The Council’s Constitution provides for a maximum of two hours for debate on motions. At the end of the two hour period, those members who have already indicated their intention to speak on the motion being debated at that time will be allowed to speak, the mover of the motion will be asked to sum-up and the vote will be taken.
The time limit for member speeches is three minutes and the time limit for proposing a motion is five minutes.
The following motions were received by the closing date of 10am on 20 November 2018:
Motion 825 – Protecting Gloucestershire Hospitals’ walk-in-services
Proposed by Cllr Joe Harris
Seconded by Iain Dobie
This Council notes:
· The value communities place upon the Accident and Emergency units in both Gloucester and Cheltenham
· The enormous and varied contributions made by the seven minor injury units spread across Gloucestershire
· The great value that communities across Gloucestershire place upon having hospital facilities close by
This Council further notes that all Walk in Centres, Urgent Care Centres, and Minor Injury Units will be rebranded as Urgent Treatment Centres by the end of 2019.
This Council resolves to write to Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group, to appeal in the strongest possible terms, that none of the services currently on offer to walk-in patients at any of the nine hospitals are removed, including that Cheltenham General Hospital must not be further downgraded to an Urgent Treatment Centre from an Accident and Emergency department.
Motion 826 – Crisis in Local Government funding
Proposed by Cllr Paul Hodgkinson
Seconded by Cllr Lesley Williams
This Council notes:
· The unprecedented times that the country is facing and the job that local government is doing in providing local stability and leadership in these tumultuous times.
· The irreplaceable role that local councils play at the heart of communities, providing key public services that protect the most defenceless in society – children at risk, disabled adults and vulnerable older people – and the services we all rely on, like clean streets, libraries, and children’s centres.
· That councils up and down the UK are at breaking point, with disproportionate reductions in local council funding in comparison to the rest of the public sector.
· That councils had to spend an extra £800m last year to meet the demand on vital services to protect children and that, with an ageing population and growing demand, adult social care faces a funding gap of over £2 billion in the next financial year.
This Council further notes:
· The £1.3bn cut to Councils’ Revenue Support Grant that is due in 2019/20.
· That, according to a cross-party report by the Local Government Association, council services will face a funding gap of £3.9 billion in 2019/20, rising to £7.8 billion by 2024/25.
This Council therefore resolves towrite to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, expressing its dismay that the Government failed to sufficiently address the growing funding gaps with local councils in the Autumn Budget, and requesting that he urgently rectify this mistake in judgement.
Motion 827 – Modern Slavery
Proposed by Cllr Kate Haigh
Seconded by Cllr Brian Oosthuysen
This Council notes that:
· Modern Slavery is one of the great evils of our time and it’s happening under our noses. In nail bars, car washes, farms, factories and restaurants, it is estimated that tens of thousands of people in the UK could be victims.
This Council also notes that:
· Collectively, local authorities in England spend more than £40bn per year procuring goods and services. From car washes to cleaning and construction, councils do business with hundreds of different suppliers. Many of those firms will have contractors and suppliers of their own.
· The Co-operative Party's Charter against Modern slavery goes further than existing law and guidance, committing councils to proactively vetting their own supply chain to ensure no instances of modern slavery are taking place.
This Council therefore resolves to:
· Adopt the principles of the Co-operative Party's Charter against Modern Slavery.
The Council will:
1 Train its corporate procurement team to understand modern slavery through the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply’s (CIPS) online course on Ethical Procurement and Supply.
2 Require its contractors to comply fully with the Modern Slavery Act 2015, wherever it applies, with contract termination as a potential sanction for non-compliance.
3 Challenge any abnormally low-cost tenders to ensure they do not rely upon the potential contractor practising modern slavery.
4 Highlight to its suppliers that contracted workers are free to join a trade union and are not to be treated unfairly for belonging to one.
5 Publicise its whistle-blowing system for staff to blow the whistle on any suspected examples of modern slavery.
6 Require its tendered contractors to adopt a whistle-blowing policy which enables their staff to blow the whistle on any suspected examples of modern slavery.
7 Review its contractual spending regularly to identify any potential issues with modern slavery.
8 Highlight for its suppliers any risks identified concerning modern slavery and refer them to the relevant agencies to be addressed.
9 Refer for investigation via the National Crime Agency’s national referral mechanism any of its contractors identified as a cause for concern regarding modern slavery.
