Agenda and minutes

Members to declare any interests they have in the business to be considered at the meeting.

To receive the record of the proceedings of the ordinary meeting of the Council held on 4^th February 2015 and the special meeting of the Council held on 6^th March 2015, and to approve the accuracy thereof.

To receive any questions or petitions from the public, or communications submitted by the Lord Mayor or the Chief Executive and to pass such resolutions thereon as the Council Procedure Rules permit and as may be deemed expedient.

5.1       Questions relating to urgent business – Council Procedure Rule 16.6(ii).

5.2       Supplementary questions on written questions submitted at this meeting   – Council Procedure Rule 16.4.

5.3       Questions on the discharge of the functions of the South Yorkshire Joint Authorities for Fire and Rescue and Pensions – Section 41 of the Local Government Act 1985 – Council Procedure Rule 16.6(i).

            (NB. Minutes of recent meetings of the two South Yorkshire Joint    Authorities have been made available to all Members of the Council via the following link -

            http://sheffielddemocracy.moderngov.co.uk/ecCatDisplay.aspx?sch=doc&cat=13165&path=0)

To consider any changes to the memberships and arrangements for meetings of Committees etc., delegated authority, and the appointment of representatives to serve on other bodies.

Report of the Chief Executive.

That this Council:

(a)       notes the recent report by the Kings Fund which provided a damming critique on the Government’s NHS reforms, claiming they have been ‘damaging and distracting’;

(b)       notes that this follows reports last year that the Government did not understand its own NHS reforms, which were described by Government sources as a “total car crash” and a “huge strategic error”;

(c)        regrets that:

(i)         despite promising no top down reorganisation, this Government wasted £3 billion on doing just that, funding which could have been spent on front line services;

(ii)        this Government has laid off 9,000 frontline NHS staff;

(iii)       this Government has cut 9,746 hospital beds;

(iv)       this Government has overseen a crisis in A&E with the worst waiting times for over 10 years; and

(v)        this Government has neglected GP services, with one in four people now having to wait over a week to see their family doctor; and

(d)       believes that Sheffield needs a fresh alternative approach to the NHS and supports the following proposals by Labour:

(i)         provide £2.5 billion additional investment per year into the NHS paid for through higher taxes on tobacco companies and a Mansion Tax on properties worth over £2 million;

(ii)        repeal this Government’s NHS Health and Social Care Act and reverse the damaging changes which have caused such chaos across the health service;

(iii)       recruit 20,000 more nurses, 8,000 more GPs and 3,000 more midwives;

(iv)       guarantee that you can get an appointment at your GP within 48 hours;

(v)        accept the NHS independent pay review recommendations and make sure NHS staff get the respect and support they deserve;

(vi)       make sure the NHS is exempt from the Transatlantic Trade Investment Partnership, protecting local services from big American companies; and

(vii)      plans to integrate health and social care.

That this Council:

(a)       agrees that paying taxes is a duty for all citizens and believes in the benefits national taxes give to society;

(b)       notes that tax revenues fund the majority of the country’s healthcare services, schools, pensions and judicial system, as well as roads, armed forces and social infrastructure;

(c)        also notes the substantial academic research which shows that societies with healthy economies, more equality, social protection, and intervention to protect vulnerable groups, have smaller undeclared economies which leads to more tax being collected for the benefit of all;

(d)       is disappointed that under this current Conservative/Liberal Democrat Government, the gap between tax owed and tax collected, according to HMRC, is a staggering £34 billion, with prosecutions at an unacceptably low level;

(e)       questions why, when the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee has held many hearings into tax avoidance, there has been no subsequent investigations by HM Treasury?;

(f)        notes that the billions of pounds in uncollected taxes sits alongside a programme of Government cuts which has seen vulnerable people being victimized by a myriad of economic hardships and that taking a tougher stance on tax avoidance and evasion could mean an end to austerity;

(g)       reminds members of the current Government that the work of the tax authority (HMRC) is under their control and as such it is their responsibility to ensure there are sufficient, well trained staff within HMRC to carry out the important function of tax collection for the benefit of all citizens;

(h)       therefore welcomes the commitment by The Rt. Hon, Ed Miliband MP, that a future Labour government would instigate an immediate independent review into the culture and practices of HMRC in regard to tax avoidance;

(i)         recognises that for many small businesses and start-ups, taxes can prevent them from growing and stifle innovation;

(j)         is therefore pleased to hear that a Labour government would put small business first in line for tax cuts and the support they need to invest and raise productivity for the benefit of all;

(k)        believes that a more positive communication strategy by HMRC to the general public would assist in making people aware of what their taxes pay for and encourage more compliance, and that the public also need to feel confident that those that evade tax will be pursued and prosecuted;

(l)         as such, urges the Government to tighten up loopholes which allows business and wealthy individuals to avoid paying their fair share and cheating the rest of society; and

(m)      requests that a copy of this Motion be forwarded to The Rt. Hon. George Osborne MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and The Rt. Hon. Ed Balls MP, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer.

