Agenda and minutes

A webcast of the meeting can be viewed at http://council.webcast.vualto.com/leicestershire-county-council/home?EventId=14126.

Mr G Welsh

 

The Chairman and members expressed their pleasure at seeing Mr Welsh back in the Chamber after his recent illness.

 

Chairman’s Concert

 

The Chairman reported that on Tuesday, 8^th March a concert had taken place at De Montfort Hall in support of the Chairman’s two chosen charities, LOROS and the Children’s Holiday Centre in Mablethorpe.

 

The Chairman expressed his gratitude to the Leicester-Shire School Music Service for putting on the concert and showcasing the gifted and talented young musicians of Leicester and Leicestershire.  It had been a delightful evening and the programme had included a varied repertoire featuring Percussion Ensembles, Wind Orchestra, Steel Pan Ensemble, Show Choir, Dhol Drummers and a Massed Secondary School Choir.

 

Affiliates Day at Sea

 

The Chairman reported that on Thursday, 3^rd March he had been joined by Mrs Posnett and others on HMS Quorn at Portsmouth Naval Base as part of the ‘Affiliates Scheme’.

 

The Affiliates Scheme is a long tradition in the Royal Navy, linking ships of the Royal Navy with towns, organisations and individuals throughout the County.  The Affiliates Day allows the Royal Navy to demonstrate its good work, which might otherwise go unnoticed, to the community.

 

The Chairman reported it had been a wonderful experience and he had been  pleased to hear that the Royal Navy values such a relationship as it enabled the sailors to feel a connection to the people they serve especially when deployed for long periods of time overseas. 

 

Visitors

 

The Chairman welcomed to the meeting all visitors and guests of members and anyone who was viewing the meeting via the webcast.

 

It was moved by the Chairman, seconded by Mr Liquorish and carried:-

 

“That the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 17 February 2016, copies of which have been circulated to members, be taken as read, confirmed and signed.”

 

 

The Chairman invited members who wished to do so to make declarations of interest in respect of items on the agenda for the meeting.

 

Mr Orson declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in the Notice of Motion relating to the Membership of the European Union, as he was a working farmer.

 

(A)   Mr Hunt asked the following question of the Leader or his nominee:-

 

“Given the extremely challenging financial situation he and his cabinet members have outlined and the significant increases in Council Tax programmed for the next four years, could the Leader advise the Council:

 

1.       How can he justify spending, more than £42,000 a year on a political advisor for the Conservative Group and almost £40,000 for a political advisor of the Liberal Democrat Group?

 

2.       How many extra hours of home care could be provided annually for £82,667; that being the current estimate of spending on political assistants to the Tory and Liberal Democrat Groups.

         

3.       How much time the Tory political assistant spent working on the recent Boundary Review, and does he think the Council should pay for party political advice on proposing electoral boundaries to their party advantage.

         

4.       Whether political assistants will be permitted to spend the Council's time and money on devising political boundaries in future reviews?”

 

Mr Rushton replied as follows:-

 

“1.      The decision to appoint political assistants was an all-party agreement and until fairly recently the Labour Group had a political assistant to support them.

 

2.       The Council pays an average minimum hourly rate of £14.67 for domiciliary care.  This means that £82,667 would equate to 5,635 hours.

 

3.       Political assistants are there to provide support to the Group and members of the Group on a broad range of issues which relate to the work of the Council.  A key part of this role involves analysing and disseminating information on matters which the Group has identified and the work on the boundary review was one such task.  It would be time-consuming, if not impossible, to try and collect the necessary information to provide an answer to the question posed about time spent working on the boundary review.

 

4.       The next boundary review will be sometime after 2027 and I am not in a position to comment on what will happen then.”

 

The Leader presented a position statement on the following matters:

 

• Combined Authority/Devolution Deal;
• Midlands Engine;
• Charnwood Campus;
• Street Parties to celebrate the Queen’s 90^th Birthday.

