report to all members on their’.

 

At the end of Paragraph 3 add the word ‘to’.

 

At the beginning of Paragraph 4 delete the word ‘To’.

 

In bullet point 1 delete the words ‘explore and report’ and substitute the words ‘publish a report as a matter of urgency’.

 

Insert after the bullet point 1 an additional bullet point

 

‘-   include district centres in their feasibility assessment’

 

Councillor John Tanner moved the following amendment

 

In the first paragraph, third bullet point, delete the word ‘will’ and insert the word ‘may’

 

In the second paragraph, delete the word ‘requests’ and insert the word ‘congratulates’ and Delete the words ‘to ask’ and insert the words ‘for asking’

 

In the third paragraph, delete the words ‘commercial’ and ‘requests’ and insert the word ‘thanks’

 

In the third paragraph, first bullet point, delete the words ‘to ask’ and insert the words ‘for asking’, After ‘…explore’ and before ‘and report…’, insert ‘with the County Council and retailers,’  

 

The mover of the substantive Motion (Councillor Graham Jones) accepted the amendment from Councillor John Tanner.

 

Following a debate, Council voted and the amended Motion was adopted as follows:

 

Council notes

 

-           the current Air Quality Action Plan to reduce Nox emissions in the city and the Low Carbon Energy Strategy to reduce carbon emissions

-           that current levels are too high

-           that the Westgate development  May bring more traffic into the city centre with consequent increases in traffic-related pollutants.

 

It therefore congratulates the Executive Board for asking officers to report to all Members on their work with the County Council and other partners to develop a series of measures to address both these pollutants and carbon constraints in the new development generally.

 

Noting too the high levels of congestion and pollution caused by vehicles in district retail centres as well as the city centre, Council further thanks the Executive Board

 

-           for asking officers to explore with the County Council and retailers and report on the establishment of a freight consolidation depot as is happening in cities across the UK and abroad

-           to identify feasible sites, and

-           explore the feasibility of making the use of electric delivery vehicles a condition of such a scheme's operation.

 

(2)       Youth Contract Compliance - (Proposed by Councillor David      Williams, seconder Councillor Craig Simmons)

 

Given that youth unemployment is now an extremely serious issue with damaging long term social and personal consequences Oxford City Council would seek to establish from its suppliers that they have employees drawn from all age cohorts and do not neglect young people.

 

Henceforth a condition of securing a contract to supply good and services to Oxford City Council will be that the contracting company must have at least 5% of its registered workforce under the age of 21. (Applicable to all companies with a workforce of 25 or more employees). As the City Council is compliant with this rule it would expect all its suppliers to meet this contractual obligation.

 

This motion of Council to be forwarded to the City Executive Board with a relevant officer’s report providing a strategy for implementation within the next two cycles of Committee.

 

Councillor Ed Turner seconded by Councillor Bob Price moved the following amendment:

 

To delete all of the words after the first reference to Oxford City Council and replace with the following words:

 

“will continue to emphasise the importance of creating apprenticeships in all its major contracts.  In addition, Council will state in its tender information for tenders over £100k its commitment to supporting young adults into work by requiring any organisation that is awarded a contract with the Council in excess of £100k a requirement that we wish to contract with suppliers with a positive approach to creating jobs for our young adults and the creation of a more sustainable workforce.  This specification should be added as an evaluation question along with the Living Wage and it will form part of the tender evaluation.  It will be added as part of the same contractual term as the Living Wage”.

 

The mover of the substantive Motion (Councillor David Williams) did not accept the amendment by Councillor Ed Turner and following a debate, Council voted and the amendment was adopted.

 

Following a further vote the Motion as amended by Councillor Ed Turner was adopted as follows:

 

Given that youth unemployment is now an extremely serious issue with damaging long-term social and economic consequences Oxford City Council will continue to emphasise the importance of creating apprenticeships in all its major contracts.  In addition, Council will state in its tender information for tenders over £100k its commitment to supporting young adults into work by requiring any organisation that is awarded a contract with the Council in excess of £100k a requirement that we wish to contract with suppliers with a positive approach to creating jobs for our young adults and the creation of a more sustainable workforce.  This specification should be added as an evaluation question along with the Living Wage and it will form part of the tender evaluation.  It will be added as part of the same contractual term as the Living Wage.

