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Motions
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 set out in the reports pack for information.
MOTIONS RECEIVED FOR FULL COUNCIL
1. Golden Motion: Governance of Bristol City Council
Full Council notes that;
1. Council recognises that the people of Bristol in 2012 decided to adopt a mayoral model for Bristol City Council following a referendum.
2. That many of the promises of devolution of power and money made by Central Government have not materialised.
- That the position of West of England Mayor has now been created, making many of the purported benefits of a Mayoral system for Bristol City Council redundant.
- That the Mayoral system in Bristol has centralised executive power to the detriment of citizens’ engagement in the decisions that affect their lives and reduced the accountability of the city’s Governance.
- Council notes that there is a significant public opinion that the Council should review its current mayoral system of governance.
Therefore, this Council resolves:
1. That the holding of a referendum on the Council’s governance arrangements be approved and that the Council’s Returning Officer be instructed to prepare to hold such a referendum at the earliest opportunity, on the first Thursday in May 2022.
2. That the referendum question be to determine whether to retain the mayoral model or change to a Committee system.
Motion to be moved by: Cllr Alex Hartley
Date of submission: 25th November 2021
2. Silver Motion: National Disability Strategy and Social Care
The Council notes:
· The Government published its long-awaited National Disability Strategy on 28 July.
· This strategy has been strongly criticised by disabled people and their organisations for not coming up with any solutions for addressing the barriers, issues and priorities that they have identified for years.
· The lack of engagement with disabled groups has also been strongly criticised and is so severe that a group of disabled people are taking the Government to court, as the absence of meaningful consultation could be deemed unlawful.
· In addition to this, disabled people have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, as 60% people dying from Covid were disabled, despite disabled people only making up 20% of the population.
· Disabled people have also borne the brunt of decade-long Government austerity through cuts to the key public services that they rely on and are also over-represented in unemployment figures - particularly those with learning difficulties.
· The Government is still yet to formulate a solution to the social care crisis, despite the Prime Minister’s pledge to deliver a plan two years ago, which is emblematic of this Government’s lack of support for disabled people.
· It has, however, introduced a Social Care Cap, which limits lifetime personal contributions to the social care system; this cap does not include means-tested council support payments.
· Anyone with assets below £186k that hits the cap due to high care needs will end up paying more, whilst anyone with assets above £186k will be unaffected
· As a result, poorer areas, which rely on Council support towards social care costs to a greater extent, will lose a three times larger share of their housing wealth to pay for social care, as compared to affluent areas.
The Council believes:
· The National Disability Strategy is not fit for purpose and is a tick-box exercise that does nothing to address the issues facing disabled people in Bristol.
· That disabled people have been routinely ignored by this Government, and their interests need to be prioritised and new resources identified by the Government in its Covid recovery plans.
· The social care cap is, in effect, a tax on working people and needs to be replaced with a more equitable, progressive system than ensures nobody will be left needing to sell their home to pay for social care.
This Council resolves:
· To call on Party Group Leaders to issue public statements stating that Bristol City Council does not believe that both the National Disability Strategy and the Social Care Cap is fit for purpose.
· To call on Party Group Leaders to write to the Government to ask it to formulate a new National Disability Strategy that is co-produced with disabled people and their organisations. This must address how they intend to revise and resource the broken adult care and benefits systems to enable disabled people to contribute to society and to live inclusive and independent lives.
· To call on Party Group Leaders to write public letters to the Government, calling on it to scrap the Social Care Cap and replace it with a system that will not lead to working people having to sell their house to pay for social care – as the 2019 Conservative Party Manifesto promised.
To be moved by Cllr Helen Holland, Labour Group
Date of submission: 22nd November 2021
Minutes:
Following a short adjournment, it was then
moved by the Lord Mayor that standing order CPR2.1(xi) be suspended
to allow the meeting to go past the 30 minutes time limit for
motions. Following a vote it was agreed
to proceed up until a 60 minute limit.
Motion 1 – Governance of Bristol City Council
Councillor Hartley moved the following motion:
1. Council recognises that the people of Bristol in 2012 decided to adopt a mayoral model for Bristol City Council following a referendum.
2. That many of the promises of devolution of power and money made by Central Government have not materialised.
- That the position of West of England Mayor has now been created, making many of the purported benefits of a Mayoral system for Bristol City Council redundant.
- That the Mayoral system in Bristol has centralised executive power to the detriment of citizens’ engagement in the decisions that affect their lives and reduced the accountability of the city’s Governance.
- Council notes that there is a significant public opinion that the Council should review its current mayoral system of governance.
Therefore, this Council resolves:
1. That the holding of a referendum on the Council’s governance arrangements be approved and that the Council’s Returning Officer be instructed to prepare to hold such a referendum at the earliest opportunity, on the first Thursday in May 2022.
2. That the referendum question be to determine whether to retain the mayoral model or change to a Committee system.
The motion was seconded by Councillor Poultney.
There was a debate, following which the Lord Mayor invited Councillor Hartley, as mover of the original motion to speak.
Following final remarks, upon being put to the vote, the original motion was CARRIED (41 For, 24 against, 2 absentions) and it was
RESOLVED:
Full Council notes that:
1. Council recognises that the people of Bristol in 2012 decided to adopt a mayoral model for Bristol City Council following a referendum.
2. That many of the promises of devolution of power and money made by Central Government have not materialised.
3. That the position of West of England Mayor has now been created, making many of the purported benefits of a Mayoral system for Bristol City Council redundant.
