To approve and sign, as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting of the City Council held on 21 November 2016.

Agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 23 November 2016.

Councillors will be asked to make declarations of interest in respect of items on this agenda. A flowchart providing guidance on interests is attached to assist councillors.

The following declarations of interest were made by councillors in accordance with the code of conduct in respect of items under consideration at the meeting -

(a)        To receive announcements from the Lord Mayor, Chief Executive, Assistant Director for Finance or Head of Legal Services;

(b)        To receive announcements from the Leader, Cabinet Members or Committee Chairs.

There were no questions from members of the public.

Cabinet Member: Councillor Darcy (Cabinet Member for Finance).

The City Council will be asked to approve the Council Tax Base setting for 2017/18.

The minute of Cabinet held on 17 January 2017 will be submitted together with the report considered at Cabinet.

Councillor Darcy (Cabinet Member for Finance) proposed and Councillor Deacon seconded the Council Tax Base Setting 2017/18 (Cabinet minute 51 refers).

Agreed the Council Tax Base Setting.

Cabinet Member: Councillor Downie (Cabinet Member for Safer and Stronger Communities).

The City Council will be asked to approve the Council Tax Support Scheme for 2017/18.

The minute of Cabinet held on 17 January 2017 will be submitted together with the report considered at Cabinet.

Councillor Downie (Cabinet Member for Safer and Stronger Communities) proposed and Councillor James seconded the Council Tax Support Scheme 2017/18 (Cabinet minute 52 refers).

Agreed the Council Tax Support Scheme 2017/18.

Cabinet Member: Councillor Nicholson (Cabinet Member for Strategic Housing, Transport and Planning).

The City Council will be asked to approve the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee’s 2017/18 Revenue Estimates and Capital Programme.

The minute of Cabinet held on 17 January 2017 will be submitted together with the report considered at Cabinet.

Councillor Nicholson (Cabinet Member for Strategic Transport and Planning) proposed and Councillor Martin Leaves (Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee Chair) seconded the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee Capital and Revenue Budget (Cabinet minute 53 refers).

Agreedthe Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee’s 2017/18 Revenue Estimates and Capital Programme.

Members will be asked to approve recommendations of the Constitutional Review Group.

Councillor Riley (Cabinet Member for HR, Democracy, Governance and Licensing) proposed and Councillor Bowyer (Leader) seconded the report of the Constitutional Review Group on Changes to Governance Arrangements of the Council.

Agreed the recommendations contained within the report.

Tracey Lee (Chief Executive) will submit a report seeking approval of the Pay Policy Statement 2017/18.

Councillor Riley (Cabinet Member for HR, Democracy, Governance and Licensing)proposed and Councillor Nicholson (Deputy Leader) seconded the report of the Chief Executive on the Pay Policy Statement 2017/2018.

Agreed the Pay Policy Statement 2017/18.

Decision to Opt in to the National Scheme for Auditor Appointments with Public Sector Audit Appointments as the “appointing person”.

Councillor Darcy (Cabinet Member for Finance) proposed and Councillor Sam Leaves (Chair of the Audit Committee) seconded the report of the Chief Finance Officer on the National Scheme for Auditor Appointments.

Agreed the recommendations contained within the report.

Councillor P Davey proposed the motion and Councillor Penberthy seconded the motion on Protecting the Public.  Following a vote, the motion was carried and Council agreed that -

·         Council notes the concerns expressed by Dame Glenys Stacey, the head of Her Majesty’s Inspector of Prisons, regarding Community Rehabilitation Companies and the National Probation Service;

·         Council is extremely concerned by the findings of two investigations into the brutal murder of Tanis Bhandari and the lack of sharing of licence conditions with the Police;

·         Council is deeply concerned by the lack of action by the Ministry of Justice and other agencies to rectify a national issue regarding licences which is likely to lead to further offences being committed, which could be prevented;

·         Council has a responsibility to ensure the safety of the public in Plymouth and to ensure action is taken to reduce risk wherever possible.

The City Council therefore agrees to –

1.    make representations to the Ministry of Justice regarding our concerns;

2.    ask local MPs and the Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall to similarly lobby the Ministry of Justice in respect of our concerns;

3.    ask the Cabinet Member for Safer and Stronger Communities to take our concerns to Safer Plymouth, to work with community safety partners to ensure their working practices are reviewed in light of the findings.

(Councillor Nicholson abstained from voting on this item)

Councillor J Taylor proposed and Councillor Morris seconded a motion on the libraries service.

The Leader proposed and Councillor Jordan seconded amendments to the motion.

Following a vote, the amended motion was carried, and it was agreed that -

·         Plymouth City Council reconfirms its commitment to the letter and the spirit of the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964, that each authority must run a “comprehensive and efficient” public library service for all persons”.  This is “comprehensive and efficient” for the user and not for the Council.

