Agenda and minutes

2.1

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Fran Belbin, Lewis Chinchen, Dawn Dale, Maleiki Haybe, Mazher Iqbal, Bernard Little, Abtisam Mohamed, Safiya Saeed, Richard Shaw, Garry Weatherall and Paul Wood.

3.1

There were no items of business identified where resolutions may be moved to exclude the press and public.

4.1

There were no declarations of interest made by Members of the Council.

5.1

Petitions and Public Questions

The Lord Mayor (Councillor Colin Ross) reported that questions would be taken at the meeting from four members of the public.  No petitions had been received.

5.2

Questions from Hilary Smith

“I asked a question at the recent Strategy and Resources Policy Committee about the steps that the Council could take to reduce its complicity with Israel's system of apartheid and ethnic cleansing. In response, the Leader of the Council told me what he thought the Council was unable to do.

What he did not do was to tell me what steps he thought that the Council could take to reduce its financial relationship with companies or institutions that support, directly or indirectly, Israel's system of apartheid.

The Council is aware of the United Nations database of companies that operate in or otherwise support Israeli settlements, all illegal under international law.

Will the Council commit to investigating, as a matter of urgency, whether it has any financial relationship with any of those companies, directly or indirectly, and make that information public?

Secondly, if the Council concludes that it is unable to disengage from financial relationships with any of these companies, will the Council make that information public? Sheffield residents have a right to know if the Council's business make it complicit with Israeli apartheid and a right to know if the law explicitly prevents the Council from ending those financial relationships.

Thirdly, the Leader did not respond, at Strategy and Resources Committee, to my question about whether the Council would change its bank from Barclays. Will the Leader now answer that question?”

Ms. Smith added that a genocide was currently taking place, made possible because the world gave the green light to Israeli apartheid.  She asked that the Council delay no longer in taking action against Israel’s system of apartheid.

In response, Councillor Tom Hunt (the Leader of the Council and Chair of the Strategy and Resources Policy Committee) stated that in answering the questions, it was important to be clear about, and separate, the actions of the government of Israel and the state of Israel.  He commented that the first and second questions refer to businesses within the database of business enterprises that is published by the United Nations, and he reported that the current database includes 112 businesses, of which three are UK companies. He stated that he had requested that officers investigate whether the Council had a contractual relationship with any of those companies and he would send a written response to Ms. Smith when he had been supplied with that information. He added that although he was unable to answer a question about what that information might tell us, he would commit to being fully open and transparent in relation to this matter.

In response to the third question, about the Council’s banking arrangements, Councillor Hunt stated that the banking contract was procured in 2022 and the process was run as an open tender, as required by the public contracts regulations.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.1

Urgent Business

There were no questions relating to urgent business under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 16.6(ii).

6.2

South Yorkshire Joint and Combined Authorities

6.2.1

The Lord Mayor (Councillor Colin Ross) reported that Councillors Sophie Thornton, Richard Shaw and Ian Horner had given advance notice of questions relating to the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, and Councillor Bernard Little had given advance notice of four questions relating to the South Yorkshire Pensions Authority.  The advance notice of the questions had enabled Councillor Tom Hunt, the Council’s representative on the Mayoral Combined Authority, and Councillor Jayne Dunn, the Council’s Spokesperson on the Pensions Authority, to provide written answers, and copies of the questions and responses had been circulated at the meeting and published on the Council’s website.

6.2.2

Supplementary questions were asked by Councillors Thornton and Horner, and were answered by Councillor Hunt.

6.2.3

There were no further questions relating to the discharge of the functions of the South Yorkshire Joint Authorities for Fire and Rescue and Pensions and of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 16.6(i).

6.3

Written Questions

A schedule of questions to Chairs of Policy Committees, submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 16, and which contained written answers, was circulated.  Supplementary questions, under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 16.4, were asked and were answered by the appropriate Policy Committee Chairs until the expiry of the time limit for Members’ Questions (in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 16.7).

