Agenda item

Notice of Motion Given by Councillor Neale Gibson

That this Council:-

 

(a)       notes that Handsworth Grange Community Sports College installed two food bank collection boxes in January after becoming concerned that some families in the local area did not have enough money to feed their children;

 

(b)       recalls that the food bank came about after a pupil came into school on a Monday morning saying that the last full meal she had eaten was her school dinner on Friday lunchtime;

 

(c)        praises the work of Handsworth Grange Community Sports College and supports the work of the Council in announcing support to local food bank schemes across the city;

 

(d)       notes with concern that the number of Food Banks in Sheffield has grown to 16 and in the last year three Food Banks alone have fed 1988 people and more working families are being referred to Food Banks which is a clear sign that more people are suffering a rise in the cost of living and that wages are not keeping up;

 

(e)       believes that this is a damning indictment of the record of the present Government’s and Deputy Prime Minister’s record in Sheffield and calls upon him to explain what action he as the Deputy PM is going to take to halt the growth of food banks in his City, especially now that one has opened in the middle of his Constituency;

 

(f)        calls upon the Deputy Prime Minister and the Government to publish the 2013 DEFRA report on Food Banks that cost £43,000 of public money and has never seen the light of day; and

 

(g)       confirms that publication of the report would allow Sheffield City Council to check if the information in the DEFRA report correlates with the evidence in the quick review report done by the Council and the view of Chris Mould, the Trussell Trust executive chairman that there is a link between low wages, changes in benefits, and use of food banks by families.

Minutes:

 

Food Banks

 

 

 

It was moved by Councillor Neale Gibson, seconded by Councillor Jayne Dunn, that this Council:-

 

 

 

(a)       notes that Handsworth Grange Community Sports College installed two food bank collection boxes in January after becoming concerned that some families in the local area did not have enough money to feed their children;

 

(b)       recalls that the food bank came about after a pupil came into school on a Monday morning saying that the last full meal she had eaten was her school dinner on Friday lunchtime;

 

(c)        praises the work of Handsworth Grange Community Sports College and supports the work of the Council in announcing support to local food bank schemes across the city;

 

(d)       notes with concern that the number of Food Banks in Sheffield has grown to 16 and in the last year three Food Banks alone have fed 1988 people and more working families are being referred to Food Banks which is a clear sign that more people are suffering a rise in the cost of living and that wages are not keeping up;

 

(e)       believes that this is a damning indictment of the record of the present Government’s and Deputy Prime Minister’s record in Sheffield and calls upon him to explain what action he as the Deputy PM is going to take to halt the growth of food banks in his City, especially now that one has opened in the middle of his Constituency;

 

(f)        calls upon the Deputy Prime Minister and the Government to publish the 2013 DEFRA report on Food Banks that cost £43,000 of public money and has never seen the light of day; and

 

(g)       confirms that publication of the report would allow Sheffield City Council to check if the information in the DEFRA report correlates with the evidence in the quick review report done by the Council and the view of Chris Mould, the Trussell Trust executive chairman that there is a link between low wages, changes in benefits, and use of food banks by families.

 

 

 

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Cliff Woodcraft, seconded by Councillor Shaffaq Mohammed, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

 

 

 

1.         the deletion of paragraphs (b) to (g); and

 

 

 

2.         the addition of new paragraphs (b) to (l) as follows:-

 

 

 

(b)       thanks all volunteers and donators to food banks and supports their work to help Sheffielders in need;

 

 

 

(c)        however, believes it is highly inappropriate to exploit individual cases to draw broad conclusions or score political points;

 

 

 

(d)       notes that under the last Government the number of food banks increased tenfold;

 

 

 

(e)       highlights the following quote from Channel 4’s Fact Check blog: “It’s clear that food banks started under Labour and began to grow rapidly before the global financial crisis”;

 

 

 

(f)        notes that the Coalition Government have allowed Jobcentre staff to refer people to food banks - a move that was blocked by the last Government;

 

 

 

(g)       recalls that Labour politicians have still not apologised for the economic downturn that they helped create and the impact of that downturn on local people’s living standards;

 

 

 

(h)       supports the measures taken by the Coalition Government to resuscitate economic growth and deliver a stronger economy;

 

 

 

