Glasgow City Council Agenda - 14 December 2017, 13:00 Help

A meeting to be held at City Chambers, Glasgow at 13:00 on 14 December 2017.

Number Item
1Minutes of Council meeting of 2nd November 2017 (Print 4, pages 381 to 390). View Papers
2Print 2 - Committees' minutes - Consideration of paragraphs marked "C", remaining paragraphs submitted for information and approval as a correct record only (page 391 onwards). View Papers
3Changes to committees etc. View Papers
4Representation on outside bodies. View Papers
5Correspondence.
6Questions. View Papers
7Notices of motions:-
(a)By Bailie Annette Christie:-

"Council understands that poverty increases the risk of people experiencing mental health issues and that a complex set of environmental factors can significantly affect mental health; and that its role in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of people requires engaging with this complexity. Council recognises that it is crucial that leadership in promoting better mental health comes from the top and that the values and ethos must come from elected members and senior management - welcoming people with mental health problems and creating a culture that is inclusive and understanding of individual's needs.

Council instructs officers to incorporate health promotion into the full range of Council services and policies, and support and encourage more social workers to train as Mental Health Officers so that we can ensure that the legal and human rights of mental health service-users are fully adhered to, and ensure employability support within mental health teams, along with advice to maximise income and mitigate welfare benefit cuts.

Council agrees that there is a strong business case for getting it right on mental health in work; and further instructs the City Convener for Workforce/Chief Executive to take forward participation in the See Me in Work Programme as a first step for incorporating the principles of the Scotland-wide See Me campaign into Council-wide service planning and delivery, to combat stigma against mental ill health." View Papers
(b)By Councillor Frank McAveety:-

"That this Council believes the austerity agenda has harmed Glasgow, its economy and communities, notes that Glasgow has seen £324million taken from its budget over the last decade and believes that this has fundamentally undermined front-line services. Council further notes that this Council will be responsible for meeting the cost of scrapping the public sector pay cap and understands that this will place significant strain on already stretched resources.

Further, Council notes the Scottish Government's recent publication "The Role of Income Tax in Scotland's Budget" which found that using the Scottish Parliament's tax powers to raise income tax and vary tax bands, could raise at least £550million or up to £870million per year. Council notes that these figures are greater than the 2016/2017 reductions to the Local Government settlement.

Council therefore would welcome the SNP finally agreeing with Scottish Labour and Scottish Green calls to use the tax powers. Council further believes that these powers should be used to prevent any further cuts.

Council additionally calls on the Scottish Government to use those tax powers in a fair, progressive way that will allow the Council budget to meet the cost, in full, of any public sector pay increases whilst avoiding having to make any further savings in the budget. Council further instructs the Leader of the Council to raise this request in any correspondence or negotiations with the relevant Cabinet Secretary."  View Papers
(c)By Councillor Euan Blockley:-

"Council is concerned at recent evidence showing that literacy and numeracy levels are falling across Scotland. Council is concerned that the number of teachers in Scotland's schools have fallen by 4,000 since 2007. Council also notes the 152,000 college places which have been lost over recent years.

Council calls on the Scottish Government to take immediate action to improve Scotland's education system including enacting the recommendations of the "A new blueprint for Curriculum for Excellence" report of May 2017 as soon as possible". View Papers
(d)By Councillor Kim Long:-

"Council recognises that for many women, young people and children across Glasgow, the Christmas period brings an increased intensity of domestic abuse. Council recognises the many complex reasons that women remain in abusive relationships, and places responsibility solely upon the perpetrator of the abuse. Whilst recognising the unfairness of women having to take enormous risks to reach safety, this Council believes that all women should be able to access refuge at the point of need.

Within the current context of financial strain on both public services and the third sector, this Council believes that refuge services are essential emergency lifelines. To that end, this Council commits to protecting the funding of women's refuges and gender based violence services, and to working in partnership to give these organisations a firm long-term financial footing.

In recognising barriers to specific groups in accessing refuge, Council notes the needs of asylum-seeking women with no recourse to public funds and will seek solutions so that access to refuge is no longer conditional on access to housing benefit. Council agrees to make available information for service providers on resources for women with no recourse to public funds. Council will also ensure all gender-based violence services have a trans-inclusive analysis, and will work with trans rights organisations to improve access to services for transgender and non-binary people." View Papers
(e)By Bailie Norman MacLeod:-

"Council re-emphasises its previously expressed concern at the detrimental effect on the welfare of many individuals and communities in Glasgow occasioned by the impact of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs) within Licensed Betting Offices (LBOs) in the City.

In its view FOBTs no longer should be permitted within LBOs and discretion available to Local Licensing Boards should be expanded and enhanced in order that when considering applications for LBOs they may again be able to take account levels of existing provision.

At a minimum Council is of the view that the maximum permitted stake on an FOBT should be reduced from its present level of £100 to £2.

Whilst supporting calls for the right to legislate in Gambling matters to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament - meantime as a retained competence - the present consultation exercise by the UK Government on Gambling provides an opportunity to make the views of this Council known and the Chief Executive is requested to submit a response accordingly." View Papers
(f)By Councillor Archie Graham:-

"Council expresses our concern about the future of Scotland's national football stadium at Hampden Park. As well as being the home of Scottish football the stadium is extremely valuable to the local and City economies. Council resolves to work with the football governing bodies to ensure that Hampden Park is retained as Scotland's national football stadium." View Papers
(g)By Councillor John Letford:-

"Council welcomes the passing of the Child Poverty (Scotland) Bill and positive action being taken to address child poverty and tackle the deep seated generational inequalities in our society, and supports this call to urgent action.

Council applauds the setting of statutory targets which will be set out in regular delivery plans and require annual local child poverty plans, in contrast to the UK Government, which has abolished its child poverty unit and child poverty targets.

Council supports the establishment of a Poverty and Inequality Commission, and recognises that meeting these targets will require cross-government action. Council believes that Glasgow is well placed to do so and the example of the Poverty Leadership Panel can inform this work. Council commits to working with the Scottish Government, other local authorities, the third sector and people with experience of living in poverty to achieve these targets and to reduce and ultimately eradicate child poverty." View Papers