Agenda item

Notice of Opposition Business

(time limit 30 minutes)

 

Motion 1

Councillor Sykes to MOVE and Councillor Williamson to SECOND:

A Tax on Excess Online Profits

Council notes that whilst smaller High Street non-food retail outlets have been forcibly closed, and are facing business failure, because of the COVID-19 Lockdown, larger national businesses and multi-national businesses offering on-line products have thrived, reporting bumper profits.

Council notes that recent proposals from the UN and the EU are working to establish an international consensus on business taxation, to minimise profit-shifting for the purpose of avoiding corporation tax, but that these proposals are not likely to be introduced in time to have any impact on the excess online profits that some companies have made off the back of the coronavirus epidemic.

Raising a bespoke tax on excess online profits has precedent in the UK, and Council expresses its disappointment that the Chancellor has not yet introduced such a tax and believes that if we are, as the Prime Minister claims, ‘all in this together’, then the excessive profits of such on-line businesses should be subjected to a greater level of tax, and that the revenue raised employed to support our hollowed out public services (local government, schools and health) and the financial recovery of our High Street retailers.

Council resolves to ask the Chief Executive to write to:

  • The Chancellor of the Exchequer, The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP, urging him to introduce such a tax as soon as possible as one means to ensure that we are ‘all in this together’.
  • Our three local MPs, the Greater Manchester Mayor and the Leaders of the other nine AGMA authorities to seek their support for such a tax.

 

Motion 2

Councillor Al-Hamdani to MOVE and Councillor C Gloster to SECOND:

Consultation on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Council notes that:

  • The Conservative Party Manifesto for the 2017 General Election contained the following commitment:

‘We will use the structural fund money that comes back to the UK following Brexit to create a United Kingdom Shared Prosperity Fund, specifically designed to reduce inequalities between communities across our four nations. The money that is spent will help deliver sustainable, inclusive growth based on our modern industrial strategy. We will consult widely on the design of the fund, including with the devolved administrations, local authorities, businesses and public bodies.’

  • The Conservative Government promised to publish a UK Shared Prosperity Fund Consultation Paper in 2018.
  • Successive Secretaries of State in the Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government when responding to several questions in Parliament in both 2018 and 2019 confirmed that a consultation would take place.

 

  • The promised consultation is now three years late.
  • In the last round of European funding (2014-2020), Greater Manchester received £322.75m, split across European Regional Development Funding (ERDF) (£176.78m) and European Social Funding (ESF) (£145.97m), equivalent to an annual allocation of £53.8m.
  • The Conservative Party website claims that ‘We will introduce the UK Shared Prosperity Fund when EU Structural Funds start to taper off from 2020-21…from April 2021’.

Council resolves to ask the Chief Executive to:

  • Write to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government requesting the promised public consultation commence as soon as possible.
  • Copy in our local Members of Parliament and the Mayor of Greater Manchester on this correspondence and ask for their assistance by making similar representations to the Government.

 

Motion 3

Councillor Harkness to MOVE and Councillor H Gloster to SECOND:

Thanking our Schools and Education Staff

Council shares the delight of children, parents and guardians that pupils and students have finally been able to return to their schools and colleges during the week commencing 8 March. Children and young people will be glad to be back with their teachers and their friends after a year of home schooling and distance learning that has been very difficult for everyone involved.

Council recognises that teachers and other school and college staff across the whole of the United Kingdom, whether employed at primary, secondary or tertiary level, have demonstrated extraordinary professional commitment and dedication in continuing to deliver an excellent education, whether at the chalk-face or online, to our children and young people in the face of great uncertainty and despite the most adverse conditions faced by such professionals since 1945.

Council further recognises that in schooling the children of other ‘key workers’ teachers and other school staff have enabled their parents to carry on doing their essential duties that have saved our lives, supplied us with our daily bread and kept our nation functioning, all the while knowing that their children are safe and being nurtured and cared for.

Council recognises that Oldham has sadly been very hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and operational difficulties in education have been especially challenging.

Consequently, Council wishes particularly to praise those school and college staff who have been working at schools, academies and colleges across the Borough of Oldham.  Such staff include teachers, teaching assistants, catering, cleaning, and caretaking staff, midday supervisors, office support staff, head teachers, child care club staff, volunteers, and anybody else who has helped to keep our educational establishments open for key workers or who has supported distance learning.

