Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 11 September 2014.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting of the Council held on 11 September 2014 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.

To report any urgent action taken under the Constitution since the last meeting of the Council.

No urgent decisions were reported.

To receive announcements from the Mayor.

The Mayor referred to the recent death of Salford aid worked Alan Henning following his abduction during a humanitarian mission to Syria.  All those present at the meeting stood in silence as a mark of respect to the memory of Mr Henning.

Councillors and officers to declare any interests which they may have in any of the items on the Summons for the meeting.

Councillors and officers were invited to declare any interests which they had in any of the items on the Summons.

The following interest was declared:-

Personal Interest

To receive any questions from and provide answers to the public in relation to matters relevant to the Council’s activities.

Members of the public were invited to put questions to the Mayor and Councillors on matters within the powers and duties of the Council.

One public question had been submitted where the questioner was not present at the meeting and in accordance with the Code of Practice, the Chief Executive was requested to respond to the questioner in writing.

To receive petitions, and by prior arrangement, receive delegations and presentations from members of the public, community groups or partnership organisations.

No such arrangements have been made for this meeting.

There were no petitions or presentations.

(a)     Section 41 Spokespersons

The following councillors to answer questions (if any) on the business of the joint authorities:-

(b)       Greater Manchester Police and Crime Panel

Councillor Sue Derbyshire to answer questions (if any) on the business of the Greater Manchester Police and Crime Panel.

(c)     Greater Manchester Combined Authority

The following councillors to answer questions (if any) on the business of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee:-

(a)       Section 41 Spokespersons

There were no questions in relation to the business of the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority or the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority.

(b)       Greater Manchester Police and Crime Panel

There were no questions in relation to the business of the Greater Manchester Police and Crime Panel.

(c)        Greater Manchester Combined Authority

There were no questions in relation to the business of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority or the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee.

To receive a report from the Executive Leader and other members of the Executive on the conduct of Executive business since the last Council Meeting.

The Leader of the Council (Policy, Reform and Finance) (Councillor Sue Derbyshire) reported that following a discussion at the last meeting of the Council Meeting, the Council had secured a saltire which was flown from the Town Hall flagpole during the lead up the Scottish independence referendum as a means of showing support for the ‘Better Together’ campaign.

Councillor Derbyshire also reported on the recent ‘Stockport Business Awards’ and highlighted the significant levels of innovation within the Borough and congratulated the winners on their achievements.

Councillor Derbyshire also referred to ongoing developments with regard to the devolution of further powers to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the impact that may have on Stockport.

Finally, Councillor Derbyshire advised the Council Meeting that the Council had been recognised by the National Apprenticeship Service for its work in boosting local apprenticeships through the winning of an award in the category of ‘Macro Employer’ of apprentices.

The Executive Councillor (Children & Young People) (Councillor Wendy Meikle) reported that following the discussion held at the last meeting of the Council Meeting in relation to child sexual exploitation, a briefing had been arranged for all councillors on 12 November 2014 to outline the measures taken in Stockport and to highlight some of the key issues arising from the recent highly publicised cases of child exploitation elsewhere in the country.

The Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive Councillor (Corporate Customer & Community Services) provided an update with regard to the Contact Centre following a number of questions from councillors at the last meeting of the Council Meeting.  It was stated that the Contact Centre had achieved a rate of 80% of calls being answered during September 2014, and the rate for October 2014 thus far was 85%.  It was further reported that the Council’s website had now been redesigned with the aim of making it easier for members of the public to undertake a number of transactions with the Council.

To answer questions from Councillors addressed to the Executive Leader or other members of the Executive, in accordance with Council Meeting Procedure Rule 11.

The Leader of the Council (Policy, Reform & Finance) and the Executive Councillors (Adult Care Services). (Communities & Sustainability), (Economic Development & Regeneration) and (Health & Wellbeing) answered questions relating to the business of the Executive in accordance with Council Meeting Procedure Rule 11.

To receive the Minutes of the Executive held on 30 September 2014 and the record of executive decisions taken since the last Council Meeting, (schedule enclosed, decisions previously circulated) (pages) and consider any recommendations they contain.

