Agenda and minutes

The Lord Mayor welcomed all attendees to the meeting..

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Abraham, English and Mead.

To note any declarations of interest from the Councillors.  They are asked to indicate the relevant agenda item, the nature of the interest and in particular whether it is a disclosable pecuniary interest.

Any declarations of interest made at the meeting which is not on the register of interests should be notified to the Monitoring Officer for inclusion.

None received.

To agree the minutes of the previous meeting as a correct record.

On the motion of the Lord Mayor, seconded by Councillor Kent, it was

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting of the Full Council held on the 8^th December 2020 be confirmed as correct record and signed by the Lord Mayor.

To note any announcements from the Lord Mayor

The Lord Mayor highlighted the Lord Mayor’s Medals which would be awarded in recognition of outstanding service and support provided to others in direct response to the coronavirus pandemic.  The Lord Mayor invited members of the public and Councillors to nominate individuals, groups or organisations who met the criteria.  Details of the applications process could be found on the Lord Mayor’s page of the Bristol City Council website and nominations would close on Friday 22^nd January 2021.

Public Forum (Public Petitions, Statements and Questions)

Public forum items can be about any matter the Council is responsible for or which directly affects the city. Submissions will be treated in order of receipt and as many people shall be called upon as is possible within the time allowed within the meeting (normally 30 minutes).

Further rules can be found within our Council Procedure Rules and Virtual Meeting Procedure Rules within the Constitution.

Please note that the following deadlines apply to this meeting:

a. Public petitions and statements: Petitions and written statements

must be received by 12 noon on Monday 11^th January 2021 at latest.  One written statement per member of the public is permitted.

b. Public questions: Written public questions must be received by 5pm on Wednesday 6^th January 2021 at latest. A maximum of 2 questions per member of the public is permitted. Questions should be addressed to the Mayor or relevant Cabinet Member.

c. Members of the public who wish to present their public forum in person during the video conference must register their interest by giving at least two clear working days notice prior to the meeting by midday on Friday 8^th January 2021.

Public forum items should be e-mailed to democratic.services@bristol.gov.uk

Public petitions:

There were none.

Public statements:

The Full Council received and noted the following statements (which were also referred to the Mayor for his consideration/information):

Statements PS01 and PS02 were presented by individuals present at the meeting.

Public Questions:

The Full Council noted that the following questions had been submitted:

Within the time available, the Mayor responded verbally to questions PQ01, PQ02, PQ07, PQ08, PQ09, PQ10, PQ11 and PQ14 also responding to supplementary questions.

Please note: Up to 10 minutes is allowed for this item.

Petitions notified by Councillors can be about any matter the Council is responsible for or which directly affects the city.  The deadline for the notification of petitions to this meeting is 12 noon on Monday 14 January 2019.

There were none.

The Full Council received a report of the Audit Committee which included the key areas the Committee would monitor to support further improvements.

There was a debate and it was:

RESOLVED:

The Council accepted the report of the Audit Committee and noted the key areas the Committee is monitoring to support improvements required in internal control, risk management and governance. Full Council also noted the areas for development identified by the Committee to enhance its effectiveness.

The Full Council considered the Corporate Parenting Strategy Refresh 2021-2023.

Councillor Godwin, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People moved the report and the recommendations contained therein.

At this point in the meeting, three young people addressed the meeting sharing their thoughts with the Councillors.

Following debate, it was:

RESOLVED:

That Council:

1. Noted the refreshed Corporate Parenting Strategy 2021-23

2. Noted the progress on the delivery of Bristol’s Corporate Parenting Strategy 2018    

The Full Council considered a report which summarised the findings made in respect of the Council by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman in 2019/20.

Following a debate it was:

RESOLVED:

That the annual report of the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman Decisions be noted.

Note:

Under the Council’s constitution, 30 minutes are available for the consideration of motions. In practice, this realistically means that there is usually only time for one, or possibly two motions to be considered.

With the agreement of the Lord Mayor, motion 1 below will be considered at this meeting, and motion 2 is likely to be considered, subject to time.

Details of other motions submitted, (which, due to time constraints, are very unlikely to be considered at this meeting) are also set out for information.

MOTIONS RECEIVED FOR FULL COUNCIL

1.                  Excluded UK (Golden Motion)

Full Council notes that:

Three million people across the UK have missed out on the Government’s financial support schemes (‘the excluded’), due to technicalities such as: recently changing job, being a director of a limited company, being self-employed less than a year, earning less than half their income through self-employment, and a myriad of other reasons.