That this Council:

(a)       would like to thank the Liberal Democrats in government and The Rt. Hon. Nick Clegg, MP for Sheffield Hallam, for their good work in government, creating a stronger economy and fairer society in the UK by:

(i)         creating 1.8 million more jobs, of which ¾ are full time jobs;

(ii)        cutting income tax by £800 for 25 million low and middle income earners;

(iii)       protecting the schools budget and providing an extra £2.5 billion for disadvantaged kids;

(iv)       providing free child care to all 3 and 4 year olds and 40% of 2 year olds from the most deprived backgrounds;

(v)        investing in work and training through two million apprenticeships;

(vi)       introducing shared parental leave, allowing fathers to spend more time with their children and helping women back into work;

(vii)      improving services across the NHS, with 6,000 more doctors and increasing the availability of specialist cancer drugs through the Cancer Drugs Fund; and

(viii)     taking mental health seriously, putting £400m extra into early intervention;

(b)       would also like to thank the MP for Sheffield Hallam for using his position to get the best for Sheffield and would like to highlight the following Government investments  in our area:

(i)         £1.2 billion for the Streets Ahead programme, which will see every road, pavement and streetlight in the City repaired;

(ii)        £5.4 million to provide Free Early Learning for disadvantaged two-year-olds, £25 million for Sheffield schools through the Pupil Premium and £5 million for Sheffield City Region to support young people into jobs;

(iii)       millions of pounds invested in Sheffield’s trams, trains and buses, alongside commitments to electrify the Midland Mainline and a new High Speed Rail station in Sheffield; 

(iv)       bringing the British Business Bank to Sheffield;

(v)        the latest growth deal, delivered by Liberal Democrats in Government, which has secured a £320 million cash boost for Sheffield City Region and will create over 28,000 jobs and training for 40,000 people;

(vi)       notes that the Sheffield City Region Growth Deal is the fifth largest in the country and will specifically deliver:

(A)       infrastructure investment, including improvements to Sheffield city-centre and an extended airport link road to Doncaster-Sheffield Airport;

(B)       £130 million Skills Bank, which will provide training for 40,000 people in the Sheffield City Region, including between 5,000 and 7,500 apprentices; and

(C)       upgrades to Further Education facilities and a brand new academy run by British Glass to be based in Sheffield; and

(c)        notes that a future Liberal Democrat Government would:

(i)         balance the cyclically-adjusted current budget by 2017/18, on time and fairly, protecting the economic recovery, and bring down Britain’s debt as a share of national income;

(ii)        cut Income Tax by £400 for low and middle earners, easing the squeeze on household budgets;

(iii)       invest to make the UK a world leader in green and hi-tech manufacturing, continuing the Regional Growth Fund and expanding apprenticeships;

(iv)       cut energy bills and create jobs through a national programme to insulate  ...  view the full agenda text for item 10.

That this Council:

(a)       recognises the tremendous record of the previous Government on animal welfare issues, including banning hunting with dogs;

(b)       is proud that due to Labour’s stance on this barbaric ‘sport’, 2015 sees the 10th anniversary of the ban, which has the highest number of convictions, above all other wild mammal legislation;

(c)        notes that while in Government, the Labour Party did much to end cruel and unnecessary suffering of animals by banning fur farming, securing an end to cosmetic testing and introducing the Animal Welfare Act;

(d)       finds The Rt. Hon. David Cameron MP’s promise that a future Conservative government would allow  a  ‘free vote’ on repealing the ban on fox hunting as yet another example of how out of touch this Government is, with the majority of British people being in favour of the ban;

(e)       also notes that Nigel Farage, Leader of UKIP, has taken part in hunts and UKIP have said that they would repeal the 2004 Hunting Act;

(f)        wholeheartedly agrees with The Rt. Hon. Ed Miliband MP, Leader of the Labour Party, that “we have a moral duty to treat animals we share this planet with in a humane and compassionate way”;

(g)       welcomes the Labour Party’s manifesto pledge to ban wild animals in circuses, reduce animal cruelty on shooting estates, review rules on breeding and selling of dogs and cats, end the badger cull and defend the Hunting Act, and to lead the fight against global animal cruelty; and

(h)       requests that a copy of this Motion be forwarded to all Sheffield MPs and ask that they offer their support to animal welfare and commit to vote against any proposal to repeal the 2004 Hunting Act.

That this Council:

(a)       shares the legitimate concerns expressed by “whistle-blowers” and other stakeholders regarding the Board of the Yorkshire Ambulance Service, the possible risk to patients being created by their failings and allegations of “whistle-blowers” being targeted and gagged;

(b)       notes with concern that:

(i)         Yorkshire Ambulance Service has failed to achieve the national target for emergency response times in 11 out of the last 12 months (correct to October 2014);

(ii)        Emergency Care Assistants have been sent out to urgent and emergency calls with no qualified paramedic, putting patients’ lives at risk;

(iii)       there are significant cuts to paramedics (15%) and the ambulance fleet (10%) being planned; and

(iv)       “Whistle-blowers” have alleged that emergency call-out data has been manipulated to reach targets;

(c)        calls on the Care Quality Commission to take enforcement action to ensure the safety of patients and relevant national standards are met;

(d)       pledges to oppose any application made by the Board of the Yorkshire Ambulance Service to become a Foundation Trust with greater powers, whilst the issues outlined remain unresolved; and

(e)       demands that the Board of the Yorkshire Ambulance Service:

(i)         stops the planned cuts to paramedics and ambulances that put patients at risk; and

(ii)        reinstates all Trade Union rights and protects “whistle-blowers”.