Council believes that parents, guardians and siblings involved in supporting their children and young people in their distance learning will have developed a deeper appreciation of the work that our professional educators do on a day-to-day basis, particularly in these challenging times.

Council therefore resolves to ask the Chief Executive to write to the local representatives of the professional bodies and trades unions for the teaching and ancillary professions to pass on these sentiments and our thanks for a job well done after one year of Lockdown.

Minutes:

Motion 1

Councillor Sykes MOVED and Councillor Williamson SECONDED the following MOTION:

A Tax on Excess Online Profits

Council notes that whilst smaller High Street non-food retail outlets have been forcibly closed, and are facing business failure, because of the COVID-19 Lockdown, larger national businesses and multi-national businesses offering on-line products have thrived, reporting bumper profits.

Council notes that recent proposals from the UN and the EU are working to establish an international consensus on business taxation, to minimise profit-shifting for the purpose of avoiding corporation tax, but that these proposals are not likely to be introduced in time to have any impact on the excess online profits that some companies have made off the back of the coronavirus epidemic.

Raising a bespoke tax on excess online profits has precedent in the UK, and Council expresses its disappointment that the Chancellor has not yet introduced such a tax and believes that if we are, as the Prime Minister claims, ‘all in this together’, then the excessive profits of such on-line businesses should be subjected to a greater level of tax, and that the revenue raised employed to support our hollowed out public services (local government, schools and health) and the financial recovery of our High Street retailers.

Council resolves to ask the Chief Executive to write to:

·         The Chancellor of the Exchequer, The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP, urging him to introduce such a tax as soon as possible as one means to ensure that we are ‘all in this together’.

·         Our three local MPs, the Greater Manchester Mayor and the Leaders of the other nine AGMA authorities to seek their support for such a tax.

Councillor Harkness spoke in support of the Motion.

Councillor Ahmad spoke in support of the Motion.

Councillor Fielding spoke in support of the Motion.

 

Councillor Sykes exercised his right of reply.

 

On being put to the vote, Members voted unanimously in FAVOUR of the MOTION. The MOTION was therefore CARRIED.

 

Motion 2

Councillor Al-Hamdani outlined the proposed amendment, which was seconded Councillor C Gloster. The amendment was agreed without discussion.

Councillor Al-Hamdani MOVED and Councillor C Gloster SECONDED the following MOTION:

Consultation on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Council notes that:

·         The Conservative Party Manifesto for the 2017 General Election contained the following commitment:

‘We will use the structural fund money that comes back to the UK following Brexit to create a United Kingdom Shared Prosperity Fund, specifically designed to reduce inequalities between communities across our four nations. The money that is spent will help deliver sustainable, inclusive growth based on our modern industrial strategy. We will consult widely on the design of the fund, including with the devolved administrations, local authorities, businesses and public bodies.’

·         The Conservative Government promised to publish a UK Shared Prosperity Fund Consultation Paper in 2018.

·         Successive Secretaries of State in the Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government when responding to several questions in Parliament in both 2018 and 2019 confirmed that a consultation would take place.

·         The promised consultation is now three years late.

·         In the last round of European funding (2014-2020), Greater Manchester received £322.75m, split across European Regional Development Funding (ERDF) (£176.78m) and European Social Funding (ESF) (£145.97m), equivalent to an annual allocation of £53.8m.

·         The Conservative Party website claims that ‘We will introduce the UK Shared Prosperity Fund when EU Structural Funds start to taper off from 2020-21…from April 2021’.

Council resolves to ask the Chief Executive to:

·         Write to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government requesting the promised public consultation commence prior to the end of this financial year when EU structural fund allocations begin to taper off.

·         Copy in our local Members of Parliament and the Mayor of Greater Manchester on this correspondence and ask for their assistance by making similar representations to the Government”.

On it being moved that the matter be put to the vote, it was unanimously agreed that the matter be put to the vote without further discussion.

 

On being put to the vote, 42 votes were cast in FAVOUR of the MOTION and 0 votes were cast AGAINST with 3 ABSTENTIONS. The MOTION was therefore CARRIED.

 

Motion 3

Councillor Harkness MOVED and Councillor H Gloster SECONDED the following MOTION:

 

Thanking our Schools and Education Staff

 

Council shares the delight of children, parents and guardians that pupils and students have finally been able to return to their schools and colleges during the week commencing 8 March. Children and young people will be glad to be back with their teachers and their friends after a year of home schooling and distance learning that has been very difficult for everyone involved.

