Full Council - 7 September 2022

Full Council agenda and associated papers for the meeting on 7 September 2022.

Membership

Provost Mary Montague
Councillor Andrew Anderson
Councillor Caroline Bamforth
Councillor Tony Buchanan
Councillor Kate Campbell
Councillor Angela Convery
Councillor Betty Cunningham
Councillor Danny Devlin
Councillor Paul Edlin
Councillor Annette Ireland
Councillor Chris Lunday
Councillor David Macdonald
Councillor Jim McLean
Councillor Colm Merrick
Councillor Andrew Morrison
Councillor Owen O'Donnell
Councillor Katie Pragnell
Councillor Gordon Wallace

Notice of meeting

View the notice of meeting for 7 September 2022. (PDF, 250 KB)(opens new window)

Agenda

1. Report on Apologies for absence.

2. Declarations of Interest.

3. Read the minute of the meeting of the Council held on 29 June 2022. (PDF, 189 KB)(opens new window)

4. Read the minutes of meetings for the period 30 June to 6 September 2022. (PDF, 535 KB)(opens new window)

5. Items remitted to the Council:

(i) Read the Head of Accountancy's (Chief Financial Officer) annual treasury management report for 2021 to 2022. (PDF, 479 KB)(opens new window)

(ii) Nomination of co-opted and substitute co-opted member on the Integration Joint Board Performance and Audit Committee

(iii) Read the Head of Accountancy's (Chief Financial Officer) general fund capital programme report. (PDF, 633 KB)(opens new window)

(iv) Read the Head of Accountancy and the Director of Environment's Housing Capital Programme report. (PDF, 252 KB)(opens new window)

6. Notices of Motion

Motion No. 1

That East Renfrewshire and its residents are suffering due to the cost-of-living crisis. The Conservative cost of living crisis is spiralling out of control due to continuing damaging decisions imposed by Westminster, including Conservative austerity cuts, tax hikes and Brexit. At a time when East Renfrewshire families are going to be thousands of pounds worse off, it is disgraceful that the Conservatives are hitting people's incomes further by raising regressive taxes like National Insurance and VAT, slashing Universal Credit by £1040, and scrapping the triple lock on pensions

On 6 April 2022, the Government increased National Insurance by 1.25 percentage points, which is projected to cost the some East Renfrewshire families hundreds of pounds additionally per year.

Council also notes

Recent figures provided by the Trussell Trust recording that 197,037 food parcels were distributed to Scottish residents between April 2021 and April 2022 - with 70,040 being distributed to children.
On Ofgem has increased the energy price cap by 80 per cent. The price cap is expected to reach £3,576 in October, rising to £4,799 in January, finally hitting £6,089 in April
In the light of the increased energy price cap, the average standard tariff energy bill will increase by £693 per year. The average pre-pay meter energy bill will increase by £708 per year (ofgem, 2022).
Inflation could soar to 18.6 per cent by the start of 2023
The Conservative government has suspended the pensions "triple lock" for 2022/3, meaning that East Renfrewshire's pensioners will see a below inflation increase. Further, they have removed the relied on £20 Universal Credit uplift.

Council believes:

Under this Government people are seeing tax hikes, energy bills soaring and petrol and food prices rising drastically.

The Conservative Government has failed to tackle the cost-of-living crisis. Therefore, this council declares a "Cost of Living Emergency"

Council resolves:

to declare a "Cost of Living Emergency"

As part of this Council calls on ERC's Council Leader to contact the UK government and request that they:

Scrap the rise in the energy price cap,
Double the energy grant to £800, and bring forward payments to the beginning of October
Introduce as a matter of urgency an energy price cap for small and medium sized businesses
Bring in a further windfall tax and extend this to include all large businesses who made significant profits during the pandemic.

Council instructs the Council Leader to write to the UK Government to express the Council's concerns.

Furthermore, Council calls for a cross party internal review into what the council can offer East Renfrewshire families struggling with the Cost-of-Living Emergency - with the input of stakeholders including Citizens Advice, Food Banks, local Trade Unions and Chambers of Commerce.

Moved by Councillor Buchanan and seconded by Councillor Merrick.

Motion No.2

That this Council will join workers, trade unions and communities in commemorating Workers' Memorial Day in East Renfrewshire. This council welcomes that Workers' Memorial Day is commemorated throughout the world and whilst officially recognised by the UK Government; expresses concern that more people are killed at work than in wars every year; calls on the Government to pursue stricter enforcement of health and safety laws; recognises that a strong trade union movement is vital for workers' rights in the UK.

This Council will therefore organise a workers memorial commemoration event every year from 28^th April 2023. The Council will also investigate an official cairn to recognise the workers lost here in East Renfrewshire.

East Renfrewshire Council recognises the importance of the day, not only to remember lives lost at work, but also as an opportunity to raise awareness of health and safety at work and the key role the Trade Union movement can play in this."

Moved by Councillor Ireland and seconded by Councillor Bamforth.

7. Statements by Conveners/Representatives on Joint Boards/Committees.

8. Appointments

(i) Read the Director of Business Operations and Partnerships report seeking nomination of a Veteran's Champion. (PDF, 206 KB)(opens new window)

(ii) Read the Director of Business Operations and Partnerships report seeking to appoint representatives of the Council to COSLA's Boards. (PDF, 221 KB)(opens new window)

9. Read the Provost's engagements report by the Director of Business Operations and Partnerships. (PDF, 185 KB)(opens new window)

10. Read the Chief Executive's report on a review of the Council's governance arrangements. (PDF, 352 KB)(opens new window)

11. Read the Audit and Scrutiny Committee's annual statement on adequacy and effectiveness of governance, risk management and internal control systems. (PDF, 236 KB)(opens new window)