That this Council:

(a)       notes the greater pressures on the NHS and care services due to an ageing population;

(b)       believes that integrating health and social care services will ease pressure on hospitals and help to improve home care services for patients who need it;

(c)        thanks the Government for the introduction of the Better Care Fund, made up of £3.8 billion of local services to improve care for the elderly and vulnerable to join up health and care services around the needs of patients, so that people can stay at home more and be in hospital less;

(d)       further thanks the Government for the introduction of the first ever limit of personal liability on the cost of social care, so older people no longer have to sell their home to pay for their care;

(e)       welcomes the recent news of the planned devolution of Manchester’s NHS budget to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority; and

(f)        therefore calls for the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority to work towards winning a similar deal for the Sheffield City Region.

That this Council:-

(a)       believes that a commercially viable, fully operational airport in Sheffield would be an enormous asset for the city;

(b)       notes that Sheffield City Airport was built as a CAP168 code 2C airport as per the agreement between The Sheffield Development Corporation (SDC), Glenlivet Ltd and Tinsley Park Ltd, dated 27th October 1995 and subsequent lease of August 1997; and that the definition of "Airport" for the purposes of the agreement is laid out in Article 106 of the Air Navigation Order of 1989 and is consistent with the definition as originally laid out in clause 1.17 of the agreement between SDC and British Steel Corporation;

(c)        further notes that in 1997, Sheffield City Airport opened as a CAT 5, code 2C airport, which means it should have had, and maintained, all the facilities needed to cope with an aircraft capable of carrying up to 115 passengers;

(d)       also notes that the Airport started commercial services some three years earlier than originally planned, with the successful introduction on 16th February 1998, of KLM's three times daily Amsterdam service, which was an instant success, with KLM saying it was their best start-up service ever, and that services followed to Jersey, London, Dublin, Belfast and Brussels and in 1998, 75,157 passengers passed through its terminal;

(e)       recognises that Sheffield Development Corporation estimated it would take at least seven years after opening before the airport would make any return on capital, and that this fact was well known and, indeed, as early as 1990, had been referred to by the SDC;

(f)        is interested to know how Peel Holdings and the airport operator, just eight weeks after them acquiring one half share of the Airport, were allowed to start downgrading it; for example (i) at the end of September 2001 they reduced airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Services cover from a CAT 5 to a CAT 3, (ii) by the end of September 2002 they reduced cover from CAT 3 to a CAT 1 and also turned off the Instrument Landing System (ILS) and (iii) at the end of August 2002 they started turning the terminal building into a business centre (offices);

(g)       strongly asserts that rules and regulations should be abided by, and the closure of Sheffield City Airport was done in a most unsatisfactory manner, causing Sheffield one of its worst civic lost opportunities; and

(h)       further notes that Sheffield City Airport closed to all traffic in 2008, and that an area of eighty acres of prime development land, described as the best site on the M1 corridor between Leeds and Leicester, was transferred to Sheffield Business Parks Ltd, for a notional £1.00, which has never been collected.

That this Council:

(a)       understands the deeply impactful nature of hate crimes and the importance of tackling hate crime in our city of Sanctuary;

(b)       welcomes proposals by Shadow Home Secretary, The Rt. Hon. Yvette Cooper MP, that a future Labour Government will tackle the rise in antisemitism, Islamophobia, homophobia, transphobia and abuse of disabled people in the UK, by making homophobic and disability hate crimes an aggravated criminal offence, ensuring that the Police treat such offences in the same way as racist hate crimes;

(c)        deplores proposals by UKIP to remove the race legislation within the Equality Act as this will exacerbate the level of race hate crime in our society, which was recorded as 536 incidents across South Yorkshire in 2013/14 and far exceeds other types of hate crime;

(d)       condemns the homophobic and misogynistic comments of a former Conservative candidate who tweeted his hateful views in response to news of an important research project into femicide, and believes there is no place for this type of attitude in Sheffield;

(e)       welcomes Sheffield City Council’s inclusion of gender as a category for hate crime and recognises the importance of defining hate crime as prejudice against people of protected characteristics and other recognisable groups;

(f)        recognises the work done by the Council to tackle hate crime by working in partnership with the Police and other agencies to encourage reporting through Third Party reporting centres;

(g)       acknowledges that the level of reporting of hate crime in Sheffield is not an accurate portrayal of the number of hate crime incidents and that more needs to be done to help people feel comfortable to report, with this including better promotion and publicity of Third Party reporting centres, and an increased number of them; and

(h)       welcomes the organisation of a hate crime workshop in June, organised through the Equality Hub Network, where there will be an opportunity to learn more about Third Party reporting centres and how to set one up, and encourages Sheffield citizens to attend the workshop in order to discuss how to tackle hate crime and make it easier to report.