Council recognises that teachers and other school and college staff across the whole of the United Kingdom, whether employed at primary, secondary or tertiary level, have demonstrated extraordinary professional commitment and dedication in continuing to deliver an excellent education, whether at the chalk-face or online, to our children and young people in the face of great uncertainty and despite the most adverse conditions faced by such professionals since 1945.

Council further recognises that in schooling the children of other ‘key workers’ teachers and other school staff have enabled their parents to carry on doing their essential duties that have saved our lives, supplied us with our daily bread and kept our nation functioning, all the while knowing that their children are safe and being nurtured and cared for.

Council recognises that Oldham has sadly been very hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and operational difficulties in education have been especially challenging.

Consequently, Council wishes particularly to praise those school and college staff who have been working at schools, academies and colleges across the Borough of Oldham.  Such staff include teachers, teaching assistants, catering, cleaning, and caretaking staff, midday supervisors, office support staff, head teachers, child care club staff, volunteers, and anybody else who has helped to keep our educational establishments open for key workers or who has supported distance learning.

Council believes that parents, guardians and siblings involved in supporting their children and young people in their distance learning will have developed a deeper appreciation of the work that our professional educators do on a day-to-day basis, particularly in these challenging times.

Council therefore resolves to ask the Chief Executive to write to the local representatives of the professional bodies and trades unions for the teaching and ancillary professions to pass on these sentiments and our thanks for a job well done after one year of Lockdown.

 

AMENDMENT

 

Councillor Mushtaq MOVED and Councillor Goodwin SECONDED the following AMENDMENT:

Paragraph 5

Sentence 1

Insert all between praise and school

Insert all early years settings between colleges and across

Add at end and such staff that work outside the borough but reside in Oldham

Add new sentence at end: It is also important to acknowledge and thank all those that were in the seriously vulnerable group, therefore shielding, but continued to teach and support from home via online.

Paragraph 7

Insert and to all schools, colleges and Early Years settings between professions and to pass

Add at end:

Council, with partners, will endeavour to thank the sector through more substantive means once circumstances allow.

Revised motion to read:

Motion 3 – Thanking our Schools and Education Staff

Council shares the delight of children, parents and guardians that pupils and students have finally been able to return to their schools and colleges during the week commencing 8 March. Children and young people will be glad to be back with their teachers and their friends after a year of home schooling and distance learning that has been very difficult for everyone involved.

Council recognises that teachers and other school and college staff across the whole of the United Kingdom, whether employed at primary, secondary or tertiary level, have demonstrated extraordinary professional commitment and dedication in continuing to deliver an excellent education, whether at the chalk-face or online, to our children and young people in the face of great uncertainty and despite the most adverse conditions faced by such professionals since 1945.

Council further recognises that in schooling the children of other ‘key workers’ teachers and other school staff have enabled their parents to carry on doing their essential duties that have saved our lives, supplied us with our daily bread and kept our nation functioning, all the while knowing that their children are safe and being nurtured and cared for.

Council recognises that Oldham has sadly been very hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and operational difficulties in education have been especially challenging.

Consequently, Council wishes to praise all school and college staff who have been working at schools, academies, colleges and all early years settings across the Borough of Oldham and such staff that work outside the borough but reside in Oldham.  Staff include teachers, teaching assistants, catering, cleaning, and caretaking staff, midday supervisors, office support staff, head teachers, child care club staff, volunteers, and anybody else who has helped to keep our educational establishments open for key workers or who has supported distance learning. It is also important to acknowledge and thank all those that were in the seriously vulnerable group, therefore shielding, but continued to teach and support from home via online.

Council believes that parents, guardians and siblings involved in supporting their children and young people in their distance learning will have developed a deeper appreciation of the work that our professional educators do on a day-to-day basis, particularly in these challenging times.

Council therefore resolves to ask the Chief Executive to write to the local representatives of the professional bodies and trades unions for the teaching, ancillary professions and to all schools, colleges and Early Years settings to pass on these sentiments and our thanks for a job well done after one year of Lockdown. Council, with partners, will endeavour to thank the sector through more substantive means once circumstances allow.

 

A vote was then taken on the AMENDMENT, which was CARRIED and became the SUBSTANTIVE MOTION.

 

On being put to the vote, Members voted unanimously in FAVOUR of the MOTION. The MOTION was therefore CARRIED.