The Speaker of the Council, Councillor Ayas Miah in the Chair

The Speaker of the Council brought the Council up to date with some of his activities since the previous Council meeting.

He advised that he was very pleased to have hosted and attended a variety of events. This included:

•           Awards Ceremonies celebrating the achievements of community champions, sporting groups, including the London Cricket League and the Sporting Foundation as well as the 31st Squadron Tower Hamlets Air Cadets. 

•           The Tower Hamlets in Bloom Awards evening.

•           An event marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in Mile End Park. 

•           Welcoming HRH the Duchess of Cornwall and HRH Princess Alexandra to learn more about local community services and to meet volunteers.

•           Had the honour of joining the High Commissioner of Bangladesh to celebrate the Victory Day of Bangladesh.

•           A ceremony in Trafalgar Square with fellow Civic Heads to switch on the Christmas Tree lights.

•           The Tower Hamlets Staff Carol Service.

•           The Annual Speaker’s Charity Ball in Canary Wharf. He thanked everyone involved in organising this event.

Turning to the Tower Hamlets Civic Awards, the Speaker encouraged nominations for awards. The ceremony would be held in May 2019.

With great sadness, the Speaker paid tribute to Syed Ashraful Islam who had sadly passed away. Syed was a prominent local activist in Tower Hamlets and a minister in Bangladesh. He also offered his condolences to Councillor Zenith Rahman following the sad death of her father Abdul Bashor Ansari. The Council’s thoughts were with their family and friends.

The Council rose to observe a minute’s silence.

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of:

•              Councillor Faroque Ahmed

•              Councillor Kahar Chowdhury

•              Councillor Rabina Khan

•              Councillor James King

•              Councillor Puru Miah

To note any declarations of interest made by Members, including those restricting Members from voting on the questions detailed in Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act, 1992.  See attached note from the Monitoring Officer.

The Speaker of the Council reported that he had received a tabled list (as set out at the end of this item) of Non Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (Other Interests) in relation to Agenda Item 12.1 regarding the TUC Great Jobs Agenda.

Councillor Denise Jones declared an interest that must be registered (Other Interests) in agenda item 9.4, a Member question regarding funding for a new health app. This was on the basis that she was a Member of the East London NHS Foundation Trust.

The Monitoring Officer advised that on 17th January 2019, the Standards (Advisory) Committee agreed a general dispensation to all Councillors in respect of matters relating to the Council Tax, including the Council Tax

Reduction Scheme. As a result, Members did not have to declare a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in Agenda Item 10.1 Report from the Executive: Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme 2019-2020.

List of ‘other interest that must be registered’ - Agenda item 12.1 TUC Great Jobs Agenda

To confirm as a correct record of the proceedings the unrestricted minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of the Council held on 21^st November 2018

RESOLVED:

1.         That the unrestricted minutes of the ordinary Council Meeting held on 21^st  November 2018 be confirmed as a correct record and the Speaker be authorised to sign them accordingly.

The Chief Executive updated the Council on a number of recent developments. He was pleased to announce that the Council had been awarded Silver Status for the Investors in People Award. Nominations for the Staff Awards were now open and were welcomed from Members. There was a further Ofsted visit of Children’s Social Care and the feedback was positive.

Turning to staffing matters, he reported on progress with the recruitment of a Corporate Director of Resources and a Corporate Director of Place. He also outlined his plans to consult on a new staff awards scheme and consult Members about the forthcoming by – election arrangements.

The Council Procedure Rules provide for a maximum of four petitions to be discussed at an Ordinary Meeting of the Council.

The attached report presents the received petition to be discussed. Should any further petitions have been received they would have been listed to be noted but not discussed. No further petitions were received.

5.1 Petition for CCTV – York Square Chasley/Flamborough/Barnes Streets

Petition not presented due to the absence of the petitioner.

RESOLVED:

1.     That the petition be referred to the Corporate Director Health, Adults and Community, for a written response within 28 days.

The Council’s Constitution provides for the Elected Mayor to give a report at each Ordinary Council Meeting.

A maximum of six minutes is allowed for the Elected Mayor’s report, following which the Speaker of the Council will invite the leader of the opposition group to respond for up to two minutes should he so wish.