7.1

It was moved by Councillor Barbara Masters, and seconded by Councillor Sophie Thornton, that this Council:-

(a)      notes:-

(i)       Sheffield’s cultural and religious diversity – we are a growing and diverse city with around 120 languages spoken and people from a range of backgrounds living and contributing to every part of the city; our diversity is part of what makes Sheffield such an amazing place;

(ii)       our heritage as the UK’s first City of Sanctuary and pride in offering a welcoming home to people seeking safety, demonstrated in how we’ve welcomed those affected by the war in Ukraine;

(iii)      that in developing our City Goals, our communities have shown how much they value Sheffield’s diversity and its people; celebrating and respecting histories, heritage and cultures and finding common ground is embedded in the draft Goals;

(iv)      the progress that has been made, together with partners, on implementing the recommendations of the Race Equality Commission, and the importance of holding course towards the aim of being an anti-racist city; and

(v)      the contributions of many diverse communities to the UK, in particular, the service of millions of Christians, Hindus, Muslims, Jews, those of no faith, LGBTQ+ and others, in defeating the evil of the Nazis in the Second World War and upholding the values of civil rights, democracy and rule of law;

(b)      believes:-

(i)       that this Council stands with all our communities in their rights to live peacefully and safely;

(ii)       that even in difficult circumstances, Sheffield’s communities have shown amazing strength and unity, standing together to be kind and support one another; as they did 12 months ago, when the Stannington gas and water emergency turned people’s lives upside down, and we saw community groups, businesses, and local politicians including the late Councillor Vickie Priestley, working hard for each other;

(iii)      that our city provides the perfect stage for celebrating diversity, bringing people together into our city centre, local high streets and public spaces to celebrate, respect and learn about our cultures; next year this includes celebrating the Lunar/Chinese New Year of the Dragon, Easter, Eid-al-Fitr and our whole calendar of cultural events from Pride to Black History Month; and

(c)      resolves to:-

(i)       encourage communities, partners and Councillors to support the development of the city’s new Cohesion Framework, taking its lead from the City Goals, so that we have a shared approach for respecting and supporting each other now and for the long term; and

(ii)       wish everyone a belated happy Diwali, and Happy Hanukkah, Happy Christmas and Happy New Year.

7.1.1

(NOTE: With the agreement of the Council and at the request of the mover of the Motion (Councillor Barbara Masters), the Motion as published on the agenda was altered by the substitution of the words “Stannington gas and water emergency” for the words “Stannington floods” in sub-paragraph (b)(ii) of the Motion.)

7.2

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Laura Moynahan, and seconded by Councillor Karen McGowan, as an amendment,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

8.1

It was moved by Councillor Zahira Naz, and seconded by Councillor Tony Downing, that this Council:-

(a)      notes that:-

(i)       Sheffield City Council has been hammered since 2010, first by the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition and now by the Conservatives;

(ii)       Sheffield Council has almost 30% or £856 per household less to spend in real terms, compared to 2010/11, and further notes that this massive cut is well above the national average of 20% or £581 per dwelling;

(iii)      some wealthy councils like Surrey have only seen a reduction of 8%;

(iv)      when you take out local taxation, the cut in funding for Sheffield is approximately 50% in real terms since 2010/11; and

(v)      the most intense cuts happened to Local Government during the Coalition years of 2010-15;

(b)      believes that:-

(i)       the Autumn Statement lifted the lid on 13 years of Conservative economic failure with growth revised down for 2024, 2025 and 2026;

(ii)       real wages are set to fall, we will see the biggest hit to living standards on record, and taxes have risen;

(iii)      yet again, the Conservatives failed to help with any of the challenges that councils like Sheffield face, with local authorities left picking up the pieces of years of underinvestment in health and social care, homelessness, and housing;

(iv)      just as public services face more cuts, it is shameful that the Rt. Hon. Lord David Cameron is back in the Cabinet after the damage his Government caused to our city and the country;

(v)      despite the Conservatives holding us back, Sheffield is a city on the up; we are setting out ambitious plans for economic growth, delivering massive regeneration projects, building thousands more affordable homes, and restoring our public transport network; and

(vi)      we could do so much more if we had stable, long-term funding; and

(c)      resolves to:-

(i)       unlike the Conservatives, always manage every pound of public money wisely;

