(time limit 30 minutes)
Motion 1
Councillor Harkness to MOVE and Councillor Williamson to SECOND:
This Council notes that:
· 2nd – 6th November 2015 is National School Meals week
· 9,800 pupils in reception, year one and two classes in the Oldham borough became entitled to universal free school meals from September 2014
· Pilots conducted by the Departments of Education and Health in 2009 found that the provision of universal free school meals led to improvements in the concentration, academic performance and behaviour of pupils
· Four in every 10 children living in poverty do not currently qualify for free school meals; yet in many cases a free school meal may represent the only hot meal that a child receives in a day
· Extending universal free school meals to all seven to eleven year olds will benefit 13,100 children in the Oldham borough, 10,000 more than currently receive free school meals, and 1.9 million children in the UK
· This was a recommendation of the School Food Plan presented to government by John Vincent and Henry Dimbleby
This Council believes that:
· Government should extend the provision of universal free school meals to all seven to eleven year olds, starting in the most deprived areas, during the lifetime of this current Parliament
· This expansion should be funded by Government with adequate capital investment and ongoing revenue support
Council therefore resolves to:
· Ask the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Education, the Rt. Hon. Nicky Morgan MP, outlining this Council’s position on this issue
· Ask the Chief Executive to write to the three MPs for the borough asking them to also support this position
· Ask the Leader and the Leaders of the Main and Minority Opposition Groups to seek the support of this position from their respective political groups within the Local Government Association
Motion 2
Councillor Murphy to MOVE and Councillor McCann to SECOND:
This Council notes that:
· The demand for affordable homes in the Oldham borough will continue to increase
· The availability of social housing is under further threat from a Conservative Government intent on extending the ‘right to buy’ to housing association tenants, on pressurizing social landlords to sell off their housing stock, and on imposing rent reductions
· With powers from the 2011 Localism Act and the 2000 Local Government Act, Councils can generate income and build affordable homes, whether for sale or for rent
· Some councils, such as Sutton, have established a wholly-owned housing development company to build homes for sale at affordable prices or to let at social or market rents
Council resolves to ask the Overview and Scrutiny Board and the Strategic Housing Partnership Board to investigate the merits of:
· Setting up a Council wholly-owned housing development company
· Making use of reforms in the use of the Housing Revenue Account and prudential borrowing powers to finance house building by the new company
· Accessing finance via the new LG Develop scheme recently established by the Local Government Association
· Identifying, with partners (such as housing associations, the NHS, local developers and landowners), local land sites that have potential for housing development through the new company
Council also requests that these bodies bring back a report on these proposals to a future meeting of Council
Motion 3
Councillor Heffernan to MOVE and Councillor Turner to SECOND:
This Council notes that:
· Today (4th November 2015) is the 69th anniversary of the founding of UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) whose mission statement is “building peace in the minds of men and women”.
· In 1974, the member states of UNESCO recognised the necessity of peace education in order for students to acquire the values, knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behaviours to live in harmony with oneself and with others, and to help promote a culture of peace.
· Article 26 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that education shall be directed to “further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace".
· In signing the European Parliament’s Pledge to Peace, Council has agreed to support the “dissemination and promotion of peace, employing resources and tools such as education”.
· Many international bodies, including UNESCO and the United Nations Association, have produced excellent free educational resources that can be accessed on-line.
Council believes that Oldham should, as the first UK local authority to sign the Pledge to Peace:
· Seek to encourage local schools, academies and colleges to deliver peace education within their curriculum.
· Support Peace in the Classroom, a new Pledge to Peace initiative.
Council therefore resolves to request the relevant Cabinet Member(s) to explore this possibility with the Oldham Youth Council and appropriate local bodies representing the teaching profession and governors (such as the Oldham Schools Alliance etc.)
Minutes:
Motion 1
Councillor Harkness MOVED and Councillor Williamson SECONDED:
“This Council notes that:
· 2nd – 6th November 2015 is National School Meals week
· 9,800 pupils in reception, year one and two classes in the Oldham borough became entitled to universal free school meals from September 2014
· Pilots conducted by the Departments of Education and Health in 2009 found that the provision of universal free school meals led to improvements in the concentration, academic performance and behaviour of pupils
· Four in every 10 children living in poverty do not currently qualify for free school meals; yet in many cases a free school meal may represent the only hot meal that a child receives in a day
· Extending universal free school meals to all seven to eleven year olds will benefit 13,100 children in the Oldham borough, 10,000 more than currently receive free school meals, and 1.9 million children in the UK
· This was a recommendation of the School Food Plan presented to government by John Vincent and Henry Dimbleby
This Council believes that:
· Government should extend the provision of universal free school meals to all seven to eleven year olds, starting in the most deprived areas, during the lifetime of this current Parliament
· This expansion should be funded by Government with adequate capital investment and ongoing revenue support
Council therefore resolves to:
· Ask the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Education, the Rt. Hon. Nicky Morgan MP, outlining this Council’s position on this issue
· Ask the Chief Executive to write to the three MPs for the borough asking them to also support this position
· Ask the Leader and the Leaders of the Main and Minority Opposition Groups to seek the support of this position from their respective political groups within the Local Government Association”
On being put to the VOTE, the meeting UNANIMOUSLY voted IN FAVOUR of the MOTION, which was therefore CARRIED.
