Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Executive Councillor (Health & Wellbeing)

The Director of Public Health presented the Public Health Report to the Executive on 11th February 2014 that included a series of recommendations. The attached report presents a response to each of the recommendations outlining those areas which the Executive endorses, including details how work will be taken forward in order to expedite the recommendations.

Stockport Homes have also responded in full to the recommendations of the Annual Public Health report, as detailed in the attached table (Appendix 1).

The Executive is invited to

·                endorse the response to the recommendations contained in the 21^st Annual Report of the Director of Public Health, as attached to this report;

·                welcome the response of Stockport Homes to the recommendations

Officer contact: Gaynor Alexander, 0161 474 3186, Gaynor.alexander@stockport.gov.uk

The Executive Councillor (Health & Wellbeing) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Executive Meeting to consider a response to the recommendations made by the Director of Public Health in his 21^st Annual Report that was submitted to the last meeting. A  copy of the response of Stockport Homes was also included in the report.

RESOLVED – That the response to the 21^st Annual Report of the Director of Public Health as set out in the report be approved.

To consider a report of the Deputy Chief Executive.

The Director of Public Health presented the Public Health Report to the Executive on 11th February 2014. The report included a series of recommendations to the Executive. The attached report presents a response to each of the recommendations outlining those areas which the Executive endorses. Each of the responses includes a section that details how work will be taken forward in order to expedite the recommendations.

The Scrutiny Committee is asked to receive the report and provide any additional comments.

Officer contact: Gaynor Alexander, 0161 474 3184, Gaynor.alxander@stockport.gov.uk

The Democratic Services Manager submitted a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (copies of which have been circulated) setting out the draft Executive response to the recommendations of the Director of Public Health contained in his 21^st Annual Report. The document also included a response from Stockport Homes to those recommendations which had a bearing on its activities. The report would be submitted to the Executive Meeting on 18 March 2014 for adoption.

Councillors discussed the report and the following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         Effectiveness of signage, particularly in public places, advising people not to smoke. Members discussed whether such signs would deter smoking around play areas or whether they would be ignored and become a target for vandalism. Members pointed to the example of signs outside schools in Merseyside that had succeeded in deterring smoking at the school gates. Engaging young people in the campaign would give it more impetus and ownership and discourage vandalism of signs etc. Using child-designed signs/ community art could be effective at modifying a range of behaviours, including parking outside schools.

·         Councillors discussed the role for the Council in lobbying for legislative change in connection with Minimum Unit Pricing for alcohol and plain packaging for tobacco products. It was emphasised that the Council should use all the means it had to lobby for change and curb the worst excesses.

·         Councillors emphasised the importance of Sex and Relationship Education (SRE), and the need for schools to share best practice and to avoid an overly narrow focus on biology at the expense of relationships, as had been recommended in a previous Scrutiny Review of the matter. The role of SRE in developing resilience in young people to protect against sexual exploitation was emphasised.

RESOLVED – (1) That the Executive be recommended to adopt the response, as detailed in the report, to the recommendations of 21^st Annual Report of the Director of Public Health.

(2) That Stockport Homes be commended for their commitment in providing a response to the recommendations of 21^st Annual Report of the Director of Public Health.

(3) That the Deputy Chief Executive and the Director of Public Health be requested to report back to the Scrutiny Committee in 12 months on progress with implementing the response to the recommendations of 21^st Annual Report of the Director of Public Health.