(ii)       do everything we can to protect public services that people rely on, grow the local economy, and secure more investment;

(iii)      call on every member of the Council to condemn the successive governments since 2010 for the damage they have done to Sheffield; and

(iv)      support Labour’s position on:-

(A)      introducing a Take Back Control Act to give places like Sheffield the tools needed to develop long-term growth plans;

(B)      setting up a National Wealth Fund, with the British taxpayers owning a share of that wealth;

(C)      providing certainty by setting out a modern industrial strategy; and

(D)      introducing a publicly invested Green Prosperity Plan, to bring in private sector investment to the industries of the future.

8.2

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Robert Reiss, and seconded by Councillor Roger Davison, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

1.       the deletion of sub-paragraphs (a)(i) to (v) and the addition of new sub-paragraphs (i) to (iv) as follows:-

(i)       Labour is not proposing any additional funding for local government, with Shadow Local Government Minister,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

9.1

RESOLVED: On the motion of Councillor Paul Turpin, seconded by Councillor Marieanne Elliot, that, in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 9.1, the order of business as published on the Council Summons be altered by taking item 10 on the agenda (Notice of Motion Regarding “Opposing Minimum Service Levels”) at this point in the proceedings.

9.2

It was moved by Councillor Sophie Wilson, and formally seconded by the Lord Mayor (Councillor Colin Ross), that this Council:-

(a)      notes:-

(i)       the right to strike is a fundamental British freedom which is protected by international law; this can be seen in the Human Rights Act, Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights, the International Labour Organisation’s Convention 87 and Article 6(4) of the European Social Charter;

(ii)       the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 sets out that when employees in relevant sectors democratically vote to strike they can be required to work and sacked if they don’t comply;

(iii)      the Joint Committee on Human Rights has expressed concern that this legislation is not compatible with the UK’s commitments to human rights for workers and trade union members; and

(iv)      the Regulatory Policy Committee has determined that the impact assessment for this Bill was ‘not fit for purpose’;

(b)      believes:-

(i)       the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 is a direct attack on the right to strike fundamental freedom;

(ii)       that consecutive Conservative Governments have been carrying out brutal attacks on trade unions for decades, culminating with this most recent attack on the right to strike;

(iii)      that this Government, instead of tackling the causes of the cost-of-living crisis, are attempting to cut through the recent wave of strikes by trying to shift the blame from profiteering bosses who have manufactured unsustainable levels of inflation, on to ordinary workers who are exercising their right to fight for dignity and fair pay at work and in their lives;

(iv)      the regime initiated by the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 is draconian, unnecessary and unworkable;

(v)      the Act undermines constructive industrial relations and is likely to inflame and prolong disputes; and

(vi)      that this Act is a direct attack on the freedoms of the ordinary, hardworking residents of our city; and

(c)      resolves:-

(i)       to ask the Strategy and Resources Policy Committee to consider how the Council will, if it can use provisions in the Act, including the discretion not to issue work notices, continue to protect the rights of its workers to strike and how it should be reflected in our policies, such as the ethical procurement policy;

(ii)       to raise these concerns with all relevant bodies - including the Fire and Rescue Authority, Health boards, and any other relevant bodies with employee status;

(iii)      to work with local unions and our trades council to oppose this legislation together as effectively as possible; and

(iv)      to write to the Rt. Hon. Sir Keir Starmer and demand he pledges an incoming Labour government to reverse fines and other measures taken against any  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

10.1

It was formally moved by Councillor Sue Alston, and formally seconded by Councillor Ian Horner, that this Council:-

(a)      notes that, in relation to environmental considerations:-

(i)       disposable vapes are a hazard for waste and litter collection and cause fires in bin lorries;

(ii)       single use vapes are designed as one unit so batteries cannot be separated from the plastic, making them almost impossible to recycle without going through special treatment;

(iii)      the lithium batteries inside the plastic can sharply increase in temperature if crushed and can become flammable; this comes at a cost to the council taxpayer through fire damage to equipment and the specialist treatment needed to deal with hazardous waste; and

