Agenda item

Notice of Administration Business

(time limit 30 minutes)

 

Motion 1

 

Councillor Jabbar to MOVE and Councillor Roberts to SECOND the motion:

#keepthelifeline

This Council notes the devastating effect the Coronavirus pandemic has had on many of Oldham’s communities, laying bare the inequalities opened up by austerity policies imposed by successive Coalition and Conservative Governments.

This Council further notes that despite the introduction of the National Living Wage and record employment, poverty amongst workers and children was rising before the pandemic. The cuts and freezes in social security played a significant part in this.

This Council is concerned that policies put in place to protect the most vulnerable during the pandemic are being wound down and in particular that furlough is due to end on the 30 September 2021 – the National Institute for Economic and Social research estimates 150,000 additional people will lose their jobs across the UK.

In addition, the Conservative Government has so far refused to continue the £20 a week uplift to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit– unfairly never paid to those receiving legacy benefits. The removal of the uplift will amount to a loss of benefit income of £1,040 per year from early October and will have the most severe impact in the North of England, Wales, the West Midlands and Northern Ireland. The Government has also re-instated the minimum income floor for self-employed earners claiming Universal Credit.

The ability of those on low incomes to pay their housing costs will be impacted by these changes at a time when the evictions ban has ended and when Local Housing Allowance rates have been frozen from April this year. These changes will result in a real terms income cut for renters receiving Housing Benefit or Universal Credit despite the cost of rents rising across the country.

This Council resolves to

  1. Support the #keepthelifeline campaign to stop the planned cut to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit

 

  1. Urge the Conservative Government to
    1. Keep the £20 a week uplift to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit
    2. Stop discriminating against families receiving ‘legacy benefits’, such as Employment Support Allowance, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income Support, by not giving them this uplift.
    3. Remove the minimum income floor for self- employed earners claiming Universal Credit
    4. Remove the April 2021 freeze on Local Housing Allowance rates
    5. Bring forward as soon as possible legislation to end s21 no fault evictions

 

  1. Ask the interim Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and Secretary of State for MHCLG respectively outlining our concerns and asking for swift action to

·         prevent the 45,000 families who are Oldham residents in receipt of Universal Credit and Working Tax Credits (69% of whom are families with children) from falling deeper into poverty because of the changes to these benefits

·         prevent the homes of the most vulnerable families in private rented accommodation in Oldham from being at risk because of the freeze in Local Housing Allowance rates and the end of the evictions ban.

 

Motion 2

Councillor Chadderton to MOVE and Councillor Williams to SECOND the motion

Safer Communities: Tackling crime and anti-social behaviour

This Council notes that:

  • This Conservative Government has cut police to the lowest level in a generation and cut funding for services that prevent crime from happening. These decisions have caused a surge in antisocial behaviour leaving people afraid in their own communities.

 

  • Anti-social behaviour has rocketed, with police forces in England and Wales recording 2,022,274 incidents of anti-social behaviour in 2020-21, up by more than 600,000 in a year and the highest rate for seven years. Analysis of the Crime Survey data lays bare the scale of the problem with over 13.6 million adults having witnessed or experienced anti-social behaviour in the last twelve months.

 

  • Greater Manchester Police in 2020-21 have recorded a twenty four percent increase in incidents of anti-social behaviour, this more than 16,506 incidents than in the previous year 2019-20.

 

  • The Government is failing on law and order. Since 2014-15, violent crime has more than doubled with 1,680,884 violent crimes recorded in 2019/20, while the number of suspects charged has fallen by a quarter. Furthermore since 2015-16 there has been a 90 per cent increase in police recorded domestic abuse.

 

  • On 22nd July 2021 the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) representing 130,000 officers stated they no longer had confidence in the Home Secretary The Rt Hon. Priti Patel MP.

This Council further notes that:

  • Police in England and Wales are still faced with a £1.6 billion funding gap in 2021 compared with 2010.

 

  • Cuts to policing since 2010 has led to 8,433 fewer officers, 7,633 fewer PCSOs and 7,502 fewer police staff, with 99% of cuts to the police since 2010 being from the frontline.  Greater Manchester Police has lost 2,000 officers and 1,000 support staff.

This Council therefore resolves

  1. to ask the interim Chief Executive to write to:
  • The Home Secretary to urge the Government to do more to tackle the trouble escalation of anti-social behaviour across the country, including putting the victims of crime first by strengthening the legal protections for victims of persistent, unresolved anti-social behaviour.