Motion 2
Councillor Murphy MOVED and Councillor McCann SECONDED:
“This Council notes that:
· The demand for affordable homes in the Oldham borough will continue to increase
· The availability of social housing is under further threat from a Conservative Government intent on extending the ‘right to buy’ to housing association tenants, on pressurizing social landlords to sell off their housing stock, and on imposing rent reductions
· With powers from the 2011 Localism Act and the 2000 Local Government Act, Councils can generate income and build affordable homes, whether for sale or for rent
· Some councils, such as Sutton, have established a wholly-owned housing development company to build homes for sale at affordable prices or to let at social or market rents
Council resolves to ask the Overview and Scrutiny Board and the Strategic Housing Partnership Board to investigate the merits of:
· Setting up a Council wholly-owned housing development company
· Making use of reforms in the use of the Housing Revenue Account and prudential borrowing powers to finance house building by the new company
· Accessing finance via the new LG Develop scheme recently established by the Local Government Association
· Identifying, with partners (such as housing associations, the NHS, local developers and landowners), local land sites that have potential for housing development through the new company
Council also requests that these bodies bring back a report on these proposals to a future meeting of Council”
On being put to the VOTE, the meeting UNANIMOUSLY voted IN FAVOUR of the MOTION, which was therefore CARRIED
Motion 3
Councillor Heffernan MOVED and Councillor Turner SECONDED:
“This Council notes that:
· Today (4th November 2015) is the 69th anniversary of the founding of UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) whose mission statement is “building peace in the minds of men and women”.
· In 1974, the member states of UNESCO recognised the necessity of peace education in order for students to acquire the values, knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behaviours to live in harmony with oneself and with others, and to help promote a culture of peace.
· Article 26 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that education shall be directed to “further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace".
· In signing the European Parliament’s Pledge to Peace, Council has agreed to support the “dissemination and promotion of peace, employing resources and tools such as education”.
· Many international bodies, including UNESCO and the United Nations Association, have produced excellent free educational resources that can be accessed on-line.
Council believes that Oldham should, as the first UK local authority to sign the Pledge to Peace:
· Seek to encourage local schools, academies and colleges to deliver peace education within their curriculum.
· Support Peace in the Classroom, a new Pledge to Peace initiative.
Council therefore resolves to request the relevant Cabinet Member(s) to explore this possibility with the Oldham Youth Council and appropriate local bodies representing the teaching profession and governors (such as the Oldham Schools Alliance etc.)”
AMENDMENT
Councillor Fielding MOVED and Councillor Wrigglesworth SECONDED:
“Delete: request the relevant Cabinet Member(s) to explore this possibility with the Oldham Youth Council and appropriate local bodies representing the teaching profession and governors (such as the Oldham Schools Alliance etc.)
Insert: appoint a Council Champion and propose the nominee is Cllr Heffernan”.
On being put to the VOTE, the meeting UNANIMOUSLY voted IN FAVOUR of the AMENDMENT, which was therefore CARRIED
A vote was then taken on the MOTION (as amended).
“This Council notes that:
• Today (4th November 2015) is the 69th anniversary of the founding of UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) whose mission statement is “building peace in the minds of men and women”.
• In 1974, the member states of UNESCO recognised the necessity of peace education in order for students to acquire the values, knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behaviours to live in harmony with oneself and with others, and to help promote a culture of peace.
• Article 26 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that education shall be directed to “further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace".
• In signing the European Parliament’s Pledge to Peace, Council has agreed to support the “dissemination and promotion of peace, employing resources and tools such as education”.
• Many international bodies, including UNESCO and the United Nations Association, have produced excellent free educational resources that can be accessed on-line.
Council believes that Oldham should, as the first UK local authority to sign the Pledge to Peace:
• Seek to encourage local schools, academies and colleges to deliver peace education within their curriculum.
• Support Peace in the Classroom, a new Pledge to Peace initiative.
Council therefore resolves to appoint a Council Champion and propose to appoint a Council Champion and propose the nominee is Cllr Heffernan”.
On being put to the VOTE, the meeting UNANIMOUSLY voted IN FAVOUR of the MOTION, which was therefore CARRIED