(iv)      with 1.3 million disposable vapes thrown away every week, they have also become a regular and obvious item of litter on our streets;

(b)      notes that, in relation to health considerations:-

(i)       there is concern about the impact vaping is having on children and young people; the marketing of vapes with designs and flavours that may appeal to children, in particular those with fruity and bubble gum flavours, and colourful child-friendly packaging, is inappropriate;

(ii)       it is worrying that more and more children – who have never smoked – are starting vaping;

(iii)      in the past few years, vaping among young people has risen; Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) data shows that 8.6% of 11- to 18-year-olds in England vaped in 2022, compared with 4% in 2021, and the Charity also reported that among those who tried vaping, 40.1% had never smoked before; and

(iv)      the Local Government Association has called on its members to step up enforcement to deal with growing numbers of shops selling vapes to children despite the 18-age limit, with many “especially concerned” by child-friendly marketing, including colourful packages; and

(c)      therefore asks the Leader of the Council to write to the Secretary of State asking for single use vapes to be banned and note that, with the EU proposing a ban in 2026 and France rolling out a ban in December 2023, there is a risk that, as markets close, disposable vapes will flood into the UK.

10.2

Whereupon, it was formally moved by Councillor Ruth Milsom, and formally seconded by Councillor Alison Norris, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amendedby:-

1.       the substitution, in sub-paragraph (a)(i), of the word “single-use” for the word “disposable”;

2.       the addition of a new sub-paragraph (a)(iii) as follows, and the re-lettering of original sub-paragraphs (a)(iii) and (iv) as new sub-paragraphs (a)(iv) and (v):-

(iii)      single use vapes are wasteful of critical elements needed in the clean energy transition, with lithium and other critical minerals from vapes discarded in the UK over one year equivalent to 6,200?EV batteries (according to “The Energy Mix” news site);

3.       the addition of a new sub-paragraph (b)(i) as follows:-

(i)       notes Labour's  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

11.1

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: On the motion formally moved by Councillor Sioned-Mair Richards and formally seconded by Councillor Joe Otten, that the minutes of the ordinary meeting of the Council held on 4th October 2023 be approved as a true and accurate record.

12.1

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: On the motion formally moved by Councillor Sioned-Mair Richards and formally seconded by Councillor Joe Otten, that:-

(a) approval be given to the following changes to the memberships of Committees, Boards, etc.:-

Strategy and Resources Policy Committee

-

Councillors Marieanne Elliot, Brian Holmshaw and Paul Turpin to fill vacancies as substitute members.

Economic Development and Skills Committee

-

Councillor Paul Turpin to fill a vacancy as substitute member.

Finance Committee

-

Councillor Angela Argenzio to fill a vacancy as substitute member.

Governance Committee

-

(1) Councillor Alison Norris to replace Councillor Minesh Parekh; (2) Councillor Minesh Parekh to replace Councillor Alison Norris as substitute member; and (3) Councillor Brian Holmshaw to fill a vacancy as substitute member.

Senior Officer Employment Committee

-

Councillor Angela Argenzio to fill a vacancy.

Corporate Joint Committee

-

Councillors Penny Baker, Dianne Hurst and Shaffaq Mohammed to be appointed as members.

Monitoring and Advisory Board

-

Councillor Angela Argenzio to fill a vacancy.

(b) representatives be appointed to serve on other bodies as follows:-

Sheffield Conservation Advisory Group

-

Councillor Henry Nottage to fill a vacancy.

Sheffield Lyceum Theatre Trust Ltd – Directors and Members

-

Councillor Sioned-Mair Richards to replace Councillor Paul Wood.

Sheffield Health and Social Care Foundation Trust – Council of Governors

-

Councillor Nighat Basharat to replace Councillor Garry Weatherall.

(c) it be noted that (i) the Senior Officer Employment Sub-Committee, at is meeting held on 10^th October 2023, appointed Jane English as Director of People and Culture, and that Ms. English is expected to start in post on 8th January 2024 and (ii) the salary package for the post, which is above £100,000, was approved by the Council at its meeting held on 1^st November 2023.