 

  • the Prime Minister urging him to abandon his vanity national yacht project and instead redirect the over £280 million of funds on fighting crime in our communities. This additional funding could be used for surge funding of police officers and PCSOs and for helping councils fund enforcement or to pay for additional CCTV.

 

  1. To continue supporting Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham in his goal to recruit 325 additional officers by the end of this year: this would mean an increase of 1,000 police officers since 2017.

 

 

Minutes:

Motion 1

 

Councillor Jabbar MOVED and Councillor Roberts SECONDED the following MOTION:

 

Motion 1 -  #keepthelifeline

 

This Council notes the devastating effect the Coronavirus pandemic has had on many of Oldham’s communities, laying bare the inequalities opened up by austerity policies imposed by successive Coalition and Conservative Governments.

This Council further notes that despite the introduction of the National Living Wage and record employment, poverty amongst workers and children was rising before the pandemic. The cuts and freezes in social security played a significant part in this.

This Council is concerned that policies put in place to protect the most vulnerable during the pandemic are being wound down and in particular that furlough is due to end on the 30 September 2021 – the National Institute for Economic and Social research estimates 150,000 additional people will lose their jobs across the UK.

In addition, the Conservative Government has so far refused to continue the £20 a week uplift to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit– unfairly never paid to those receiving legacy benefits. The removal of the uplift will amount to a loss of benefit income of £1,040 per year from early October and will have the most severe impact in the North of England, Wales, the West Midlands and Northern Ireland. The Government has also re-instated the minimum income floor for self-employed earners claiming Universal Credit.

The ability of those on low incomes to pay their housing costs will be impacted by these changes at a time when the evictions ban has ended and when Local Housing Allowance rates have been frozen from April this year. These changes will result in a real terms income cut for renters receiving Housing Benefit or Universal Credit despite the cost of rents rising across the country.

This Council resolves to

  1. Support the #keepthelifeline campaign to stop the planned cut to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit

 

  1. Urge the Conservative Government to
    1. Keep the £20 a week uplift to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit
    2. Stop discriminating against families receiving ‘legacy benefits’, such as Employment Support Allowance, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income Support, by not giving them this uplift.
    3. Remove the minimum income floor for self- employed earners claiming Universal Credit
    4. Remove the April 2021 freeze on Local Housing Allowance rates
    5. Bring forward as soon as possible legislation to end s21 no fault evictions

 

  1. Ask the interim Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and Secretary of State for MHCLG respectively outlining our concerns and asking for swift action to

·         prevent the 45,000 families who are Oldham residents in receipt of Universal Credit and Working Tax Credits (69% of whom are families with children) from falling deeper into poverty because of the changes to these benefits

·         prevent the homes of the most vulnerable families in private rented accommodation in Oldham from being at risk because of the freeze in Local Housing Allowance rates and the end of the evictions ban.

 

AMENDMENT

 

Councillor C. Gloster MOVED and Councillor H Gloster SECONDED the following AMENDMENT:

 

Insert beneath the fourth paragraph ending ‘Northern Ireland’ a fifth paragraph reading:

‘This impact will be made worse because since 2015 there has been no central government funding to local authorities for Local Welfare Provision.  This was scrapped in 2015, divesting the ongoing financial burden to provide a fund of last resort for those in need upon local government.’

Change Bullet Point 2 of the resolution to:

insert between 2. And ‘Urge’ ‘Ask the Interim Chief Executive to write to the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer to’

in 2b. substitute the words ‘and also give them’ for ‘by not giving them.’

insert a new ‘2g. Restore central government funding to local government to provide Local Welfare Provision to those in need.’

Insert a new Point 4 of the resolution to read:

‘4. Actively promote the Council’s current Local Welfare Provision scheme and other existing charitable funds to those in need who meet the eligibility criteria.’

 

The amended motion to read:

 

This Council notes the devastating effect the Coronavirus pandemic has had on many of Oldham’s communities, laying bare the inequalities opened up by austerity policies imposed by successive Coalition and Conservative Governments.

This Council further notes that despite the introduction of the National Living Wage and record employment, poverty amongst workers and children was rising before the pandemic. The cuts and freezes in social security played a significant part in this.

This Council is concerned that policies put in place to protect the most vulnerable during the pandemic are being wound down and in particular that furlough is due to end on the 30 September 2021 – the National Institute for Economic and Social research estimates 150,000 additional people will lose their jobs across the UK.