(i)         believes Liberal Democrats in Government have been vital in supporting local people with the cost of living, by fighting to:-

 

 

 

(i)    give 24 million ordinary workers a £700 tax cut;

 

 

 

(ii)   increase the state pension by £650 thanks to our ‘triple lock’;

 

 

 

(iii)  freeze Council Tax, saving the average Sheffield household £185 this year;

 

 

 

(iv)  deliver an average saving of £50 on household energy bills; and

 

 

 

(v)   freeze fuel duty, saving motorists £170 per year;

 

 

 

(j)    contrasts this with the appalling record of the last Government, who:-

 

 

 

(i)    crashed the economy, which is why the cost of living is high now;

 

 

 

(ii)   scrapped the 10p tax, leaving half a million of the lowest paid workers worse off; and

 

 

 

(iii)  increased the state pension by an insulting 75p;

 

 

 

(k)        furthermore highlights the following decisions of the current Administration, which have failed to support local families:-

 

 

 

(i)        imposing a 23% cut in Council Tax Benefit, refusing an offer of £1.1 million from the Government to reduce the cut; and

 

 

 

(ii)       rejecting proposals from opposition councillors for a cross-party working group to support local residents affected by the ‘bedroom tax’; and

 

 

 

(l)         therefore calls upon the ruling group to drop their petty political point-scoring and work with the Government and local agencies to support local families.

 

 

 

On being put to the vote, the amendment was negatived. 

 

 

 

The votes on the Amendment were ordered to be recorded and were as follows:

 

 

 

 

For the Amendment (17)

-

Councillors Simon Clement-Jones, Shaffaq Mohammed, Rob Frost, Colin Ross, Penny Baker, Diana Stimely, Roger Davison, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff Woodcraft, Denise Reaney, Ian Auckland, Bob McCann, Anders Hanson, Katie Condliffe, David Baker and Trevor Bagshaw.

 

 

 

 

Against the Amendment (55)

-

Councillors Julie Dore, Jack Scott, Roy Munn, Clive Skelton, Ian Saunders, Chris Rosling-Josephs, Helen Mirfin-Boukouris, Bryan Lodge, Denise Fox, Karen McGowan, Jayne Dunn, Stuart Wattam, Jackie Drayton, Ibrar Hussain, Talib Hussain, Mohammed Maroof, Geoff Smith, Mary Lea, Harry Harpham, Mazher Iqbal, Joyce Wright, Steven Wilson, Garry Weatherall, Sheila Constance, Chris Weldon, Alan Law, Steve Jones, Tim Rippon, Cate McDonald, George Lindars-Hammond, Janet Bragg, Pat Midgley, Jenny Armstrong, Terry Fox, Anthony Downing, David Barker, Isobel Bowler, Nikki Bond, Qurban Hussain, Lynn Rooney, John Campbell, Martin Lawton, Sioned-Mair Richards, Peter Price, Tony Damms, Gill Furniss, Richard Crowther, Philip Wood, Neale Gibson, Ben Curran, Adam Hurst, Alf Meade, Jackie Satur, Mick Rooney and Ray Satur.

 

 

 

 

Abstained on the Amendment (3)

-

The Deputy Lord Mayor (Cllr Peter Rippon) and Councillors Robert Murphy and Jillian Creasy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a Right of Reply by Councillor Neale Gibson, the original Motion was then put to the vote and carried, as follows:-

 

 

 

RESOLVED:  That this Council:-

 

 

 

(a)       notes that Handsworth Grange Community Sports College installed two food bank collection boxes in January after becoming concerned that some families in the local area did not have enough money to feed their children;

 

(b)       recalls that the food bank came about after a pupil came into school on a Monday morning saying that the last full meal she had eaten was her school dinner on Friday lunchtime;

 

(c)        praises the work of Handsworth Grange Community Sports College and supports the work of the Council in announcing support to local food bank schemes across the city;

 

(d)       notes with concern that the number of Food Banks in Sheffield has grown to 16 and in the last year three Food Banks alone have fed 1988 people and more working families are being referred to Food Banks which is a clear sign that more people are suffering a rise in the cost of living and that wages are not keeping up;

 

(e)       believes that this is a damning indictment of the record of the present Government’s and Deputy Prime Minister’s record in Sheffield and calls upon him to explain what action he as the Deputy PM is going to take to halt the growth of food banks in his City, especially now that one has opened in the middle of his Constituency;

 

(f)        calls upon the Deputy Prime Minister and the Government to publish the 2013 DEFRA report on Food Banks that cost £43,000 of public money and has never seen the light of day; and

 

(g)       confirms that publication of the report would allow Sheffield City Council to check if the information in the DEFRA report correlates with the evidence in the quick review report done by the Council and the view of Chris Mould, the Trussell Trust executive chairman that there is a link between low wages, changes in benefits, and use of food banks by families.