10 Report publicly on the implementation of this policy annually Modern Slavery Charter.
Motion 828 – Making Gloucestershire’s countryside safe and accessible
Proposed by Cllr Colin Hay
Seconded by Cllr Loraine Patrick
This Council notes the exceptional countryside in Gloucestershire and the significant economic and cultural benefits that this already gives to businesses and residents within the county.
However, this Council recognises that the county’s countryside could be made safer and more accessible for people, including walkers, those with limited physical movement and equine users. This Council also recognises that relatively small infrastructure changes could further cement the county’s position as a tourist destination of choice for country pursuits. Such improvements could include, but are not limited to:
1 Safe connections between walking routes and bridlepaths
2 Gates on walking paths and bridleways that are more accessible for all users and easier to open on a horse.
3 Well-drained surfaces in gateways
4 Parking facilities on popular routes
This Council resolves to send this matter to the Environment and Communities Scrutiny Committee, for consideration on how the Council and the Local Enterprise Partnership can work with the tourist industry to turn Gloucestershire into an centre of excellence for walkers and equine users, helping businesses develop new and innovative practices.
Motion 829 – Governance of the Fire Service
Proposed by Cllr Dave Norman
Seconded by Cllr Jeremy Hilton
This Council restates its opposition to proposals to transfer the governance of Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue service from the County Council to the Police and Crime Commissioner. We call on the Police and Crime Commissioner to abandon the plan, and, if he does not, for the Home Secretary to reject it.
Motion 830 - Building a Statutory Youth Service
Proposed by Cllr Steve Robinson
Seconded by Cllr Lesley Williams
This Council notes:
· 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.
· 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 as a profession has been eroded and undermined through funding cuts and market reforms, and that overall spending on youth services in England has fallen by £737m (62%) since 2010.
This Council believes:
· Youth services should be made statutory, recognising the important role universal youth work plays in supporting young people to realise their potential.
· There should be a mandated national body with dedicated ring fenced funding to oversee youth service provision across England.
This Council therefore resolves to:
· Write to the six Gloucestershire MPs to ask them to support and campaign for statutory youth services.
Minutes:
Motion 825 – Protecting Gloucestershire Hospitals’ walk-in-services
In presenting the motion on the agenda, Cllr Joe Harris recognised that the Gloucestershire Hospitals’ Trust had faced severe financial difficulties and he paid tribute to hard work and commitment of clinicians and all the support staff working in hospitals in Gloucestershire. He said that they went well beyond what was expected of them. He stated that the walk-in services at Accident and Emergency, Urgent Care Centres and Minor Injury Units were greatly valued at the nine hospitals where these services were offered. He noted that at a recent meeting of the Health and Care Scrutiny Committee, the Hospitals’ Trust had assured members that proposed changes to General Surgery would not impact in any way on the walk-in services provided across the county.
Cllr Harris stated that he was particularly concerned at the reduction in radiography services in five hospitals. He said that community hospitals like those in Cirencester and Moreton-in-Marsh were jewels in the crown and he believed that they should be helped to develop their services to meet the needs of local communities. He appealed to the Clinical Commissioning Group and the Gloucestershire Hospitals’ Trust to protect walk-in services across the county.
In seconding the motion, Cllr Iain Dobie referred to the downgrading of Accident of Emergency at Cheltenham General Hospital to Urgent Care. He said that the proposal to remove General Surgery facilities at Cheltenham posed a further threat to emergency services. He noted that this meant that if anyone at Cheltenham General Hospital required emergency surgery they would have to be transferred by ambulance to Gloucester Royal Hospital.
Cllr Tim Harman, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Communities, acknowledged the efforts of hospital staff and he fully supported the motion. He recognised the great value that the local community placed on Accident and Emergency facilities at Cheltenham General Hospital. He called for a doctor-led Accident and Emergency Unit to be reinstated in Cheltenham without delay.
Other members indicated strong support for the motion. They recognised the importance of Accident and Emergency facilities in Cheltenham not just for the town but for the eastern side of the county including the Cotswolds. They also noted the important role of the community hospitals which particularly helped elderly residents in the more rural parts of the county to access a range of health services. One member referred to the vital service provided to the local community by Tetbury Hospital. He said that it was often forgotten as it was a charitable trust and not an NHS Trust.