In addition, the Conservative Government has so far refused to continue the £20 a week uplift to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit– unfairly never paid to those receiving legacy benefits. The removal of the uplift will amount to a loss of benefit income of £1,040 per year from early October and will have the most severe impact in the North of England, Wales, the West Midlands and Northern Ireland.

This impact will be made worse because since 2015 there has been no central government funding to local authorities for Local Welfare Provision.  This was scrapped in 2015, divesting the ongoing financial burden to provide a fund of last resort for those in need upon local government.

The Government has also re-instated the minimum income floor for self-employed earners claiming Universal Credit. The ability of those on low incomes to pay their housing costs will be impacted by these changes at a time when the evictions ban has ended and when Local Housing Allowance rates have been frozen from April this year. These changes will result in a real terms income cut for renters receiving Housing Benefit or Universal Credit despite the cost of rents rising across the country.

This Council resolves to

 

1.   Support the #keepthelifeline campaign to stop the planned cut to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit

 

2.   Ask the Interim Chief Executive to write to the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer to Urge the Conservative Government to

a.   Keep the £20 a week uplift to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit

b.   Stop discriminating against families receiving ‘legacy benefits’, such as Employment Support Allowance, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income Support, and also give them by not giving them this uplift.

c.   Remove the minimum income floor for self- employed earners claiming Universal Credit

d.   Remove the April 2021 freeze on Local Housing Allowance rates

e.   Bring forward as soon as possible legislation to end s21 no fault evictions

f.    Restore central government funding to local government to provide Local Welfare Provision to those in need.

 

4.    Ask the interim Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and Secretary of State for MHCLG respectively outlining our concerns and asking for swift action to

·         prevent the 45,000 families who are Oldham residents in receipt of Universal Credit and Working Tax Credits (69% of whom are families with children) from falling deeper into poverty because of the changes to these benefits

·         prevent the homes of the most vulnerable families in private rented accommodation in Oldham from being at risk because of the freeze in Local Housing Allowance rates and the end of the evictions ban.

 

 

4.   Actively promote the Council’s current Local Welfare Provision scheme and other existing charitable funds to those in need who meet the eligibility criteria.

 

Councillor Jabbar exercised his right of reply and indicated he accepted the amendment.

 

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

 

AMENDMENT

 

Councillor Sharp MOVED and Councillor Arnott SECONDED an AMENDMENT, with the amended motion to read:

 

This Council notes the devastating effect the Coronavirus pandemic has had on many of Oldham’s communities. This Council welcomed the introduction of the National Living wage and the record levels of employment before the pandemic hit. As set out by the BBC who quoted the office of national statistics report in April 2020 saying “UK employment was estimated at a record high in the three months to February, before the effects of the coronavirus lockdown started to hit the economy. Official figures showed 76.6% of people aged 16 to 64 were in paid work, up from 76.4% in the previous quarter.

 

This Council is concerned that policies put in place to protect the most vulnerable during the pandemic are being wound down and in particular that furlough is due to end on the 30 September 2021 – the National Institute for Economic and Social research estimates 150,000 additional people could lose their jobs across the UK.

 

This Council calls on the Government to look at ways to continue the £20 a week uplift to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit. The removal of the uplift will amount to a loss of benefit income of £1,040 per year from early October impacting many across claimants across Oldham and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Government has also re-instated the minimum income floor for self-employed earners claiming Universal Credit.

 

We call on the Government to look carefully at any changes, especially for those on low incomes to pay their housing costs who will be impacted by these changes at a time when the evictions ban has ended and when Local Housing Allowance rates have been frozen from April this year. These changes need to take account of those in receipt of Housing Benefit or Universal Credit and the cost of rents rising. 

This Council resolves to

1.   Support the #keepthelifeline campaign to stop the planned cut to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit

2.   Urge HM Government to;

a.   Keep the £20 a week uplift to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit

b.   Stop discriminating against families receiving ‘legacy benefits’, such as Employment Support Allowance, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income Support, by not giving them this uplift.

c.   Remove the minimum income floor for self- employed earners claiming Universal Credit

d.   Remove the April 2021 freeze on Local Housing Allowance rates

e.   Bring forward as soon as possible legislation to end s21 no fault evictions

3.   Ask the interim Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and Secretary of State for MHCLG respectively outlining the Councils concerns and asking what action the respective departments of state can take and what Oldham Council can do by working with them to help take swift action to:

    prevent the 45,000 families who are Oldham residents in receipt of Universal Credit and Working Tax Credits (69% of whom are families with children) from falling deeper into poverty because of the changes to these benefits.

    prevent the homes of the most vulnerable families in private rented accommodation in Oldham from being at risk because of the freeze in Local Housing Allowance rates and the end of the evictions ban.

