Agenda item
TO CONSIDER MOTIONS SUBMITTED BY MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL
The motions that have been submitted by Councillors for debate at this meeting are set out in agenda item 11 attached.
Decision:
11.1 Motion proposed by Councillor Tim Archer regarding the Henry Moore sculpture
Councillor Denise Jones moved, and Councillor Anwar Khan seconded, a tabled amendment to the motion. This was agreed and the substantive motion as amended was then agreed as follows:
DECISION
This Council notes that:
- The original Henry Moore sculpture entitled Draped Seated Woman that was gifted to the borough on the demise of the GLC is currently housed in the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in Wakefield, a 400 mile round trip form Tower Hamlets. Due to development of the site where it was situated in the borough it was loaned to the Sculpture Park who restored it from graffiti, paint and scratches and insured it at their cost. It has remained on display in the Yorkshire since that time.
This Council believes that:
- Local residents should be able to enjoy and benefit from our cultural heritage and the sculpture should not be sold.
This Council resolves:
- To ask officers to:
- explore options and the costs for safely relocating the Henry Moore sculpture back in Tower Hamlets, including consulting with Canary Wharf Group about the possibility of temporarily relocating the sculpture to the Canary Wharf estate on loan where it could be put on public display, and finding possible sites in other parts of the borough including Victoria Park or Mile End Park where it could be relocated at a later date.
- To ensure that the Council does not bear any of the immediate or long term costs involved with a potential relocation, including moving the sculpture, maintenance, insurance and security and that all other potential funding options are explored.
- ask English Heritage to list the sculpture.
(Action by: Stephen Halsey, Corporate Director, Communities, Localities and Culture)
11.2 Motion proposed by Councillor Zara Davis regarding publication of Council expenditure
Councillor David Edgar moved, and Councillor Helal Abbas seconded, an amendment to the motion to add additional text under “Council notes” and replace the first bullet point under “Council resolves”. This was agreed and the substantive motion as amended was then agreed as follows:
DECISION
This Council notes:
· The Government will soon require all councils to publish expenditure above £500;
· Many councils across London including Islington, Wandsworth, Hammersmith & Fulham and Richmond Councils are already publishing all payments over £500.
· The Government set out its intention in the summer to issue a draft Code of Practice on payments over £500 in September for consultation followed by a final Code of Practice in November so that councils are able to publish this information in January 2011.
· Draft Local Spending Data Guidance on publishing this data was issued on 10 September and this guidance is expected to be revised in six month’s time. Councils are expected to publish data to the minimum standards within six months of the publication of the guidance.
This Council believes:
· That residents have a right to know how the Council is spending taxpayers’ money and to be able to access this information quickly and easily;
· That in this time of financial restraint, residents can play a key role as armchair auditors helping the Council to find savings;
· That publishing our expenditure as soon as possible will ensure maximum openness, enable savings to be found now and improve our accountability to residents in Tower Hamlets.
This Council resolves:
· To publish details of all Council expenditure above £500 on the Tower Hamlets website from January 2011
· To update this data on the website every month.
(Action by: Chris Naylor, Corporate Director, Resources)
Minutes:
11.1 Motion proposed by Councillor Tim Archer regarding the Henry Moore sculpture
The motion as printed in the agenda was MOVED by Councillor Tim Archer and SECONDED by Councillor Peter Golds.
Councillor Archer tabled a letter from the Canary Wharf Group confirming that the Group would be prepared in principle to provide a site for the statue and pay the cost of its relocation, which would therefore be facilitated at no cost to the authority.
Councillor Denise Jones MOVED and Councillor Anwar Khan SECONDED a tabled AMENDMENT to the motion as follows:
“Delete all and replace with
This Council notes that:
- The original Henry Moore sculpture entitled Draped Seated Woman that was gifted to the borough on the demise of the GLC is currently housed in the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in Wakefield, a 400 mile round trip form Tower Hamlets. Due to development of the site where it was situated in the borough it was loaned to the Sculpture Park who restored it from graffiti, paint and scratches and insured it at their cost. It has remained on display in the Yorkshire since that time.
This Council believes that:
- Local residents should be able to enjoy and benefit from our cultural heritage and the sculpture should not be sold.