Cllr Mark Hawthorne, Leader of the Council, said that he was pleased that members had been given an opportunity to express their views. He proposed a motion without notice that the original motion together with the comments made by members be referred to the Health and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee. He stated that the Scrutiny Committee had statutory powers which allowed it to challenge the Clinical Commissioning Group and the Hospital’s Trust on their proposals. Cllr Roger Wilson seconded the motion without notice.
In summing up on the original motion, Cllr Joe Harris believed that there was an urgent need to invest in local hospitals so that they met the needs of residents. He referred to the good work undertaken by Cotswold District Councillor Dilys Neill in putting together the petition to protect Radiography Services at the North Cotswolds Hospital in Moreton-in-Marsh.
On being put to the vote, the following resolution received unanimous support:
RESOLVED to refer the motion below to the Health and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee:
This Council notes:
· The value communities place upon the Accident and Emergency units in both Gloucester and Cheltenham
· The enormous and varied contributions made by the seven minor injury units spread across Gloucestershire
· The great value that communities across Gloucestershire place upon having hospital facilities close by
This Council further notes that all Walk in Centres, Urgent Care Centres, and Minor Injury Units will be rebranded as Urgent Treatment Centres by the end of 2019.
This Council resolves to write to Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group, to appeal in the strongest possible terms, that none of the services currently on offer to walk-in patients at any of the nine hospitals are removed, including that Cheltenham General Hospital must not be further downgraded to an Urgent Treatment Centre from an Accident and Emergency department.
Motion 826 – Crisis in Local Government funding
In moving the motion on the agenda, Cllr Paul Hodgkinson stated that councils up and down the country were sat at breaking point with 60% of central government funding removed since 2010. He said that the cuts on local authorities were disproportionate in comparison with the rest of the public sector with a number of county councils, including Northamptonshire, Somerset and East Sussex, in serious financial difficulties. He recognised that some extra funding had been provided by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his recent Budget but he believed that this was nowhere near enough to support local services. The Local Government Association had highlighted the growing funding gaps and it was essential that urgent steps were taken to review the financial settlements for 2019-20 and 2020-21.
There was a short adjournment before Cllr Mark Hawthorne proposed and Cllr Roger Wilson seconded the following amendment:
This Council notes:
· The unprecedented times that the country is facing and the job that local government is doing in providing local stability and leadership in these tumultuous times.
· The irreplaceable role that local councils play at the heart of communities, providing key public services that protect the most defenceless in society – children at risk, disabled adults and vulnerable older people – and the services we all rely on, like clean streets, libraries, and children’s centres.
·
That some councils up and down the UK are
at breaking point, are facing
serious financial challenges with disproportionate
reductions in local council funding in
comparison to the rest of the public sector.
· That councils had to spend an extra £800m last year to meet the demand on vital services to protect children and that, with an ageing population and growing demand, adult social care faces a funding gap of over £2 billion in the next financial year.
This Council further notes:
· That the Coalition Government and then the Conservative Government had to take difficult decisions to re-balance the nation’s accounts.
· The £1.3bn cut to Councils’ Revenue Support Grant that is due in 2019/20.
· That, according to a cross-party report by the Local Government Association, council services will face a funding gap of £3.9 billion in 2019/20, rising to £7.8 billion by 2024/25.
· That Gloucestershire County Council will receive an extra £10 million for Adult Social Care and road repairs this year.
This Council therefore
resolves towrite to the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, expressing its dismay that the Government failed to
sufficiently address the growing funding gaps with local councils
in the Autumn Budget, and requesting that he urgently rectify this
mistake in judgement noting
the funding issues facing local councils and the importance of the
Government’s Fairer Funding Review in addressing
them.
Cllr Hawthorne recognised that future funding of local government was an important issue. He explained that the Council had been, and continued, lobbying the Government on a number of fronts including the Local Government Association, the County Council Network and service specific organisations. He believed that it was important to highlight the successes achieved such as the extra funding for Social Care. He said that the Council was not another ‘Northamptonshire’ in the waiting and had sound finances with appropriate steps being taken to plan for the future. He recognised that it was not just about the money available to local government but ensuring that it was distributed fairly according to need. The coming year would see the publication of a Social Care Green Paper, the Fairer Funding Review and more detail on the Business Rates Retention Scheme.
Cllr Wilson believed that the amendment strengthened the motion and made it less political and more balanced in sending a message to the Government. He said that he welcomed the additional funding for Adult Social Care and Children’s Services along with the extra money for the NHS. He was pleased that the Government would at last be publishing a Green Paper on the future of Social Care.
A number of members expressed concern at the impact of austerity with local government being disproportionately affected despite being widely regarded as the most efficient part of the public sector. They believed that the cuts had the biggest impact on the most vulnerable people in society and were increasing inequality in society. Lord Porter, Chair of the Local Government Association, had requested the Government to address the funding crisis through the Fairer Funding Review.
Other members noted that the Council was in a strong position in comparison to some other counties as a result of prudent financial management. They recognised that the Council still faced financial challenges in future years but they were pleased that the Council had been able to invest in key areas such as roads and infrastructure. They were concerned that Gloucestershire received significantly less funds for schools than other areas and they supported the lobbying being undertaken for fairer funding.
A member paid a special tribute to the officers for their contribution towards the sound financial management of the Council. He said that it was on no small part down to them that the Council was in a much better position than elsewhere.
In summing up on the amendment, Cllr Hawthorne stated that it was important to demonstrate to the Government the higher cost of providing services in rural areas and highlight the complexity of delivering Children’s Services. He recognised that there were challenges ahead and he noted the importance of politicians working together to develop long-term solutions.
On being put to the vote, the amendment was supported and became the substantive motion.
A member acknowledged the benefits of lobbying through the Local Government Association and the County Council Network but believed that it was still important for the Council to write to the Government itself. He expressed concern that the Council could be reliant on funding from business rates at a time businesses were lobbying strongly for a reduction in business rates. He called for a thorough review of local government funding including the mechanisms have for raising funds.
As the seconder of the original motion, Cllr Lesley Williams stated that austerity was not necessary but was by design. She expressed serious concern at the impact of the cuts and untold damage to society. She believed that the money recently announced was ‘too little too late’. Councils had lost 60p in every £1 of Government funding since 2010. She said that 14 million people in the country were living in poverty, including 2.8 million families, and 1.5 million people were destitute.
As the proposer of the original motion, Cllr Hodgkinson recognised that the Council was not in the desperate financial position of other counties but, with even bigger cuts to funding in 2019-20 and 2020-21, the Council could easily find itself in trouble. He noted that recent estimates indicated that 10% of local authorities were now close to bankruptcy. He called for the Chancellor of the Exchequer to fund local services properly.
On being put to the vote, the amended motion received unanimous support.
RESOLVED that this Council notes:
· The unprecedented times that the country is facing and the job that local government is doing in providing local stability and leadership in these tumultuous times.
· The irreplaceable role that local councils play at the heart of communities, providing key public services that protect the most defenceless in society – children at risk, disabled adults and vulnerable older people – and the services we all rely on, like clean streets, libraries, and children’s centres.
· That some councils are facing serious financial challenges with disproportionate reductions in local council funding in comparison to the rest of the public sector.
· That councils had to spend an extra £800m last year to meet the demand on vital services to protect children and that, with an ageing population and growing demand, adult social care faces a funding gap of over £2 billion in the next financial year.
This Council further notes:
· That the Coalition Government and then the Conservative Government had to take difficult decisions to re-balance the nation’s accounts.
· The £1.3bn cut to Councils’ Revenue Support Grant that is due in 2019/20.
· That, according to a cross-party report by the Local Government Association, council services will face a funding gap of £3.9 billion in 2019/20, rising to £7.8 billion by 2024/25.
· That Gloucestershire County Council will receive an extra £10 million for Adult Social Care and road repairs this year.
This Council therefore resolves towrite to the Chancellor of the Exchequer noting the funding issues facing local councils and the importance of the Government’s Fairer Funding Review in addressing them.
Motion 827 – Modern Slavery
Cllr Kate Haigh proposed and Cllr Brian Oosthuysen seconded the motion included on the agenda.
In moving the motion on the agenda, Cllr Kate Haigh acknowledged the good work that the Council was already doing through the Gloucestershire Anti-Slavery Partnership chaired by Pete Bungard. She was anxious, however, that the Council made a public commitment to removing anti-slavery from its supply chain. She noted the role of both members and officers as the ‘eyes and ears’ in local communities. Modern slavery was often closer than people thought and was more prevalent in particular types of industry: car washes, nail bars, restaurants, agriculture and sex workers.