The Mayor declared the Minutes of the Executive Meeting held on 30 September 2014 (copies of which had been circulated) and the record of executive decision taken (copies of which were circulated) since the last meeting of the Council to be duly received.

To receive a report from the Chairs of the Scrutiny Committees on the conduct of Scrutiny business.

To receive a report from the Chairs of the Scrutiny Committees on the conduct of Scrutiny business.

There were no reports from the Chairs of the Scrutiny Committees on the conduct of their business since the last Council Meeting.

To answer questions from Councillors addressed to the Scrutiny Chairs, in accordance with Council Meeting Procedure Rule 11.

There were no questions relating to the business of the Scrutiny Committees in accordance with Council Meeting Procedure Rule 11.

To receive the Minutes of the following Scrutiny Committees:-

The Mayor declared the Minutes of the following Scrutiny Committees (copies of which had been circulated with the Summons) to be duly received:-

Adult Care Services & Housing – 15 September 2014

Children & Young People – 17 September 2014

Corporate, Resource Management & Governance – 16 September 2014

Environment & Economy – 18 September 2014

Health & Wellbeing – 9 September 2014

To consider a report of the Deputy Chief Executive.

A report (copies of which had been circulated) of the Deputy Chief Executive was submitted outlining the development of work programmes for scrutiny committees in 2014/15 to ensure that scrutiny worked alongside and supported the decision making process and could fully contribute to the policy review and policy development facets of scrutiny. The report provided details of a proposed programme of reviews to be carried out by Scrutiny Committees in 2014/15.

RESOLVED – That approval be given to the Scrutiny Review Work Programme for 2014/15.

There were no reports from the Chairs of the Planning and Highways Regulation and Licensing, Environment and Safety Committees on the conduct of their business since the last Council Meeting.

To answer questions from Councillors addressed to the Chairs of Ordinary and Area Committees, in accordance with Council Meeting Procedure Rule 11.

There were no questions relating to the business of the Ordinary and Area Committees in accordance with Council Meeting Procedure Rule 11.

To receive the minutes of the following Ordinary and Area Committees:-

Ordinary Committees

Area Committees

The Mayor declared the minutes of the following ‘Ordinary’ and Area Committees (copies of which had been circulated with the Summons) to be duly received:-

Ordinary Committees

Appeals Panel – 8 September 2014

Audit – 24 September 2014

Health & Wellbeing Board – 16 September 2014

Licensing, Environment & Safety – 3 September 2014   

Planning & Highways Regulation – 4 September 2014

Area Committees

Bramhall & Cheadle Hulme South – 25 September 2014

Central Stockport – 25 September 2014

Cheadle – 23 September 2014

Heatons & Reddish – 22 September 2014

Marple – 24 September 2014

Stepping Hill – 23 September 2014

Werneth – 22 September 2014

This Council Meeting notes

·           That a Department for Transport (DfT) consultation on the Northern Rail and TransPennine Express franchises from February 2016 onwards closed on 18th August 2014

·           That the third question of the DfT consultation document invited views on allowing a ‘reduction in the hours ticket offices are open and staffed’

·           That Transport for Greater Manchester provided a detailed response to this question which highlighted how staffing both at stations and on trains has significant benefits ‘in terms of revenue protection, improved levels of and perceptions of safety, and the provision of information and guidance’

·           That Section 2.33 of the DfT’s own stakeholder consultation admits that ‘evidence suggests that a relatively high proportion of journeys on Northern are made without a ticket’ and that one of the existing reasons for this problem is given as ‘unstaffed stations’

·           That Section 3.30 of the DfT stakeholder consultation states that ‘on the Northern franchise, we expect to require bidders to set out how Driver-Only Operation may be introduced onto suitable services’, in effect meaning a reduction in conductors on local trains

·           That despite the limited consultation period, the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers Union (RMT) have confirmed that over 10,000 responses objecting to proposals for unstaffed stations and ‘Driver-Only Operated’ trains were delivered to the DfT during the consultation

This Council Meeting believes

·           That the sustainability of our railways is reliant on generating adequate revenue, which passengers expect to be reinvested to increase capacity and achieve an acceptable level of quality for users