This Council resolves:
- To ask officers to:
- explore options and the costs for safely relocating the Henry Moore sculpture back in Tower Hamlets, including consulting with Canary Wharf Group about the possibility of temporarily relocating the sculpture to the Canary Wharf estate on loan where it could be put on public display, and finding possible sites in other parts of the borough including Victoria Park or Mile End Park where it could be relocated at a later date.
- To ensure that the Council does not bear any of the immediate or long term costs involved with a potential relocation, including moving the sculpture, maintenance, insurance and security and that all other potential funding options are explored.
- ask English Heritage to list the sculpture.”
At this point, Councillor Lutfur Rahman MOVED and Councillor Ohid Ahmed SECONDED – “That under paragraph 15.11.4 the question be now put.”
The procedural motion was put to the vote and was agreed.
The amendment moved by Councillor Denise Jones was put to the vote and was agreed, with no Member voting against.
The substantive motion as amended was then put to the vote and was agreed with no Member voting against. Accordingly it was:-
RESOLVED
This Council notes that:
- The original Henry Moore sculpture entitled Draped Seated Woman that was gifted to the borough on the demise of the GLC is currently housed in the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in Wakefield, a 400 mile round trip form Tower Hamlets. Due to development of the site where it was situated in the borough it was loaned to the Sculpture Park who restored it from graffiti, paint and scratches and insured it at their cost. It has remained on display in the Yorkshire since that time.
This Council believes that:
- Local residents should be able to enjoy and benefit from our cultural heritage and the sculpture should not be sold.
This Council resolves:
- To ask officers to:
- explore options and the costs for safely relocating the Henry Moore sculpture back in Tower Hamlets, including consulting with Canary Wharf Group about the possibility of temporarily relocating the sculpture to the Canary Wharf estate on loan where it could be put on public display, and finding possible sites in other parts of the borough including Victoria Park or Mile End Park where it could be relocated at a later date.
- To ensure that the Council does not bear any of the immediate or long term costs involved with a potential relocation, including moving the sculpture, maintenance, insurance and security and that all other potential funding options are explored.
- ask English Heritage to list the sculpture.
11.2 Motion proposed by Councillor Zara Davis regarding publication of Council expenditure
The motion as printed in the agenda was MOVED by Councillor Zara Davis and SECONDED by Councillor David Snowdon.
Councillor David Edgar MOVED, and Councillor Helal Abbas SECONDED, a tabled AMENDMENT to the motion as follows:
“Add the following points to the “Council notes” section:
· The Government set out its intention in the summer to issue a draft Code of Practice on payments over £500 in September for consultation followed by a final Code of Practice in November so that councils are able to publish this information in January 2011.
· Draft Local Spending Data Guidance on publishing this data was issued on 10 September and this guidance is expected to be revised in six month’s time. Councils are expected to publish data to the minimum standards within six months of the publication of the guidance.
Replace the first bullet point of the “Council resolves” section with:
· To publish details of all Council expenditure above £500 on the Tower Hamlets website from January 2011.”
At this point, Councillor Alibor Choudhury MOVED and Councillor Lutfur Rahman SECONDED – “That under paragraph 15.11.4 the question be now put.”
The procedural motion was put to the vote and was agreed.
The amendment moved by Councillor David Edgar was put to the vote and was agreed.
The substantive motion as amended was then put to the vote and was agreed with no Member voting against. Accordingly it was:-
RESOLVED
This Council notes:
· The Government will soon require all councils to publish expenditure above £500;
· Many councils across London including Islington, Wandsworth, Hammersmith & Fulham and Richmond Councils are already publishing all payments over £500.
· The Government set out its intention in the summer to issue a draft Code of Practice on payments over £500 in September for consultation followed by a final Code of Practice in November so that councils are able to publish this information in January 2011.
· Draft Local Spending Data Guidance on publishing this data was issued on 10 September and this guidance is expected to be revised in six month’s time. Councils are expected to publish data to the minimum standards within six months of the publication of the guidance.
This Council believes:
· That residents have a right to know how the Council is spending taxpayers’ money and to be able to access this information quickly and easily;
· That in this time of financial restraint, residents can play a key role as armchair auditors helping the Council to find savings;
· That publishing our expenditure as soon as possible will ensure maximum openness, enable savings to be found now and improve our accountability to residents in Tower Hamlets.
This Council resolves:
· To publish details of all Council expenditure above £500 on the Tower Hamlets website from January 2011
· To update this data on the website every month.
Supporting documents: