Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from the Deputy Mayor (Councillor Dann), Councillors Bliss, G. Cooper, J. Cooper, East, Fyfe, Morgan, Payne, Routledge and Seaman-Digby.

To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 28 February and 9 May 2013 (attached)

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meetings held on 28 February 2013 and 09 May 2013 be agreed as a correct record.

The Mayor announced the death of Alderman John Bartlett on 30 May 2013. Mr Bartlett had been Leader of the Council in the 1970s. Those present observed a one minute silence.

The Mayor commended the work of Councillor Harper-O’Neill with 14 schools in the area and their recent visit to the Normandy Beaches with veterans of World War II.

The Mayor announced that his Rainbow Charity Appeal had already raised over £9,500.

In the light of the recent announcement that it had been classified as a Class C drug, the Mayor commended the past work of the Residents’ and Environmental Services Policy Overview Committee on the use of Khat in the Borough.

The Mayor announced that the Deputy Mayoress would be Ms Rita Kilroy.

Councillor Puddifoot moved, and Councillor Simmonds seconded, the recommendations as set out in the Order of Business and it was:

RESOLVED: That:

a)     The urgency decisions detailed in the report be noted.

b)     The changes to the membership of Committees as shown below be approved:

§         External Services Scrutiny Committee – Councillor Kelly to replace Councillor Morgan

§         Social Services, Housing and Public Health Policy Overview Committee – Councillor Morgan to replace Councillor O’Connor

§         Licensing Committee – Councillor Bull to replace Councillor Payne

§         Licensing Sub Committee (North) – Councillor Stead to replace Councillor Payne

§         Licensing Sub Committee (South) – Councillor Bull to replace Councillor Stead

c)     The amendment to the Access to Information Rules, as set out in Annex A of these minutes, be approved with immediate effect

d)     That the changes to officer delegations, as set out in Annex B of these minutes, be approved, with the Adult Social Services statutory responsibilities taking effect from 11 July 2013. In approving this, Council also agreed to make the consequential changes to other parts of the Constitution, in particular Article 12 (Officers) and Part 7 (Management Structure).

To consider a review of the Code of Conduct

Councillor O’Brien proposed the recommendations set out in the Order of Business. Councillor Riley seconded the recommendations and proposed a vote of thanks for the outgoing Standards Committee Independent Person, Alan Edwards.

RESOLVED: That:

a)     The successful operation of the new ethical regime for Members and Co-opted members adopted in July 2012 be noted and no changes be made to the current Code of Conduct for Members and Co-opted members, associated documents, complaints procedure and Whips’ Protocol

b)     Mr David Smith be appointed to the position of Standards Committee Independent Person for a 3 year period to July 2016 and that a vote of thanks be given to the outgoing Standards Committee Independent Person, Mr Alan Edwards, in recognition for his hard work and service.

To take questions submitted by Members in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11

7.1       QUESTION SUBMITTED BY COUNCILLOR MELVIN TO THE CABINET MEMBER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, HEALTH & HOUSING – COUNCILLOR CORTHORNE

“Would the Cabinet Member for Social Services, Health and Housing please update Council of the ongoing activity to support into employment tenants affected by Housing Benefit Changes?”

The Cabinet Member for Social Services, Health and Housing advised that the Council was working closely with a range of partners to help residents to compete for local job opportunities. Agreement had been negotiated with Jobcentre Plus to place an employment adviser at the Civic Centre for 2 half days per week to support residents whose benefits may be capped. The arrangement has been in place since March 2013 and discussions were taking place to increase the number of days the adviser was available. At April 2013, 115 residents had found work of at least 16 hours a week as a result of these services.

The Council was also increasing the work undertaken with developers to seek Local Labour Employment agreements for major developments, for example at the ASDA site in Hayes.

There was no supplementary question.

7.3       QUESTION SUBMITTED BY COUNCILLOR GARDNER TO THE CABINET MEMBER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, HEALTH & HOUSING – COUNCILLOR CORTHORNE

“What assistance can the Council offer to enable vulnerable residents to have their Housing Benefit paid directly to their landlord and / or the Local Authority once Universal Credit is implemented?”