·           That the demand for rail travel is forecast by Rail North to continue to grow by around 2.5% a year across the North of England, leading to an overall increase in usage of 50% increase by 2029, making it the wrong time to reduce staffing levels

·           That any proposed change to a ‘Driver-Only Operating’ model requires substantial upfront investment in station facilities in order to continue to provide an adequate level of customer service for passengers, and that no such investment appears forthcoming

·           That even with an investment in modern facilities similar to those utilised by Metrolink services, that cuts to staffing in our local stations and on local rail services would make the rail network more inaccessible for elderly and disabled people especially, and are thus undesirable

·           That the loss of conductors and ticket office closures is a false economy which goes against the wishes of passengers who value the staffing of trains and stations

·           That the way to reduce the subsidy to Northern Rail, £324million in 2012-13 (53p per mile), is to do more to ensure that every passenger who travels has a valid ticket for their journey

This Council Meeting requests

·           That Councillors be provided with any reply from the DfT which TfGM receives to its response to the stakeholder consultation

This Council Meeting resolves

·           That the Chief Executive writes to the Minister of State for Transport and Transport for Greater Manchester

       (i)         Stating the value which this Council places on the job that conductors and station staff do in revenue protection, ensuring our railways are safe and in customer service

       (ii)        Requesting a commitment from them that all trains and stations in Stockport which are currently staffed retain these personnel

       (iii)       Requesting a guarantee that local investment will be forthcoming to ensure that all stations in Stockport are both safe and accessible for all residents of the Borough

Moved by:               Councillor Dean Fitzpatrick

Seconded by:        Councillor Elise Wilson

MOVED AND SECONDED - This Council Meeting notes

·         That a Department for Transport (DfT) consultation on the Northern Rail and TransPennine Express franchises from February 2016 onwards closed on 18th August 2014

·         That the third question of the DfT consultation document invited views on allowing a ‘reduction in the hours ticket offices are open and staffed’

·         That Transport for Greater Manchester provided a detailed response to this question which highlighted how staffing both at stations and on trains has significant benefits ‘in terms of revenue protection, improved levels of and perceptions of safety, and the provision of information and guidance’

·         That Section 2.33 of the DfT’s own stakeholder consultation admits that ‘evidence suggests that a relatively high proportion of journeys on Northern are made without a ticket’ and that one of the existing reasons for this problem is given as ‘unstaffed stations’

·         That Section 3.30 of the DfT stakeholder consultation states that ‘on the Northern franchise, we expect to require bidders to set out how Driver-Only Operation may be introduced onto suitable services’, in effect meaning a reduction in conductors on local trains

·         That despite the limited consultation period, the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers Union (RMT) have confirmed that over 10,000 responses objecting to proposals for unstaffed stations and ‘Driver-Only Operated’ trains were delivered to the DfT during the consultation

This Council Meeting believes

·         That the sustainability of our railways is reliant on generating adequate revenue, which passengers expect to be reinvested to increase capacity and achieve an acceptable level of quality for users

·         That the demand for rail travel is forecast by Rail North to continue to grow by around 2.5% a year across the North of England, leading to an overall increase in usage of 50% increase by 2029, making it the wrong time to reduce staffing levels

·         That any proposed change to a ‘Driver-Only Operating’ model requires substantial upfront investment in station facilities in order to continue to provide an adequate level of customer service for passengers, and that no such investment appears forthcoming

·         That even with an investment in modern facilities similar to those utilised by Metrolink services, that cuts to staffing in our local stations and on local rail services would make the rail network more inaccessible for elderly and disabled people especially, and are thus undesirable

·         That the loss of conductors and ticket office closures is a false economy which goes against the wishes of passengers who value the staffing of trains and stations

·         That the way to reduce the subsidy to Northern Rail, £324million in 2012-13 (53p per mile), is to do more to ensure that every passenger who travels has a valid ticket for their journey

This Council Meeting requests

·         That Councillors be provided with any reply from the DfT which TfGM receives to its response to the stakeholder consultation

This Council Meeting resolves

·         That the Chief Executive writes to the Minister of State for Transport and Transport for Greater Manchester

(i)         Stating the value which this Council places on the job that conductors and station staff do in revenue protection, ensuring our railways are safe and in customer service

