Glasgow City Council Agenda - 28 June 2018, 13:00 Help

A meeting to be held at City Chambers, Glasgow at 13:00 on 28 June 2018.

Number Item
1Minutes of previous meeting of 17th May 2018 (Print 2, pages 69 to78). View Papers
2Print 2 - Committees' minutes - Consideration of paragraphs marked "C", remaining paragraphs being submitted for information and approval as a correct record only (page 79 onwards). View Papers
3Changes to committees etc - Local Licensing Forum - Remove Calvin Hepburn and Eleanor Lee and appoint Matthew Crilly, National Union of Students and John Hynes, Community Safety Glasgow. View Papers
4Representation on outside bodies:- View Papers
5Correspondence:-  View Papers
(a)Letter from Home Office in response to Council motion on Safe Drug Facilities. View Papers
(b)Letter from President of the European Commission in response to Council motion on Catalonia.  View Papers
6Questions. View Papers
7Notices of motions.
(a)By Councillor Elaine McSporran:-

Council notes with concern the recent escalation in demonstrations at NHS facilities, especially activity targeted at women and staff attending sexual and reproductive health services and NHS hospitals. Council further notes the distribution and display of misleading information and distressing images, which can intimidate women and jeopardise access to legal healthcare services.

Council believes in upholding the right to peaceful protest. Council further believes that the right to peaceful protest should not interfere with the fundamental right for women to make individual reproductive choices, or NHS professionals to do their job without fear or abuse. Council further notes that campaigns against women exercising their sexual health rights can continue without occupying the space immediately outside clinics and services.

Council applauds the actions of Ealing Council to consult with the community, most importantly medical professionals and women about their right to healthcare. Council supports the exploration of the case for buffer zones outside reproductive health clinics and hospitals as a means of ensuring that no individuals are harassed or obstructed from accessing confidential advice and treatment of any kind.

Council requests the Chief Officer of the IJB to raise the issue of a potential buffer zone policy relating to sexual and reproductive health facilities and hospitals in Glasgow with Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board and to provide feedback on these discussions to the Council." View Papers
(b)By Bailie Soryia Siddique:-

"Council notes the recent formation of the campaign group, "Fight the Hike", comprised of parents across Glasgow who are opposed to the proposed 57% increase in council-run nursery fees in 2018/19.

Council notes that a 57% increase this year means working parents could be asked to pay almost £200 more a month.

Further, Council notes that many parents had little notice of the changes due to come into place in August this year, and recognises that poor communication combined with a short timescale has left parents without time to budget for the proposed increases.

Council notes that over 2,000 have signed a public petition against the fee rises.

Council notes that various mitigation measures are in place, including the expansion of free hours for those earning under £30,000 that came as a result of a Labour Group motion to this Council's Education, Skills and Early Years Committee." View Papers
(c)By Bailie Kyle Thornton:-

"Council agrees that action is needed to invest in the repair and renewal of roads in Glasgow. Council believes that the current financial settlement from the Scottish Government makes it extremely difficult to meet the investment required to bring its roads up to standard and agrees that additional financial resources are required to meet this challenge. Recent weather has caused Glasgow's roads to deteriorate further increasing the scale of the challenge. It is important to keep our roads maintained and that this provides economic benefit to Glasgow as well as helping to keep our city's buses, cyclists, drivers and pedestrians on the move.

Council notes that road damage is an issue across Scotland with 35% of Scotland's roads requiring repairs compared to 5% in England and that Scotland has a combined 153,310 potholes at a total depth of 6,354m.

Council welcomes the recent "Save Our Roads" campaign launched by Jamie Greene MSP at Holyrood which argues for a national £100 million Pothole Action Fund over the next 5 years. Council is of the view that this fund is a pragmatic idea to allow local authorities to bid for additional funds for road repair and investment.

Therefore, Council resolves to write to the Scottish Government's Finance Secretary to make clear the Council's support for a Pothole Action Fund and to urge him to introduce this as soon as possible."  View Papers
(d)By Councillor Martha Wardrop:-

"Council acknowledges that single-use plastic bottles are expensive to produce, use up valuable natural resources to make and transport and create mountains of waste.