The lack of financial support has had a devastating effect on people’s livelihoods and their mental wellbeing.

Financially supporting these individuals and businesses is largely outside of the Council’s control and needs to be financed by central Government.

The end of the Brexit transition period will lead to increased uncertainty for already-struggling small businesses, including small limited companies and the self-employed who have largely been excluded from the Government’s financial support schemes.

Full Council believes that:

The Government should close the gaps in its financial support schemes, and explore options to retroactively compensate people and businesses that were ineligible for the Government’s financial support.

Full Council resolves to:

Lend its support to ExcludedUK, its efforts to support ‘the excluded’ and its campaign for fair treatment of ‘the excluded’.

Call on the Government to address the disparities in support, to ensure that all individuals and businesses currently excluded, entirely or largely, from Covid-19 grants are given the support they need and rightfully deserve.

Call on all councillors to sign ExcludedUK’s open letter to the Chancellor that calls for this.

Call on Party Group leaders to consider writing a separate letter to the Chancellor to urge him to look at ways to provide support to businesses that have missed out on the Covid-19 financial support schemes, using Bristolian people and businesses as case studies, and give councillors the opportunity to contribute to, and co-sign this letter.

Ask the Mayor to write to Bristol’s MPs to arrange a roundtable discussion with them and their constituency’s councillors to hear more of their excluded constituents’ stories, and work alongside MPs to continue to offer support and advise their constituents wherever possible.

Motion to be presented by: Cllr. Shah, Labour Group

Submitted: 26^th November 2020

2.                  Energy Efficiency Support for every Householder in Bristol: making ideas work (Silver Motion)

Council notes:

•              the Climate and Ecological Emergency Programme and its component documents set out where the city needs to go and what it seeks to achieve but not at this stage how this is to be accomplished

•              addressing the poor energy  ...  view the full agenda text for item 87.

Following a short adjournment, it was moved by the Lord Mayor that standing order CPR2.1(xi) be suspended to allow the item to go past the 30 minutes time limit for motions.  Following a vote it was agreed to proceed up until a 45 minute limit.

Motion 1 – Excluded UK

Councillor Shah moved the following motion:

Full Council notes that:

•      Three million people across the UK have missed out on the Government’s financial support schemes (‘the excluded’), due to technicalities such as: recently changing job, being a director of a limited company, being self-employed less than a year, earning less than half their income through self-employment, and a myriad of other reasons.

•      The lack of financial support has had a devastating effect on people’s livelihoods and their mental wellbeing.

•      Financially supporting these individuals and businesses is largely outside of the Council’s control and needs to be financed by central Government.

•      The end of the Brexit transition period will lead to increased uncertainty for already-struggling small businesses, including small limited companies and the self-employed who have largely been excluded from the Government’s financial support schemes.

Full Council believes that:

•      The Government should close the gaps in its financial support schemes, and explore options to retroactively compensate people and businesses that were ineligible for the Government’s financial support.

Full Council resolves to:

•      Lend its support to ExcludedUK, its efforts to support ‘the excluded’ and its campaign for fair treatment of ‘the excluded’.

•      Call on the Government to address the disparities in support, to ensure that all individuals and businesses currently excluded, entirely or largely, from Covid-19 grants are given the support they need and rightfully deserve.

•      Call on all councillors to sign ExcludedUK’s open letter to the Chancellor that calls for this.

•      Call on Party Group leaders to consider writing a separate letter to the Chancellor to urge him to look at ways to provide support to businesses that have missed out on the Covid-19 financial support schemes, using Bristolian people and businesses as case studies, and give councillors the opportunity to contribute to, and co-sign this letter.

•      Ask the Mayor to write to Bristol’s MPs to arrange a roundtable discussion with them and their constituency’s councillors to hear more of their excluded constituents’ stories, and work alongside MPs to continue to offer support and advise their constituents wherever possible.

The motion was seconded by Councillor Johnson.

The Lord Mayor then invited Councillor Shah, as mover of the original motion to speak.

Following final remarks, upon being put to the vote, the motion was CARRIED and it was

RESOLVED:

Full Council notes that:

•      Three million people across the UK have missed out on the Government’s financial support schemes (‘the excluded’), due to technicalities such as: recently changing job, being a director of a limited company, being self-employed less than a year, earning less than half their income through self-employment, and a myriad of other reasons.

•      The lack of financial  ...  view the full minutes text for item 87.