 

Councillor Jabbar exercised his right of reply.

 

A vote was then taken on the AMENDMENT, which was LOST.

 

Councillor Chauhan spoke in favour of the motion.

Councillor Shah spoke in favour of the motion.

Councillor Birch spoke in favour of the motion.

 

Councillor Jabbar exercised his right of reply.

 

On being put to the vote, the MOTION as amended was CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED that

1.   The #keepthelifeline campaign to stop the planned cut to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit be supported.

2.   The Interim Chief Executive be asked to write to the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer to urge the Conservative Government to

a.   Keep the £20 a week uplift to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit

b.   Stop discriminating against families receiving ‘legacy benefits’, such as Employment Support Allowance, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income Support, and also give them by not giving them this uplift.

c.   Remove the minimum income floor for self- employed earners claiming Universal Credit

d.   Remove the April 2021 freeze on Local Housing Allowance rates

e.   Bring forward as soon as possible legislation to end s21 no fault evictions

f.    Restore central government funding to local government to provide Local Welfare Provision to those in need.

3.    The Interim Chief Executive be asked to write to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and Secretary of State for MHCLG respectively outlining the Council’s concerns and asking for swift action to

·         prevent the 45,000 families who are Oldham residents in receipt of Universal Credit and Working Tax Credits (69% of whom are families with children) from falling deeper into poverty because of the changes to these benefits

·         prevent the homes of the most vulnerable families in private rented accommodation in Oldham from being at risk because of the freeze in Local Housing Allowance rates and the end of the evictions ban.

4.   The Council’s current Local Welfare Provision scheme and other existing charitable funds to those in need who meet the eligibility criteria be actively promoted to those in need who met the eligibility criteria.

 

Motion 2

 

Councillor Chadderton MOVED and Councillor Williams SECONDED the following MOTION:

 

Motion 2 - Safer Communities: Tackling crime and anti-social behaviour

 

This Council notes that:

·         This Conservative Government has cut police to the lowest level in a generation and cut funding for services that prevent crime from happening. These decisions have caused a surge in antisocial behaviour leaving people afraid in their own communities.

·         Anti-social behaviour has rocketed, with police forces in England and Wales recording 2,022,274 incidents of anti-social behaviour in 2020-21, up by more than 600,000 in a year and the highest rate for seven years. Analysis of the Crime Survey data lays bare the scale of the problem with over 13.6 million adults having witnessed or experienced anti-social behaviour in the last twelve months.

·         Greater Manchester Police in 2020-21 have recorded a twenty four percent increase in incidents of anti-social behaviour, this more than 16,506 incidents than in the previous year 2019-20.

·         The Government is failing on law and order. Since 2014-15, violent crime has more than doubled with 1,680,884 violent crimes recorded in 2019/20, while the number of suspects charged has fallen by a quarter. Furthermore since 2015-16 there has been a 90 per cent increase in police recorded domestic abuse.

·         On 22nd July 2021 the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) representing 130,000 officers stated they no longer had confidence in the Home Secretary The Rt Hon. Priti Patel MP.

This Council further notes that:

·         Police in England and Wales are still faced with a £1.6 billion funding gap in 2021 compared with 2010.

·         Cuts to policing since 2010 has led to 8,433 fewer officers, 7,633 fewer PCSOs and 7,502 fewer police staff, with 99% of cuts to the police since 2010 being from the frontline. Greater Manchester Police has lost 2,000 officers and 1,000 support staff.

This Council therefore resolves

1. To ask the interim Chief Executive to write to:

·         The Home Secretary to urge the Government to do more to tackle the trouble escalation of anti-social behaviour across the country, including putting the victims of crime first by strengthening the legal protections for victims of persistent, unresolved anti-social behaviour.

·         the Prime Minister urging him to abandon his vanity national yacht project and instead redirect the over £280 million of funds on fighting crime in our communities. This additional funding could be used for surge funding of police officers and PCSOs and for helping councils fund enforcement or to pay for additional CCTV.