(ii)        Requesting a commitment from them that all trains and stations in Stockport which are currently staffed retain these personnel

(iii)       Requesting a guarantee that local investment will be forthcoming to ensure that all stations in Stockport are both safe and accessible for all residents of the Borough

AMENDMENT MOVED AND SECONDED - This Council notes

·         That a Department for Transport (DfT) consultation on the Northern Rail and TransPennine Express franchises from February 2016 closed on 18 August 2014

·         That the third question of the DfT consultation document invited views on allowing a ‘reduction on the hours ticket offices are open and staffed’

·         That Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) provided a detailed response to this question which highlighted how staffing both at stations  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.(i)

This Council Meeting notes

·           That between 2010 and 2015 funding to Local Government from the DCLG will fall from £115.5bn down to £89.9bn, a cut of £25.6bn. Central Government support for Local Government will therefore have reduced by 29.6% by the end of this Parliament, a disproportionately high number when compared to the average cut across Government Departments, which will be 10.1% over the same period

·           That the difference in the UK between the tax that is collected and the tax that should be collected, ‘the tax gap’, has been estimated by HMRC to be £32 billion per year, some 6.7% of the total tax due

·           That tax evasion and avoidance together accounted for £9 billion of this gap, with £5 billion due to tax avoidance alone

·           That tax evasion is when people or businesses deliberately do not pay the taxes that they owe and that this is illegal and can be prosecuted through the Criminal Courts

·           That tax avoidance is defined as ‘using the tax law to get a tax advantage that Parliament never intended’ and that unlike tax evasion, which involves fraud or deliberate concealment, tax avoidance is not illegal

·           The work of the Public Accounts Committee in highlighting the aggressive avoidance of tax by some of the biggest companies operating in the UK

·           That developing countries lose three times more in unpaid taxation than they receive in aid, enough to give a basic education to an extra 57 million children worldwide

·           The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s announcement of 16th September that all major economies should impose a new ‘country-by-country’ reporting regime on multinationals in order to increase corporate transparency and limit the shifting of profits offshore to avoid tax

This Council Meeting believes

·           That the UK has a particular responsibility to end tax avoidance practices, as the British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies comprise around 1 in 5 of the world’s tax havens

·           That as a Local Authority we have a responsibility to provide the best public services to the community we serve

·           That our ability to provide quality local services would be significantly enhanced by increased revenues from the government tackling tax avoidance

·           That all who benefit from public spending should contribute their fair share

·           That the UK should play a leading role in creating a fairer tax system across the world

This Council Meeting resolves

·           That the Chief Executive writes to the Chancellor of the Exchequer outlining how if the Government had been serious about tackling tax avoidance by multinational companies since 2010, more tax revenue would have been available to protect essential public services in the UK and to develop such services abroad.

Moved by:               Councillor John Taylor

Seconded by:        Councillor David Sedgwick

MOVED AND SECONDED - This Council Meeting notes

·    That between 2010 and 2015 funding to Local Government from the DCLG will fall from £115.5bn down to £89.9bn, a cut of £25.6bn. Central Government support for Local Government will therefore have reduced by 29.6% by the end of this Parliament, a disproportionately high number when compared to the average cut across Government Departments, which will be 10.1% over the same period

·     That the difference in the UK between the tax that is collected and the tax that should be collected, ‘the tax gap’, has been estimated by HMRC to be £32 billion per year, some 6.7% of the total tax due

·     That tax evasion and avoidance together accounted for £9 billion of this gap, with £5 billion due to tax avoidance alone

·     That tax evasion is when people or businesses deliberately do not pay the taxes that they owe and that this is illegal and can be prosecuted through the Criminal Courts

·     That tax avoidance is defined as ‘using the tax law to get a tax advantage that Parliament never intended’ and that unlike tax evasion, which involves fraud or deliberate concealment, tax avoidance is not illegal

·     The work of the Public Accounts Committee in highlighting the aggressive avoidance of tax by some of the biggest companies operating in the UK

·     That developing countries lose three times more in unpaid taxation than they receive in aid, enough to give a basic education to an extra 57 million children worldwide