The Mayor presented his report to the Council.  Councillor Andrew Wood, Leader of the Conservative Group, then responded briefly to the Mayor’s report.

To debate a Motion submitted by the Administration in accordance with Rules 11 and 13 of the Council’s Constitution. The debate will last for a maximum of 30 minutes.

7 – Administration Motion regarding Violence Against Women and Girls Services

Councillor Eve McQuillan moved and Councillor Asma Begum seconded the motion as printed in the agenda.

Following debate, the motion was then put to a vote and was agreed.

RESOLVED:

This Council notes:

Addressing violence against women and girls is a priority for London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Approximately 70% of all known victims of interpersonal violence in Tower Hamlets are female and 1 in 3 women and girls will experience gender based violence in their lifetime with similar levels of domestic abuse in LGBT relationships and in heterosexual relationships, regardless of gender. In the UK, two women are murdered each week by a current or former partner, and 1 in 5 will be raped in her lifetime.

Since 2010, VAWG services have been decimated. Nationally, the majority of women who seek a refuge space are turned away because there is not enough space. Since 2015, this administration has chosen not to cut funding for VAWG services. The council launched its VAWG charter in November, as part of our manifesto commitments to tackle violence against women and girls.

Tower Hamlets has a multi-agency strategy in place to address violence against women and girls. As a council

• We have maintained all of our specialist refuge provision for women and girls fleeing abuse
• We have piloted and commissioned innovative new programmes, such as Female Genital Mutilation Community Engagement Programme and a Multiple Disadvantages VAWG Project
• We have maintained provision of life saving Independent Domestic Violence Advocates and Serious and Violent Crime Caseworkers.
• We have maintained our resources for our Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference, Specialist Domestic Violence Courts, Domestic Abuse One Stop Shop, Sanctuary Scheme and Positive Change Services, including work with children living with domestic abuse
• We have developed the VAWG Champions Programmes and preventative VAWG programmes within schools and with young people across the borough.
• We run campaigns such as 16 Days of Activism, reaching around 1,000 residents each year, Ask for Angela in the night time economy and our Domestic Abuse No Excuse campaign.

Refuges are currently partly funded by housing benefit. This excludes those who are ineligible for housing benefit because they have no recourse to public funds. It also excludes those who are ineligible because they are working; leading to the perverse situation where people needing to access refuge spaces may have to leave their jobs, making themselves more vulnerable, in order to access help, or have to pay extremely high costs themselves. The government has tried ring-fence funding for ‘supported housing services’. This funding structure is unsuitable for refuge provision because it incentivises councils to provide generic supportive housing services for older people, people with drug and alcohol dependencies, street homeless people and domestic violence survivors, rather than specialised services.

Refuge spaces are allocated on a multi-local authority basis, meaning that people likely won’t be placed in the local authority in which they live. This means that when other councils cut funding for refuge services, women  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

To debate a Motion submitted by the Opposition Group in accordance with Rules 11 and 13 of the Council’s Constitution. The debate will last for a maximum of 30 minutes.

8 – Opposition Motion by the Conservative Group regarding Democracy and Civic Participation Commission

Councillor Andrew Wood moved and Councillor Peter Golds seconded the motion as printed in the agenda.

Following debate, the motion was put to the vote and was defeated.

The questions which have been received from Councillors to be put at this Council meeting are set out in the attached report.  A maximum period of 30 minutes is allocated to this agenda item.

The following questions and in each case supplementary questions were put (except where indicated) and were responded to by the Mayor, relevant Executive Member, or Committee Chair.

9.1 Question from Councillor John Pierce

How has the Overview and Scrutiny Committee scrutinised the Council's proposed 2019-20 Budget and the MTFS 2019-22?

Response of Councillor Abdal Ullah, Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee:

The Committee with the help and support of a cross party, and more importantly residents and school governors have had an extensive meeting. I am grateful for the support of the Cabinet Members, particularly the Lead Member for Finance, Councillor Ronald for her time. We have spent one meeting looking at the overall budget. We are having a second meeting on the 28^th January to look at substantial changes if there are under the budget process. Can I also thank Neville Murton, the Acting Corporate Director of Resources and Zena Cooke the former Corporate Director of Resources. The Committee has scrutinised the following key areas: environment, community language, children’s services and adults social care. We hope to have a second meeting on the 28^th and to do more discussion about that.