Council notes its commitment to tackle plastic pollution and recognises the need to help turn the harmful tide of plastic waste and litter from single-use plastic bottles, which is damaging the marine environment and blighting our streets.

Council agrees to phase out the use of single use plastic bottles and cups in council buildings and promote the development of refill schemes which encourage the use of reusable bottles across Glasgow.

Council resolves to increase the uptake of freely available drinking water by:-

(a) increasing awareness about public rights to drinking water;

(b) encouraging the hospitality industry to provide free drinking water to customers and non-customers;

(c) working with transport providers to improve access to free drinking water; and

(d) signing up to Refill, a free tap water initiative, which aims to make refilling of water bottles convenient and rewarding." View Papers
(e)By Councillor Mandy Morgan:-

Council is concerned by the recent Citizens Advice report that highlights 'Self-disconnection' whereby consumers using pre-payment meters (PPMs) energy supply is terminated because of a lack credit on the meter or account. Council is further concerned with 'self-rationing', where customers limit either energy use to save money, or restrict spend in other areas to ensure sufficient funds are available to keep the PPM topped up.

Council views the Energy UK Commission for Customers in Vulnerable Circumstances as an opportunity to address this and calls on Energy suppliers to produce a clear offer of support to those who have self-disconnected, including a review of processes for identifying whether a household is at risk of harm from self-disconnection before a prepayment meter is installed, and where vulnerable people are put onto PPMs, suppliers should use new opportunities offered by Smart Meters to ensure they stay on supply. Council believes that 'smarter' use of Smart Meters would be one way of enabling them to identify consumers in vulnerable circumstances and in doing so fulfil some of their own corporate social responsibility commitments.

Council calls on the Chief Executive to write to the UK Government to inform the current UK Parliament Domestic Gas and Electricity (Tariff Cap) Bill, noting the impact of pre-payment meters and fuel poverty in Glasgow. Council also calls on the CEO to invite the Energy UK Commission for Customers in Vulnerable Circumstances to Glasgow to discuss the significant consequences that 'self-disconnection' and 'self-rationing' can have for the health and wellbeing of consumers, and the opportunities for the energy industry to deliver sustainable environmental and socially inclusive goals." View Papers
(f)By Councillor Maureen Burke:-

"Council notes, with dismay, the recent fire at the Glasgow School of Art.

Council recognises that the Glasgow School of Art is one of Glasgow's five higher education institutions, all of which have international reputations of excellence and innovation. The Glasgow School of Art is specifically recognised as one of Europe's leading institutions for visual creative disciplines.

Council further recognises that the fire in the Mackintosh Building has had and will continue to significantly affect the surrounding Sauchiehall Street area, and that this is the second fire to impact Sauchiehall Street in this way this year.

Council believes that the Mackintosh Building is an iconic piece of world architectural heritage and a globally recognised symbol of Glasgow; that the Glasgow School of Art is one of Glasgow's great institutions and has played a key role in the cultural and economic renaissance of our city; and further believes that the innovative and creative spirit of the School of Art will be vital to Glasgow's continued cultural and economic growth in the years to come.

Council therefore resolves to pay tribute to those emergency responders who bravely battled the blaze; to join calls for an inquiry into the cause of the fire to prevent such damage happening again; and to draw up an urgent action plan to support businesses and the city centre economy." View Papers
(g)By Councillor Martin McElroy:-

"Council notes with concern that 1 in 10 shop staff in the UK have been assaulted by a customer at work and 1 in 4 have been threatened as they carry out their daily work.

Council notes that a third of shop staff who have been victims of abuse by customers did not report the incident to the police.

Council believes that this is an issue that has to be resolved as more people work in shops than in any other part of the private sector.

Council believes that violence, threats and abuse of workers should never be 'just part of the job'.

Council resolves to support Daniel Johnson's Proposed Protection of Workers (Retain and Age-Restricted Sales Etc) Scotland Bill, which seeks to strengthen the protection for workers." View Papers