 

(3)       Royal Mail Privatisation – (Proposed by Councillor Bob Price seconded by Councillor Scott Seamons)

 

This Council recognises that the Royal Mail is part of the fabric of our nation and believes that plans for its privatisation will lead to high prices and a reduction in services for the people who need those services the most.  Therefore we resolve that Council should formally sign the "Save our Royal Mail" petition to put pressure on the Government to reverse its decision and protect the country's postal services; and that the Leader of the Council should write to the Secretary of State for Business and Enterprise conveying the terms of this Resolution.

 

            Councillor David Williams seconded by Councillor Elise Benjamin moved the following amendment:

 

            To add the words “and opposition” after the words “Government” in the fifth line.

 

            To add the words “and the Labour Shadow Business Secretary, Chuka Umunna MP” after the words “Business and Enterprise in the final line.

 

            The mover of the substantive Motion, Councillor Bob Price did not accept the amendment by councillor David Williams and following a debate, Council voted and the amendment was not adopted.  Following a further vote Motion (un-amended) was adopted as follows:

 

            This Council recognises that the Royal Mail is part of the fabric of our nation and believes that plans for its privatisation will lead to high prices and a reduction in services for the people who need those services the most.  Therefore we resolve that Council should formally sign the "Save our Royal Mail" petition to put pressure on the Government to reverse its decision and protect the country's postal services; and that the Leader of the Council should write to the Secretary of State for Business and Enterprise conveying the terms of this Resolution.

 

(4)       Energy Bill – (Proposed by Councillor Jean Fooks, seconded by Councillor Mike Gotch)

 

UK homes are amongst the least energy efficient in Europe. The contribution this makes (along with high fuel costs) to high fuel bills helps account for the fact that a quarter of UK households are now in fuel poverty, requiring more than 10% of their income to keep warm in the winter. The World Health Organization estimates that between 30 and 40 per cent of excess winter deaths in cold countries can be attributed to cold indoor temperatures. In the UK excess winter deaths (about 7800 of them die each year to living in cold homes) exceed those in colder countries such as Norway and Sweden. 

 

More than a third of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions come from non-industrial buildings, and besides accounting for thousands of deaths annually, poorly insulated homes are leaking CO2 into the atmosphere without it having served any useful purpose. The Government's Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation policies can address some of this but not enough. By channelling sufficient funds into subsidies for insulation, renewable energy and modern boilers, the Government could end fuel poverty, protect the environment and create jobs.

 

Over the next 15 years the Government will raise an average of £4 billion every year in revenue from the European Emissions Trading Scheme and the Carbon Floor Price. An alliance of charities, groups and individuals concerned about fuel poverty and carbon reduction have launched a campaign (the Energy Bill Revolution - http://www.energybillrevolution.org/) to ask the Government to dedicate this revenue to subsidizing energy-efficiency in homes. 

 

This Council asks its Chief Executive Officer to write to the City's Members of Parliament asking them to support this initiative.

 

            Following a debate, Council voted and the Motion was adopted.

 

(5)       Legal Aid - (Proposed by Councillor David Williams, seconded by Councillor Craig Simmons)

 

            This Council opposes the Government restrictions on the ability of citizens of Oxford and all UK citizens to seek legal aid. The Council believes that all its services should be open to judicial review and legal action by citizens no matter what their financial resources.

 

            These moves will undermine the ability of the average individual to obtain justice and will without doubt damage the ability of the courts to resolve disputes peacefully. The reputation of the courts as defenders of liberty and justice will be undermined and recourse to law will become restricted to a wealthy elite.

 

The Chief Executive is authorized to make the opinions and concerns of the Council on this matter known to the Lord Chief Justice and the relevant Government Ministers of State.

 

Council noted that Councillor David Williams had withdrawn the Motion.

 

(6)       The Living Wage – (Proposed by Councillor Van Coulter, seconded by Councillor John Tanner)

 

            This Council reaffirms its commitment to the Living Wage and for the promotion of decent terms of employment.

 

            Council condemns the burgeoning use of Zero Hours contracts.