2. To continue supporting Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham in his goal to recruit 325 additional officers by the end of this year: this would mean an increase of 1,000 police officers since 2017.

 

AMENDMENT

 

Councillor Arnott MOVED and Councillor Woodvine SECONDED the following AMENDMENT, with the amended motion to read:

 

This Council notes that:

 

That the failures of the Police and Crime Commissioner and Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has overseen a surge in antisocial behaviour leaving people afraid in their own communities.

That the failures of the Police and Crime Commissioner and Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has as a result seen Greater Manchester being put into special measures.

Greater Manchester Police in 2020-21 have recorded a twenty four percent increase in incidents of anti-social behaviour, this more than 16,506 incidents than in the previous year 2019-20. This is down to the failure of the Police and Crime Commissioner and Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, who oversaw one in five of all crimes, and one in four violent crimes, reported by the public to GMP not being recorded by the force. GMP failed to record an estimated 80,100 crimes reported to it between July 1 2019 and June 30 2020, amounting to around 220 crimes a day. As well as the continued failure by the Mayor to get a grip of the Integrated Operational Policing System (iOPS), which has been dubbed iFLOPS by many insiders.

We note with concern that since 2014-15, violent crime has more than doubled with 1,680,884 violent crimes recorded in 2019/20, while the number of suspects charged has fallen by a quarter. Furthermore since 2015-16 there has been a 90 per cent increase in police recorded domestic abuse. We call for more to be done to stamp out the despicable crime of domestic violence.

 

This Council further notes that:

Newly released figures show that 455 police officers have been recruited in Greater Manchester as part of the Conservative Government’s pledge to put 20,000 more officers on the streets by 2023.

 Across England and Wales, 9,814 police officers have been recruited since the recruitment drive was launched in September 2019 – putting the Government almost halfway to delivering on its manifesto promise.

The additional police for Greater Manchester builds on the newly announced Beating Crime Plan – aimed at reducing crime, protecting victims and making the country safer. 

 

This Council therefore resolvesto

1.   Ask the interim Chief Executive to write to:

·         The Home Secretary to urge the Government, Police and Crime Commissioners across England and Wales as well as the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham to do more to tackle the trouble escalation of anti-social behaviour across the country, including putting the victims of crime first by strengthening the legal protections for victims of persistent, unresolved anti-social behaviour.

·         Support the Prime Minister in his continued efforts to reduce crime across the United Kingdom. urging him to look at other financial means to fund the national yacht project whilst acknowledging the aims to boost Britain abroad and train apprentices and skilled workers at home, and instead look to redirect the estimated £280 million of funds on fighting crime in our communities. This additional funding could be used for surge funding of police officers and PCSOs and for helping councils fund enforcement or to pay for additional CCTV.

2.   Acknowledge with concern and reject any efforts made to undermine, delegitimise and unfairly criticise police officers and the work that they do in upholding law and order.

Applaud the public service of our police, particularly our local teams in the wider Borough of Oldham.

Strongly state our appreciation of the police for their willingness to take on unique challenges and pressures, and potentially shoulder great sacrifice, for the benefit of all citizens.

Welcome the announcement by HM Government to increase the maximum prison sentence from 12 months to two years for assaulting a police officer, in a change in law that the national Police Federation has lobbied for extensively. The new law will mean that when a person is convicted of offences, including sexual assault or manslaughter, a judge must consider whether an offence against an emergency worker merits an increase in sentence.

Denounce the use of the acronym ‘ACAB’ across social media channels, which means “All Cops Are Bastards”. That this Council disagrees fundamentally with this foul, repulsive language and its statement.

 3. To support the recruitment of 325 additional officers by the end of this year: this would mean an increase of 1,000 police officers since 2017.

 

A vote was then taken on the AMENDMENT, which was LOST.

 

On being put to the vote, the MOTION was CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED that:

1. The interim Chief Executive be asked to write to:

·         The Home Secretary to urge the Government to do more to tackle the trouble escalation of anti-social behaviour across the country, including putting the victims of crime first by strengthening the legal protections for victims of persistent, unresolved anti-social behaviour.

·         The Prime Minister urging him to abandon his vanity national yacht project and instead redirect the over £280 million of funds on fighting crime in our communities. This additional funding could be used for surge funding of police officers and PCSOs and for helping councils fund enforcement or to pay for additional CCTV.

2.   Support be continued to the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham in his goal to recruit 325 additional officers by the end of this year: this would mean an increase of 1,000 police officers since 2017.