The Cabinet Member for Social Services, Health and Housing advised that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) were currently running 6 pilots to identify the effect of direct payments. They had accepted that some working age people would not be capable of managing financially and it would remain appropriate to provide direct payments to the landlord on their behalf. There would be a mechanism with Universal Credit to facilitate the payment of benefits directly to the landlord once someone was identified as vulnerable. However, the DWP had not yet announced what types of tenants would fall into this 'vulnerable' category.

He advised that, until the timetable for roll-out of Universal Credit was known and what categories of tenants would be protected, it was difficult for the Council to plan appropriately. However, a Welfare Project Board was looking at the implications of Welfare Reform and various sections were working closely together to support residents through the changes.

By way of supplementary question, Councillor Gardner asked if the situation could be reviewed again in six months’ time.

The Cabinet Member for Social Services, Health and Housing responded that the situation would be monitored on an ongoing basis.

7.2       QUESTION SUBMITTED BY COUNCILLOR BRIDGES TO THE Cabinet Member for EDUCATION AND CHILDREN’S SERVICES – COUNCILLOR SIMMONDS

“Can the Cabinet Member for Education and Children's services provide an update on the Councils commitment to ensure every child in Hillingdon has access to a local school?”

The Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Services advised that there was significant pressure on school places both nationally and in the Borough. The Council had the legal responsibility to ensure that all children between the ages of 5 and 16 were provided with a school place. He emphasised that the administration was committed to ensuring that these places were not provided in the Borough’s libraries or in church halls but in high quality school classrooms. He advised that there was an increasing number of children in the Borough with access to schools that Ofsted rated “good” or “outstanding”.

He concluded by thanking officers and contractors for their hard work in delivering new school places on time.

There was no supplementary question.

To consider Motions submitted by Members in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 12

8.1       MOTION FROM COUNCILLOR HARMSWORTH

Councillor Harmsworth moved the following motion:

“Council recognises that, although the Cabinet system in local government has many merits, it is fundamentally flawed, in that it excludes all but a few councillors from the major decision-making process.

Council, therefore, instructs officers in consultation with the Leader of the Council and Leader of the Opposition to draw up proposals for a return to the committee system and to, also, consider a transitional scheme to allow change over time.”

The motion was seconded by Councillor Curling. Following debate (Councillors Corthorne, Crowe, Markham, Simmonds, Major, Barnes and Puddifoot), the motion was lost on a recorded vote as follows:

Those voting for: Councillors Allam, Allen, Curling, Dhillon, Duncan, Gardner, Garg, Ghei, Harmsworth, Jarjussey, Khursheed, Lakhmana, MacDonald, Major, Nelson, Sandhu and Sansapuri.

Those voting against: The Mayor Councillor Kauffman, Councillors Baker, Barker, Barnes, Barrett, Benson, Bianco, Brar, Bridges, Bull, Burrows, Buttivant, Corthorne, Crowe, Gilham, Graham, Harper-O'Neill, Hensley, Higgins, Jackson, Jenkins, Kelly, Kemp, Lavery, Lewis, Markham, Melvin, D. Mills, R. Mills, O'Brien, O'Connor, Puddifoot, Retter, Riley, Simmonds, Stead, White and Yarrow

Those Abstaining: None

8.2       MOTION FROM COUNCILLOR CURLING

Councillor Curling moved the following motion:

“This Council recognises that, whilst reform of crown post offices may be necessary, they do provide essential services to the public that are not available anywhere else. Council also notes that some Town Centres in the borough have already lost their crown post offices and there are now plans to close Eastcote Post Office.

This Council therefore calls on the Leader of the Council to write to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State with responsibility for post offices to express the Council’s concerns with the proposed closure of Eastcote Post Office and request that the Under-Secretary of State conduct a broader social & economic assessment of such proposed crown post office closures, focussing on the impact on customers and the general vitality of Town Centres.”

The motion was seconded by Councillor Harmsworth. Following debate (Councillors D. Mills and Harmsworth), and on being put to the vote, the motion was lost.

8.3       MOTION FROM COUNCILLOR ALLEN

Councillor Allen proposed the following motion:

“This Council deplores the illegal practice of ‘blacklisting’ within the construction industry and will ensure that any company known to have been involved in blacklisting practices and not to have indemnified their victims will not be invited to tender contracts by the London Borough of Hillingdon.”

The motion was seconded by Councillor Sansapuri. Following debate (Councillors Bianco and Allen), and on being put to the vote, the motion was lost.