Agenda and minutes

Councillor Susan Wise declared a personal interest in Item 7 as a member of

the Lewisham Homes Board and as the holder of a pension from Lewisham

Council.

Councillor Alan Hall declared a personal interest in Item 7 as a member of the

Phoenix Community Housing Board.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on January 17 2018 be

confirmed and signed as a correct record.

A petition supported by 450 persons was submitted by Father Boniface

Akpoigbe MSP  The petition opposed parking restrictions on Sundays on

Deptford High Street and daily after 6.30pm and called for their removal.

A petition supported by 27 residents of Blashford Street was submitted by

Councillor Joan Reid. The petition called on the Council to introduce a CPZ

for treasons stated.

Member Questions

9 questions were received from the following Councillors which were

answered by the Cabinet Members indicated. A copy of the questions and

answers was circulated separately and can be viewed on the Council’s

website with the meeting papers.

Public Questions

4 questions were received from the following members of the public which

were answered by the Cabinet Member indicated. A copy of the questions

and answers was circulated separately and can be viewed on the Council

website with the meeting papers.

Council meetings in March

The Vice-Chair reminded members that there were to be two Friday evening

meetings of the Council in March. On March 2 to bestow the Freedom of the

Borough on Sir Ian Mills and on March 23 to give the same honour to Wozzie

Brewster. Additionally, dependent on the outcome of the February 22

Appointments Panel, it was planned to convene a short meeting of the

Council on Wednesday March 14 at 7pm to confirm the appointment of a new

Chief Executive.

The Budget proposals were introduced by the Mayor who thanked staff across

all Directorates for their help in compiling the Budget. The Mayor confirmed

that he was proposing a Council Tax rise of 3.99% and proposed to use

Council reserves in order to ensure a balanced budget was achieved.

The Mayor confirmed that he did not intend to vary the budget proposals he

had already fully set out at Mayor and Cabinet on February 7 and 14 and

which did not require further amendment unless there was an unexpected late

change to the GLA precept when that body met to set its budget the following

day.

A motion that the proposals be accepted was moved by the Cabinet Member

for Resources, Councillor Kevin Bonavia and seconded by Councillor Alan

Hall. There was then a general debate to which Councillor Coughlin,

contributed followed by a reply from Councillor Bonavia. During this general

debate on the budget the 5 minute limit on speeches for the Mayor and

Councillors Bonavia, Hall and Coughlin was suspended.

The Council was also addressed by Nike, aged 22, a care leaver who had

been under the wing of the Council since she was 12 years old. She

described her life journey and the various obstacles she had overcome to

reach her current situation. She warmly welcomed the budgetary proposal

that care leavers be exempted from Council Tax, which she said represented

 a meaningful impact for a vulnerable section of the community. The Council

thanked Nike for her commentary and extended their thanks to her, wishing

her well in her future education and career and standing to applaud her

contribution.

Once the debate was concluded, there was, in accordance with statutory

provisions, a recorded vote on the Mayor’s proposed Budget. The result of the

vote was as follows:

46 Votes In favour of the Mayor’s Budget Proposals

Councillor Abdeslam Amrani

Councillor Chris Barnham

Councillor Peter Bernhards

Councillor Chris Best

Councillor Kevin Bonavia

Councillor Andre Bourne

Councillor Bill Brown

Mayor Steve Bullock

Councillor Suzannah Clarke

Councillor Liam Curran

Councillor Janet Daby

Councillor Brenda Dacres

Councillor Amanda De Ryk

Councillor Joe Dromey

Councillor Damien Egan

Councillor Colin Elliott

Councillor Alan Hall

Councillor Carl Handley

Councillor Maja Hilton

Councillor Simon Hooks

Councillor Sue Hordijenko

Councillor Mark Ingleby

Councillor Stella Jeffrey

Councillor Liz Johnston-Franklin

Councillor Roy Kennedy

Councillor Jim Mallory

Councillor Paul Maslin

Councillor Sophie McGeevor

Councillor David Michael

Councillor Joan Millbank

Councillor Hilary Moore

Councillor Pauline Morrison

Councillor John Muldoon

Councillor Rachel Onikosi

Councillor Jacq Paschoud

Councillor John Paschoud

Councillor Pat Raven

Councillor Joan Reid

Councillor Gareth Siddorn

Councillor Jonathan Slater

Councillor Luke Sorba

Councillor Eva Stamirowski

Councillor Alan Till

Councillor Paul Upex

Councillor Susan Wise

Votes Against the Mayor’s Budget Proposals nil

Abstentions (1)

Councillor John Coughlin

RESOLVED that:

(1) the 2017/18 Quarter 3 Capital Programme monitoring position and the

Capital Programme potential future schemes and resources as set out in

section 5 be noted;

(2) the 2018/19 to 2020/21 Capital Programme of £271.5m, as set out in

section 5  ...  view the full minutes text for item 147.

The report was introduced by Councillor Kevin Bonavia who highlighted a pay

imbalance favourable to female employees.

Councillor Kevin Bonavia moved that the recommendations be approved and

this was seconded by Councillor Maja Hilton and it was:

RESOLVED that the Pay Policy Statement as attached as Appendix 1 be

approved.

Councillor Alan Hall moved that the report recounting the work of scrutiny over

the previous four years be noted and this was seconded by Councillor Gareth

Siddorn. Following contributions from Councillors Morrison, Curran and

Dacres, it was:

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

The motion was moved by Councillor Joan Millbank and seconded by

Councillor Suzannah Clarke. Following contributions from Councillors

Kennedy, De Ryk and Hilton, the motion was put to the vote and declared to

be unanimously carried.

RESOLVED that the following motion be agreed:

“This Council notes that 2018 is the centenary of Representation of the

People Act 1918, which saw the start of women in the UK securing the right to

vote and to take up opportunities in civic life including the right to stand as

councillors.  This Council welcomes events being organised to mark women’s

achievements over the last 100 years, including ‘Vote Organise Participate’, a

day of celebration, learning and action taking place in the Civic Suite Catford

on International Women’s Day on March 8th. 

While recognising the significant progress made on gender equality this

Council believes that more action is needed for women to have full and equal

rights. The World Economic Forum's 2017 Global Gender Gap report that

while women worldwide are closing the gap in critical areas such as health

and education, significant gender inequality persists in the workforce and in

politics, while the Census of Local Authority Councillors 2013 found less than

a third of councillors nationally were female (36% in London) and only 12.3%

of local authority leaders in England were women in 2014.  This Council’s own

Barriers to Politics Working Party in 2017 identified a range of attitudinal and

practical measures still necessary to remove the barriers to political

engagement by women, and other under-represented groups.

This Council welcomes the #BehindEveryGreatCity campaign set up by the

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London to mark progress made on women’s equality

and to drive gender equality across the capital in 2018. This Council pledges

its support to the campaign and to uses its influence to lead and umotivate its

administration, its partners and its communities to think, act and be gender

inclusive.”

The motion was moved by Councillor Bill Brown and seconded by

Councillor Jim Mallory who accepted an amendment submitted in the names

of Councillors Egan and Best. Following contributions from Councillors

Egan, Best and Coughlin, the amended motion was put to the vote and

declared to be unanimously carried.

RESOLVED that the following motion be agreed:

“Council notes and welcomes UNISON’s campaign for an Ethical Care

Charter. Council agrees to sign up to the Ethical Care Charter and thereby to

become an Ethical Care Council where:

•           The starting point for commissioning of visits will be client need and not

minutes or tasks. Workers will have the freedom to provide appropriate care

and will be given time to talk to their clients.

•           The time allocated to visits will match the needs of the clients. In

general, 15-minute visits will not be used as they undermine the dignity of the

clients.

•           Homecare workers will be paid for their travel time, their travel costs

and other necessary expenses such as mobile phones.

•           Visits will be scheduled so that homecare workers are not forced to

rush their time with clients or leave their clients early to get to the next one on

time.

•           Clients will be allocated the same homecare worker(s) wherever

possible.

•           Zero hours contracts will not be used in place of permanent contracts.

•           Providers will have a clear and accountable procedure for following up

staff concerns about their clients’ wellbeing.

•           All homecare workers will be regularly trained to the necessary

standard to provide a good service (at no cost to themselves and in work

time).

•           Homecare workers will be given the opportunity to regularly meet co-

workers to share best practice and limit their isolation.

•           All homecare workers will be paid at least the London Living Wage.

•           All homecare workers will be covered by an occupational sick pay

scheme to ensure that staff do not feel pressurised to work when they are ill in

order to protect their vulnerable clients.

The meeting closed at 9.28pm.