 

The Lead Member for Children and Families presented a position statement on the following matters:

 

• The Post-16 Education Sector;
• Academies;
• Consultation on the National Schools Funding Formula;
• Launch of CEASE, the local Campaign to Eradicate Abuse and Sexual Exploitation;
• Education of Children in Care event.

 

A copy of the position statements is filed with these minutes.

 

It was moved by Mr Rhodes, seconded by Mr Shepherd and carried:-

 

 “That the County Council’s Pay Policy Statement 2016/17, attached as Appendix A to the report of the Employment Committee, be approved.”

 

(1)  That this Council notes:

 

a.     The importance of the forthcoming Referendum on UK membership of the European Union to every resident , business and organisation in Leicestershire;

 

b.     That EU Membership has given vital rights to British workers and the EU’s rules provide important protection to consumers, workers and the environment; 

 

c.     That there are direct benefits to Leicestershire’s communities of EU membership including EU funding which supports economic growth and regeneration across the county; for example the £89m indicative allocation of EU funds to support economic and social programmes across the Leicester and Leicestershire economic area 2014/20.

 

(2)  That this Council believes it is in the best interests of residents, business and the whole county of Leicestershire for the UK to remain a member of the European Union.

 

Mr Orson CC having declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in this matter left the Chamber and therefore took no part in the discussion.

 

It was moved by Mr Sharp, and seconded by Mr Sheahan:-

 

“(1)    That this Council notes:

 

          a)           The importance of the forthcoming Referendum on UK membership of the European Union to every resident, business and organisation in Leicestershire;

 

          b)           That EU Membership has given vital rights to British workers and the EU’s rules provide important protection to consumers, workers and the environment;

 

          c)           That there are direct benefits to Leicestershire’s communities of EU membership including EU funding which supports economic growth and regeneration across the county; for example the £89m indicative allocation of EU funds to support economic and social programmes across the Leicester and Leicestershire economic area 2014/20.

 

(2)     That this Council believes it is in the best interests of residents, business and the whole county of Leicestershire for the UK to remain a member of the European Union.”

 

An amendment was moved by Mr Sprason, and seconded by Mr Yates:-

 

“That motion be amended to read as follows

 

‘1.        That this Council:-

 

a)         Notes the importance of the forthcoming referendum on UK membership of the European Union to every resident, business and organisation in Leicestershire;

 

b)         welcomes the Prime Minister’s achievement in delivering an in/out referendum on our nation’s membership of the European Union (EU) so that we can all have a vote on this vital issue;

 

c)         notes that in his negotiating position the PM identified some clear objectives covering matters such as immigration, welfare and sovereignty which could form part of a revised relationship if the UK were to remain in the EU;

 

d)         notes that due to continental intransigence the current “deal” offers very little towards the objectives set out by the Prime Minister in terms of delivering a sustainable and fair welfare and immigration policy for the UK or the ability to repatriate powers back to this country;

 

e)         Notes that in his negotiation the Prime Minister also failed to reduce unnecessary interference and bureaucracy from the EU, which will hinder our ability to successfully grow the Leicestershire economy.

 

2.         This Council therefore believes that the Prime Minister’s deal does not offer a good opportunity for Leicestershire Residents and businesses and that the United Kingdom would be better placed to grow and develop by leaving the EU.’ ”

 

The amendment was put and not carried, 2 members voting for the amendment and 48 against.

 

An amendment was moved by Mr Galton, and seconded by Mr Rhodes:-

 

“That the motion be amended to read as follows:-

 

‘1.     That this Council:-

 

          (a)          notes the importance of the forthcoming Referendum on UK membership of the European Union to every resident, business and organisation in Leicestershire;

 

          (b)          welcomes the fact that every eligible voter across the UK will get the opportunity to decide on Britain’s membership of the EU;

 

          (c)          notes that all parties are putting forward their respective views but ultimately this will be a matter for the good judgement of the British public and not politicians.’ ”

 

The amendment was put and carried, 38 members voting for the amendment, and 10 against.

 

The substantive motion was put and carried, 38 members voting for the substantive motion, none against with 10 abstentions.