·         Plymouth’s libraries are vital for children who want to learn to read, adults who can't afford to buy books, people who use the computers and printers to find a job, do research, family history and to access online services. They provide book groups, children's events, and a host of other activities, organised both by the libraries and other groups. They are staffed by helpful professionals, and are valuable free, public spaces in a world that charges for everything.

Plymouth City Council notes that:

1.    the Place and Corporate Scrutiny Committee isto establish a Select Committee Review to report and make recommendations to Cabinet by Wednesday 19^th July 2017, based on the information used to create the Plan for Libraries 2017-20, any other information that the Review gathers, and the results of the current consultation;

2.    any final decision on whether to close or re-provide any library service resulting from the Plan for Libraries consultation is to be referred to Council for consideration as to whether to endorse it.

Councillor Downie proposed an amended motion on the Holocaust Memorial Day, 27 January 2017 and Councillor P Davey seconded the amended motion. Following a vote, the motion was carried and council agreed that –

Council recognises that the aftermath of the Holocaust and of subsequent genocides continues to raise challenging questions for individuals, communities and nations. Council reaffirms its belief that we must make sure that everyone especially future generations understand the causes of the Holocaust and reflects upon its consequences and lessons for today.

Council notes that:-

·      Holocaust Memorial Day was established in the UK in 2001. It remembers and honours all the victims and survivors of the Holocaust under Nazi persecution and in the subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Kosovo, in regions like Darfur and Nineveh and in the cities of Aleppo, Srebrenica and Halabja;

·      six million Jewish men, women and children perished in ghettos, mass-shootings, and concentration and extermination camps before any survivors were liberated by allied troops in 1945. Nearly half a million Gypsies and Travellers were also registered, sterilised and then deported to concentration camps by the Nazis in an event they call the Porajmos (the ‘devouring’);

·      similar fates befell gay men, lesbians and disabled people;

·      Jews first made their home in our City over 250 years ago. Today Brock House, which provides sheltered accommodation, and our historically significant Ashkenazi synagogue, stand as a lasting testament to the outstanding contribution Plymouth Hebrew Community have made to the political, social, cultural and economic life of our City;

·      over a thousand events will be taking place around the UK on Holocaust Memorial Day. In our City an informal event was held on the day at Mount Edgcumbe attended by the Lord Mayor;

·      Council recognises the significance of Holocaust Memorial Day as an opportunity for us all to remember the victims of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides. It also gives us the chance to pay tribute to those who survived and to ensure we remain aware of what can happen if prejudice, discrimination and hatred go unchallenged.

This Council agreed to -

1.    ensure the future commemoration of Holocaust Memorial Day by making it an official event in the Civic Calendar;

2.    work with the Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) to ensure that schools are supported and encouraged to educate our young people from every background about the Holocaust and the important lessons to be learned for today;

3.    work with partners to promote Plymouth as a welcoming and inclusive city which takes a stand against anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia and hate crimes.

Councillor Tuffin proposed and Councillor McDonald seconded a motion on the funding of Health and Adult Social Care Services.

Councillor Mrs Bowyer proposed an amendment to the motion and Councillor Darcy seconded the amendment.

Following a vote, the amended motion was carried, and it was agreed –

·         Plymouth City Council notes the ongoing national debate about NHS funding, funding for Council provision of Adult Social Care and the impact that this crisis has on the people of Plymouth.

·         The Care Quality Commission inspection into A&E services at Derriford Hospital in November 2016 found that, due to a lack of finances within the hospital, the business plan to expand and redesign the emergency department had been put on hold, and that there was "a consistent failure to meet the four hour performance  standard", and that frequent crowding was becoming "normalised". It also reported that patients' needs were not always being met, particularly in respect of mental health patients and those patients being held in the central 'corridor' area;

·         we note the closure of GP surgeries in parts of Plymouth;

·         we also note that increases in Council Tax and the Social Care precept raise proportionately less money in Plymouth than elsewhere, as we have a large percentage of our housing in lower Council Tax bands. This means that there is an increasing burden on people in Plymouth because of an unfair shift from national to local taxation to fund Adult Social Care.

The Council therefore -

1.    Instructs the Chief Executive to –

a.     write to our three MPs, asking them to address the unfair funding that Plymouth City Council receives and raises for Adult Social Care;

b.    in conjunction with all three Group Leaders, writes to the Prime Minister to convey this Councils serious concern over the current model for funding social care. In doing so, the letter should convey the view of this Council that only an urgent and fundamental review will deliver a long term sustainable solution which allows this Council to meet the forecast level of demand for care delivery services

2.    Instructs the Council Scrutiny Review Committees to investigate the impact of our Adult Social Care provision and funding, and cuts to GP services in Plymouth, on increased usage levels and waiting times at Derriford Hospital Accident and Emergency Department.

Questions to the Leader, Cabinet Members and Committee Chairs covering aspects for their areas of responsibility or concern by councillors in accordance with Part B, paragraph 12 of the constitution.

Please note that questions, answers, supplementary questions and supplementary answers have been summarised.