 

 

 

 

The votes on the Motion were ordered to be recorded and were as follows:

 

 

 

 

For Paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) (75)

-

Councillors Julie Dore, Jack Scott, Roy Munn, Simon Clement-Jones, Clive Skelton, Ian Saunders, Chris Rosling-Josephs, Helen Mirfin-Boukouris, Bryan Lodge, Denise Fox, Karen McGowan, Jayne Dunn, Stuart Wattam, Shaffaq Mohammed, Jackie Drayton, Ibrar Hussain, Talib Hussain, Robert Murphy, Jillian Creasy, Mohammed Maroof, Rob Frost, Geoff Smith, Mary Lea, Harry Harpham, Mazher Iqbal, Colin Ross, Joyce Wright, Steven Wilson, Garry Weatherall, Penny Baker, Diana Stimely, Roger Davison, Sheila Constance, Chris Weldon, Alan Law, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff Woodcraft, Steve Jones, Tim Rippon, Cate McDonald, Denise Reaney, Ian Auckland, Bob McCann, George Lindars-Hammond, Janet Bragg, Pat Midgley, Jenny Armstrong, Terry Fox, Anthony Downing, David Barker, Isobel Bowler, Nikki Bond, Qurban Hussain, Anders Hanson, Lynn Rooney, John Campbell, Martin Lawton, Sioned-Mair Richards, Peter Price, Tony Damms, Gill Furniss, Katie Condliffe, David Baker, Richard Crowther, Philip Wood, Neale Gibson, Ben Curran, Adam Hurst, Alf Meade, Trevor Bagshaw, Jackie Satur, Mick Rooney and Ray Satur.

 

 

 

 

Against Paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) (0)

-

Nil

 

 

 

 

Abstained on Paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) (1)

-

The Deputy Lord Mayor (Cllr Peter Rippon).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For Paragraphs (d), (e), (f) and (g) (57)

 

Councillors Julie Dore, Jack Scott, Roy Munn, Clive Skelton, Ian Saunders, Chris Rosling-Josephs, Helen Mirfin-Boukouris, Bryan Lodge, Denise Fox, Karen McGowan, Jayne Dunn, Stuart Wattam, Jackie Drayton, Ibrar Hussain, Talib Hussain, Mohammed Maroof, Robert Murphy, Jillian Creasy, Geoff Smith, Mary Lea, Harry Harpham, Mazher Iqbal, Joyce Wright, Steven Wilson, Garry Weatherall, Sheila Constance, Chris Weldon, Alan Law, Steve Jones, Tim Rippon, Cate McDonald, George Lindars-Hammond, Janet Bragg, Pat Midgley, Jenny Armstrong, Terry Fox, Anthony Downing, David Barker, Isobel Bowler, Nikki Bond, Qurban Hussain, Lynn Rooney, John Campbell, Martin Lawton, Sioned-Mair Richards, Peter Price, Tony Damms, Gill Furniss, Richard Crowther, Philip Wood, Neale Gibson, Ben Curran, Adam Hurst, Alf Meade, Jackie Satur, Mick Rooney and Ray Satur.

 

 

 

 

 

Against Paragraphs (d), (e), (f) and (g) (17)

 

Councillors Simon Clement-Jones, Shaffaq Mohammed, Rob Frost, Colin Ross, Penny Baker, Diana Stimely, Roger Davison, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff Woodcraft, Denise Reaney, Ian Auckland, Bob McCann, Anders Hanson, Katie Condliffe, David Baker and Trevor Bagshaw.

 

 

 

 

 

Abstained Paragraphs (d), (e), (f) and (g) (1)

 

The Deputy Lord Mayor (Cllr Peter Rippon).