Cllr Kathy Williams, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care Delivery, said that she fully supported the motion. The Home Office estimated that there were 13,000 victims or former victims of Modern Slavery at the present time. She stated that the Council was taking a range of actions to combat Modern Slavery and she offered to provide further information on request.
Cllr Dave Norman, Cabinet Member for Public Protection, Parking and Libraries, advised that staff that had access to premises as part of their jobs such as Firefighters and Trading Standards Officers had been trained to identify the signs of Modern Slavery.
Other members spoke in support of the motion. They welcomed the work being undertaken by the Council and Constabulary to combat anti-slavery. They recognised that Modern Slavery was often closer than you think and could affect anyone living in Gloucestershire. They were anxious to promote greater awareness of the problem through every means possible.
In seconding the motion, Cllr Brian Oosthuysen said that slavery was made illegal in 1833 but today it was generating £150 million each year for unscrupulous people who were exploiting the vulnerable. He noted how important it was for the Council to ensure that its supply chain was free from Modern Slavery.
In summing up, Cllr Haigh thanked members for their support. She recognised the importance of the Council working in partnership with the Police, District Councils, the Faith Community Work and other public sector partners.
On being put to the vote, the following motion received unanimous support.
RESOLVED that this Council notes that Modern Slavery is one of the great evils of our time and it’s happening under our noses. In nail bars, car washes, farms, factories and restaurants, it is estimated that tens of thousands of people in the UK could be victims.
This Council also notes that:
· Collectively, local authorities in England spend more than £40bn per year procuring goods and services. From car washes to cleaning and construction, councils do business with hundreds of different suppliers. Many of those firms will have contractors and suppliers of their own.
· The Co-operative Party's Charter against Modern slavery goes further than existing law and guidance, committing councils to proactively vetting their own supply chain to ensure no instances of modern slavery are taking place.
This Council therefore resolves to adopt the principles of the Co-operative Party's Charter against Modern Slavery.
The Council will:
1 Train its corporate procurement team to understand modern slavery through the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply’s (CIPS) online course on Ethical Procurement and Supply.
2 Require its contractors to comply fully with the Modern Slavery Act 2015, wherever it applies, with contract termination as a potential sanction for non-compliance.
3 Challenge any abnormally low-cost tenders to ensure they do not rely upon the potential contractor practising modern slavery.
4 Highlight to its suppliers that contracted workers are free to join a trade union and are not to be treated unfairly for belonging to one.
5 Publicise its whistle-blowing system for staff to blow the whistle on any suspected examples of modern slavery.
6 Require its tendered contractors to adopt a whistle-blowing policy which enables their staff to blow the whistle on any suspected examples of modern slavery.
7 Review its contractual spending regularly to identify any potential issues with modern slavery.
8 Highlight for its suppliers any risks identified concerning modern slavery and refer them to the relevant agencies to be addressed.
9 Refer for investigation via the National Crime Agency’s national referral mechanism any of its contractors identified as a cause for concern regarding modern slavery.
10 Report publicly on the implementation of this policy annually Modern Slavery Charter.
Motion 828 – Making Gloucestershire’s countryside safe and accessible
In proposing the motion on the agenda, Cllr Colin Hay recognised that the equestrian industry was a distinguishing selling point for Gloucestershire. He noted the importance of providing good bridleways and gates as part of a wider policy to make the countryside open to everyone. He said that Hartpury College with its strong equestrian background was fully supportive of any initiative that promoted Gloucestershire as a place to visit for horse riding. He referred to the benefits of working with horses for people with disabilities and behavioural issues.
In seconding the motion, Cllr Loraine Patrick acknowledged the benefits of improving bridle paths across the county.
Members recognised that Gloucestershire was recognised for world-wide for Eventing, National Hunt Racing and Dressage. They expressed strong support for the motion and hoped that action could be taken to improve access for horses in the countryside. They noted the way that bridle gates operated could be a real issue and there had been instances where riders had fallen off trying to open and close them. They believed that there might be some benefits in defining particular routes for horses as there could be a conflict with walkers and cyclists. They were supportive of promoting more considerate driving to take account of horse riders, walkers and cyclists.
On being put to the vote, the following motion received unanimous support.
RESOLVED that this Council notes the exceptional countryside in Gloucestershire and the significant economic and cultural benefits that this already gives to businesses and residents within the county.