Supplementary question from Councillor Pierce:

What is the Committee doing to scrutinise the Police’s decision to merge with Hackney. We all know that there has been a reduction in police numbers. What is the Committee doing to hold the Borough Commander to account for this?

Councillor Ullah’s response to the supplementary question:

The Communications department of the Council should be sending out a tweet as we speak, informing residents and Councillors of the next Community safety meeting, where the Lead Member, Councillor Asma Begum will be present with the Borough Commander who is now the Joint Borough Commander of  Hackney and Tower Hamlets. I am assured by her that she spends more time in Tower Hamlets. Next Monday evening is the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and as part of the trilogy, which has been looking at the Council’s work around  empowering, education and community safety, we had an event at George Green looking at empowerment and education and more particularly looking at  white working class boys on the Isle of Dogs and their disadvantage and how we can get them to come out and reep the benefit of all that is great in our door step in Canary Wharf. We need to find work opportunities for young boys at the Council, so next Monday you are welcomed to the O&S Committee at the Town Hall.

9.2 Question from Councillor Peter Golds:

Why did the Mayor say in 2017 the “Illegally demolished historic cottages (on Eastferry road) must be rebuilt brick by brick” when in 2005 the “Council were happy at that time to see them demolished” according to the Planning Inspectorate?

Response of Mayor John Biggs:

The question refers to something I said in 2017. I stand by these words that the Illegally demolished buildings should be rebuilt brick by brick. The villains  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

To consider the report on proposed changes to the Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme, forwarded for consideration of Council by the Mayor in Cabinet on Wednesday 9 January 2019.

The Council considered a report on proposed changes to the Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme, forwarded for consideration of Council by the Mayor in Cabinet on Wednesday 9 January 2019.

RESOLVED:

That the Council agree:

1.    To limit the maximum disabled non dependant deduction to £4 per week.

2.    To adjust the minimum level of income for self-employed under 25’s to reflect age rules.

3.    To enhance the support available to increase earnings and income for self-employed claimants.

4.    To increase backdating provision for the scheme from 4 weeks to 52 weeks.

5.    To note the equalities impact assessment arising from the recommended changes to the scheme as set out in section 4 of this report.

A report to allow an appointment to the vacant Chair of the Pensions Committee.

The Council considered the report regarding the appointment of a Chair of the Pensions Committee.

Following the receipt of two nominations for the position, the nominations were put to the vote and Councillor Mufeedah Bustin was elected to the position of Chair of the Pensions Committee.

RESOLVED:

1.         That Councillor Mufeedah Bustin be appointed Chair of the Pensions Committee for the remainder of the 2018/19 municipal  year.

12.1 Motion regarding the TUC Great Jobs Agenda

Mayor John Biggs moved and CouncillorMotin Uz – Zaman seconded the motion as printed in the agenda.

Following debate, the motion was then put to a vote and was agreed.

RESOLVED:

This Council believes that everyone at work deserves a great job, where workers in our borough are paid and treated fairly and with respect; work in a safe and healthy workplace; have regular hours; have the chance to be represented by unions and be consulted on what matters at work; and get the chance to learn and progress at work and get on in life.

This Council resolves to:

1. Support the TUC’s Great Jobs Agenda, which sets out the actions employers and the government must take for every job to be a great job.

2. Ensure as an employer we continue providing great jobs for our own employees.

3. Continue to value meaningful workforce engagement and representation through our recognised trade unions.

4. Continue our work with employers in the borough to influence their employment practices, and to ensure that business growth is sustainable and ethical.

5. Make increasing job quality a key part of the conversation when pursuing local economic development opportunities in the city.

6. Use our commissioning and procurement processes where possible to raise employment standards amongst those suppliers and providers we work with.

7. Where appropriate, engage with government and other bodies who hold regulatory powers, to tackle issues which local authorities do not have statutory powers to address directly.

8. Write to our MPs informing them of our position and encouraging them to support the Great Jobs Agenda too.