 

            Zero Hours contracts condemn many people in work to poverty, facilitate discrimination and bullying in the workplace and undermine Minimum Wage legislation.

 

            We congratulate all Oxford employers who pay the Living Wage as a minimum and who strictly restrict the use of Zero Hours Contracts to where they are by genuinely mutual agreement in the interest of the employee concerned, or where they reject them altogether.

 

            We call on the Coalition Government to increase the legal Minimum Wage in line with the Living Wage and to legislate tightly to restrict the use of Zero Hour Contracts, and to pursue the right for workers to stable and predictable employment contracts at the EU level, to avoid a destructive pan-European race-to-the-bottom in their rights.

 

            Following a debate, Council voted and the Motion was adopted.

 

(7)       Ethical Procurement - (Proposed by Councillor Craig Simmons, seconded by Councillor David Williams)

 

          ‘The Council is concerned that all its investments are ethical, not only related to the products and services the companies offer but also from their operational location. As a consequence the Council will not place its monies be they direct purchases or long term investments in companies or concerns that operate with off offshore accounts or in known tax havens where the full rigor of UK and European tax levies are avoided.

 

            The Finance Officers to proceed to redirect any investments already lodged with companies that give known tax avoidance locations as their business address and to only invest ethically in all future financial transactions.’

 

Council noted that Councillor Craig Simmons had withdrawn the Motion.

 

(8)       Supermarket Levy – (Proposed by Councillor Craig Simmons, seconder Councillor Dick Wolff) 

 

            With this in view a report to City Executive Board illustrating how such a levy will could be implemented should be prepared and considered in the manner recently adopted by Bristol City Council.

 



            Councillor Craig Simmons Motion on
Notice was not considered as the time allowed for Motions on Notice by the
Constitution had lapsed.



 



(9)       Supporting the Robin Hood Tax - (Proposed by Councillor Elise Benjamin)



 



            Council notes that:



 



·                    
as a result of the economic crisis,
unemployment has become a serious concern;



 



·                    
Local Government will see real term cuts in
central grant of 28% over the 2010 Comprehensive Spending Review period,
meaning a cut of £6bn in annual grant by 2015;



 



·                    
Extending the current Financial Transaction Tax
(FTT) on shares to other asset classes such as bonds and derivatives could
raise £28bn of additional revenue in the UK a year: and:



 



·                    
At least 11 European nations including France,
Germany, Italy and Spain are moving ahead with FTTs on shares, bonds and
derivatives estimated to raise £30bn a year.



 



                        Council believes that:



 



·                    
revenues from the FTT could help repair the
damage caused by cuts in public services since 2010;



·                    
local government deserves to receive a signi?cant
proportion of FTT revenues, making an important contribution to both capital
and revenue expenditure such as reversing cuts to council tax bene?ts;
and that whilst an FTT might have a negligible effect on jobs in the City of
London, investing FTT revenues in a smart and progressive way would see a
signi?cant increase in employment levels in other sectors.



 



Council resolves that:



 



·                    
the UK government should extend the current FTT
on shares to other asset classes, such as bonds and derivatives.



 



Council
further resolves to:



 



·                    
write to the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime
Minister, Leader of the Opposition, Chancellor and Shadow Chancellor of the
Exchequer, and Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government stating
this council’s support for extending FTTs; and;



 



·                    
write to all local MPs outlining the Council’s
position.



 



Council noted that Councillor
Elise Benjamin had withdrawn the Motion.



 



(10)     Impartiality of Planning Process - (Proposed by Councillor David Williams,
seconded by Councillor Elise Benjamin)



 



This Council believes that both Councillors and officers must act, and
be seen to act, in an impartial and objective way if public faith in the
planning process is to be enhanced.



 



There is already a requirement under the Employee Code of Conduct for
each Service Area to maintain a Register of Gifts and Hospitality, but members
of the public are unable to easily access this information.



 



Council therefore resolves that, in the
interest of openness and transparency:



 



(1)  All Service Area Registers of Gifts
and Hospitality should be made readily available to Councillors and members of
the public via a link on the Council website; and



 



(2)  Planning Applications should
include reference to any related disclosures.



 



Councillor David Williams Motion
on Notice was not considered as the time allowed for Motions on Notice by the
Constitution had lapsed.