However, this Council recognises that the county’s countryside could be made safer and more accessible for people, including walkers, those with limited physical movement and equine users. This Council also recognises that relatively small infrastructure changes could further cement the county’s position as a tourist destination of choice for country pursuits. Such improvements could include, but are not limited to:
1 Safe connections between walking routes and bridlepaths
2 Gates on walking paths and bridleways that are more accessible for all users and easier to open on a horse.
3 Well-drained surfaces in gateways
4 Parking facilities on popular routes
This Council resolves to send this matter to the Environment and Communities Scrutiny Committee, for consideration on how the Council and the Local Enterprise Partnership can work with the tourist industry to turn Gloucestershire into an centre of excellence for walkers and equine users, helping businesses develop new and innovative practices.
Motion 829 – Governance of the Fire Service
In presenting the motion on the agenda, Cllr Dave Norman, the Cabinet Member for Public Protection, Parking and Libraries, expressed concern that the Police and Crime Commissioner was again taking steps to take over Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS). He said that transferring GFRS to the Commissioner would be expensive, waste public money and not improve the service. He noted that the Commissioner had already spent £130,000 on the first case to take over GFRS and he was now looking to spend even more money building a second case. He believed that the Commissioner should be using this money to support his policing responsibilities. He stated that decisions on the fire and rescue service were made in public with the opportunity for questions and this opportunity did not exist under the Commissioner. GFRS was recognised nationally as providing an excellent service and he called on the Commissioner to drop his bid. The focus should now be on fire and rescue, police and ambulance services working collaboratively.
In seconding the motion, Cllr Jeremy Hilton believed that the Commissioner by reopening his bid for GFRS was not acting in the best interests of the service. He noted that a number of different administrations at the Council had run GFRS successfully for 44 years. Whenever issues arose swift action was taken to resolve issues. A joint board had now started work on collaboration amongst the emergency services.
Members from across the Council expressed strong support for GFRS remaining with the Council. They regretted the unfortunate events of the Summer but they were anxious that the recently appointed Chief Fire Officer was given time and space to manage the service. They believed that the right approach was to work collaboratively across the emergency services. They noted the valuable role of GFRS in supporting Adult Social Care.
They believed that the Commissioner was wasting valuable time and money in pursuing another bid and they called on him to concentrate on what he was elected to do: lead the police. Concerns were expressed around the lack of support for rural communities and failure to address rural crime.
Members believed that the Home Secretary should intervene and stop further waste of money by the Commissioner on pursuing an opportunist bid for GFRS. They noted the role of the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee in providing robust scrutiny of GFRS by non-executive members.
Some members expressed concern at the ongoing tension between the Council and the Commissioner and they hoped that steps could be taken to bring it to an end.
One member suggested that staff at GFRS decide themselves who they would prefer to run the service.
Cllr Mark Hawthorne, the Leader of the Council, stated that the message from the Council to the Commissioner was a clear one: get on with the job that you were elected to do and stop wasting money on pursuing another bid for GFRS. He referred to the Commissioner’s poor record on partnership working with his withdrawal from the Road Safety Partnership. He was concerned that the Commissioner might look to use spare capacity in GFRS to help with policing.
In summing up, Cllr Norman was pleased that so many positive comments had been made about GFRS. He said that GFRS had been well run by the Council over a long period and was recognised as one of the most efficient fire services in the country.
RESOLVED that this Council restates its opposition to proposals to transfer the governance of Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue service from the County Council to the Police and Crime Commissioner. We call on the Police and Crime Commissioner to abandon the plan, and, if he does not, for the Home Secretary to reject it.
Motion 830 - Building a Statutory Youth Service
There was not sufficient time for the following motion proposed by Cllr Steve Robinson and seconded by Cllr Lesley Williams to be considered at the meeting:
This Council notes:
· 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.
· 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 as a profession has been eroded and undermined through funding cuts and market reforms, and that overall spending on youth services in England has fallen by £737m (62%) since 2010.
This Council believes:
· Youth services should be made statutory, recognising the important role universal youth work plays in supporting young people to realise their potential.
· There should be a mandated national body with dedicated ring fenced funding to oversee youth service provision across England.
This Council therefore resolves to:
Write to the six Gloucestershire MPs to ask them to support and campaign for statutory youth services.