4. That the Mayoral system in Bristol has centralised executive power to the detriment of citizens’ engagement in the decisions that affect their lives and reduced the accountability of the city’s Governance.
5. Council notes that there is a significant public opinion that the Council should review its current mayoral system of governance.
Therefore, this Council resolves:
1. That the holding of a referendum on the Council’s governance arrangements be approved and that the Council’s Returning Officer be instructed to prepare to hold such a referendum at the earliest opportunity, on the first Thursday in May 2022.
2. That the referendum question be to determine whether to retain the mayoral model or change to a Committee system.
Motion 2 – National Disability Strategy and Social Care
Councillor Holland moved the following following motion:
· The Government published its long-awaited National Disability Strategy on 28 July.
· This strategy has been strongly criticised by disabled people and their organisations for not coming up with any solutions for addressing the barriers, issues and priorities that they have identified for years.
· The lack of engagement with disabled groups has also been strongly criticised and is so severe that a group of disabled people are taking the Government to court, as the absence of meaningful consultation could be deemed unlawful.
· In addition to this, disabled people have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, as 60% people dying from Covid were disabled, despite disabled people only making up 20% of the population.
· Disabled people have also borne the brunt of decade-long Government austerity through cuts to the key public services that they rely on and are also over-represented in unemployment figures - particularly those with learning difficulties.
· The Government is still yet to formulate a solution to the social care crisis, despite the Prime Minister’s pledge to deliver a plan two years ago, which is emblematic of this Government’s lack of support for disabled people.
· It has, however, introduced a Social Care Cap, which limits lifetime personal contributions to the social care system; this cap does not include means-tested council support payments.
· Anyone with assets below £186k that hits the cap due to high care needs will end up paying more, whilst anyone with assets above £186k will be unaffected
· As a result, poorer areas, which rely on Council support towards social care costs to a greater extent, will lose a three times larger share of their housing wealth to pay for social care, as compared to affluent areas.
The Council believes:
· The National Disability Strategy is not fit for purpose and is a tick-box exercise that does nothing to address the issues facing disabled people in Bristol.
· That disabled people have been routinely ignored by this Government, and their interests need to be prioritised and new resources identified by the Government in its Covid recovery plans.
· The social care cap is, in effect, a tax on working people and needs to be replaced with a more equitable, progressive system than ensures nobody will be left needing to sell their home to pay for social care.
This Council resolves:
· To call on Party Group Leaders to issue public statements stating that Bristol City Council does not believe that both the National Disability Strategy and the Social Care Cap is fit for purpose.
· To call on Party Group Leaders to write to the Government to ask it to formulate a new National Disability Strategy that is co-produced with disabled people and their organisations. This must address how they intend to revise and resource the broken adult care and benefits systems to enable disabled people to contribute to society and to live inclusive and independent lives.
· To call on Party Group Leaders to write public letters to the Government, calling on it to scrap the Social Care Cap and replace it with a system that will not lead to working people having to sell their house to pay for social care – as the 2019 Conservative Party Manifesto promised.
Councillor Ali seconded the motion.
Following debate, upon being put to the vote, the altered motion was CARRIED (54 Members voting for, 11 against) it was
RESOLVED:
This Council Notes:
· The Government published its long-awaited National Disability Strategy on 28 July.
· This strategy has been strongly criticised by disabled people and their organisations for not coming up with any solutions for addressing the barriers, issues and priorities that they have identified for years.
· The lack of engagement with disabled groups has also been strongly criticised and is so severe that a group of disabled people are taking the Government to court, as the absence of meaningful consultation could be deemed unlawful.
· In addition to this, disabled people have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, as 60% people dying from Covid were disabled, despite disabled people only making up 20% of the population.
· Disabled people have also borne the brunt of decade-long Government austerity through cuts to the key public services that they rely on and are also over-represented in unemployment figures - particularly those with learning difficulties.
· The Government is still yet to formulate a solution to the social care crisis, despite the Prime Minister’s pledge to deliver a plan two years ago, which is emblematic of this Government’s lack of support for disabled people.
· It has, however, introduced a Social Care Cap, which limits lifetime personal contributions to the social care system; this cap does not include means-tested council support payments.
· Anyone with assets below £186k that hits the cap due to high care needs will end up paying more, whilst anyone with assets above £186k will be unaffected
· As a result, poorer areas, which rely on Council support towards social care costs to a greater extent, will lose a three times larger share of their housing wealth to pay for social care, as compared to affluent areas.
The Council believes:
· The National Disability Strategy is not fit for purpose and is a tick-box exercise that does nothing to address the issues facing disabled people in Bristol.
· That disabled people have been routinely ignored by this Government, and their interests need to be prioritised and new resources identified by the Government in its Covid recovery plans.
· The social care cap is, in effect, a tax on working people and needs to be replaced with a more equitable, progressive system than ensures nobody will be left needing to sell their home to pay for social care.
This Council resolves:
· To call on Party Group Leaders to issue public statements stating that Bristol City Council does not believe that both the National Disability Strategy and the Social Care Cap is fit for purpose.
· To call on Party Group Leaders to write to the Government to ask it to formulate a new National Disability Strategy that is co-produced with disabled people and their organisations. This must address how they intend to revise and resource the broken adult care and benefits systems to enable disabled people to contribute to society and to live inclusive and independent lives.
· To call on Party Group Leaders to write public letters to the Government, calling on it to scrap the Social Care Cap and replace it with a system that will not lead to working people having to sell their house to pay for social care – as the 2019 Conservative Party Manifesto promised.
Supporting documents: