Minutes:
The Panel received a report introduced by the Director of Corporate Policy and Governance (DCPG) about the London Borough of Lewisham’s (Lewisham) preparations for Brexit.
Commenting on the report, Members welcomed statement that the preparations were necessary in light of an announcement that the Government had identified a series of ‘reasonable worst-case assumptions’ for the impact of a no-deal Brexit. It was recognised that the testing of business continuity plans for a variety of scenarios across key Council service areas remained a priority, with a focus on the distribution and supply of food, medicines and fuel.
Members also noted responses to questions about Lewisham’s preparedness for Brexit from the Council’s Executive Directors within the scope of their individual service remit. Other Directors present also contributed in clarifying issues to the Panel. It was noted that ongoing efforts by the Council’s Brexit Co-ordination Group (BCG) with departments and across London regions were in line with Lewisham’s Corporate Strategy for 2018-2020. Information that the coordinated efforts spanned across the Council’s work in relation to social care, school and children services, regulatory services, housing, homelessness and capital programme delivery, data protection and emergency planning was welcomed by Members.
Members expressed satisfaction that ideas gathered on the Council’s Brexit Plan via its website since January 2019 had been useful to the work of the BCG. Members therefore endorsed a decision by Officers not to close website link until 31 October 2019 in light of the Government’s deadline for Brexit to occur, and the likelihood of a no-deal.
On behalf of the Panel, the Chair, Councillor Bill Brown invited comments from Councillor Kevin Bonavia, Cabinet Member for Democracy, Refugees and Accountability. It noted that the Cabinet Member was leading on Lewisham’s preparatory work on Brexit.
In addressing the meeting, Councillor Bonavia echoed statements by the DCPG, confirming to the Panel that the arrangements assimilated a wide range of national guidance from government departments. The Cabinet Member confirmed to the Panel that the baseline of the efforts was to ensure that Council’s departments had prepared their services to test and support business continuity arrangements for a variety of potential scenarios, including a no-deal Brexit. Thus, there were ongoing liaisons with partners through the Local Resilience Forum. Meetings with the police, and health service officials through the South East London Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships were also underway as part of the coordinated efforts by the BCG. The Cabinet Member confirmed that Lewisham would also continue to participate in regional co-ordination across local government, to include weekly submissions to the London Resilience Forum and London Councils.
Councillor Bonavia continued by recalling to the Panel that residents living in Lewisham voted overwhelmingly for the United Kingdom to remain within the EU. Thus, the coordinated efforts to enhance Lewisham’s response in delivering to its citizens would include arrangements for direct support to EU nationals through the establishment of various communication initiatives, with a view to increase an awareness of the EU settled Status (EUSS).
In his closing remarks, Councillor Bonavia stated that views from the Panel on the report to further support the preparatory work of the BCG would be welcomed.
Members of the Panel, together with Councillor James-J Walsh who was also present at the meeting commented on the report, and their contributions are attached to these Minutes as an Annex.
On behalf of the Panel, the Chair thanked Councillors Bonavia and Walsh for their contributions at the meeting. The Chair also expressed appreciation to Officers and the BCG for their efforts to Lewisham’s Brexit preparatory work.
RESOLVED – That the report about Lewisham’s preparations for Brexit.