·     The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s announcement of 16th September that all major economies should impose a new ‘country-by-country’ reporting regime on multinationals in order to increase corporate transparency and limit the shifting of profits offshore to avoid tax

This Council Meeting believes

·     That the UK has a particular responsibility to end tax avoidance practices, as the British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies comprise around 1 in 5 of the world’s tax havens

·     That as a Local Authority we have a responsibility to provide the best public services to the community we serve

·     That our ability to provide quality local services would be significantly enhanced by increased revenues from the government tackling tax avoidance

·     That all who benefit from public spending should contribute their fair share

·     That the UK should play a leading role in creating a fairer tax system across the world

This Council Meeting resolves

·     That the Chief Executive writes to the Chancellor of the Exchequer outlining how if the Government had been serious about tackling tax avoidance by multinational companies since 2010, more tax revenue would have been available to protect essential public services in the UK and to develop such services abroad.

AMENDMENT MOVED AND SECONDED - This Council Meeting notes

·           That between 2010 and 2015 funding to Local Government from the DCLG will fall from £115.5bn down to £89.9bn, a cut of £25.6bn. Central Government support for Local Government will therefore have reduced by 29.6% by the end of this Parliament, a disproportionately high number when compared to the average cut across Government Departments, which will be 10.1% over the same period

·           That the difference in the UK between the tax that is collected and the tax that should be collected, ‘the tax gap’, has been estimated by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to be £32 billion per year, some 6.7% of the total tax due

·           That tax evasion and avoidance together accounted for £9 billion of this gap, with £5 billion due to tax avoidance alone

·           That tax evasion is when people or businesses deliberately do not pay the taxes that they owe and that this is illegal and can be prosecuted through the Criminal Courts

·           That tax avoidance is defined as ‘using the tax law to get a tax advantage that Parliament never intended’ and that unlike tax evasion, which involves fraud or deliberate concealment, tax avoidance is not illegal

·           The work of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.(ii)

At 7.47 pm it was

RESOLVED – That the meeting be adjourned.

The meeting reconvened at 7.57 pm

For the amendment 35, against 19.

AMENDMENT CARRIED

The amendment was then put as the substantive motion and it was

RESOLVED – (35 for, 18 against) This Council Meeting notes

·           That between 2010 and 2015 funding to Local Government from the DCLG will fall from £115.5bn down to £89.9bn, a cut of £25.6bn. Central Government support for Local Government will therefore have reduced by 29.6% by the end of this Parliament, a disproportionately high number when compared to the average cut across Government Departments, which will be 10.1% over the same period

·           That the difference in the UK between the tax that is collected and the tax that should be collected, ‘the tax gap’, has been estimated by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to be £32 billion per year, some 6.7% of the total tax due

·           That tax evasion and avoidance together accounted for £9 billion of this gap, with £5 billion due to tax avoidance alone

·           That tax evasion is when people or businesses deliberately do not pay the taxes that they owe and that this is illegal and can be prosecuted through the Criminal Courts

·           That tax avoidance is defined as ‘using the tax law to get a tax advantage that Parliament never intended’ and that unlike tax evasion, which involves fraud or deliberate concealment, tax avoidance is not illegal

·           The work of the Public Accounts Committee in highlighting the aggressive avoidance of tax by some of the biggest companies operating in the UK

·           That developing countries lose three times more in unpaid taxation than they receive in aid, enough to give a basic education to an extra 57 million children worldwide

·           The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s announcement of 16th September that all major economies should impose a new ‘country-by-country’ reporting regime on multinationals in order to increase corporate transparency and limit the shifting of profits offshore to avoid tax

This Council Meeting believes

·           That the UK has a particular responsibility to end tax avoidance practices, as the British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies comprise around 1 in 5 of the world’s tax havens

·           That as a Local Authority we have a responsibility to provide the best public services to the community we serve

·           That our ability to provide quality local services would be significantly enhanced by increased revenues from the government tackling tax avoidance, were any of these to be passed on to Local Authorities in the future;

·           That all who benefit from public spending should contribute their fair share

·           That the UK should play a leading role in creating a fairer tax system across the world

This Council Meeting further notes 

·         That the Coalition Government has already done more on tax avoidance than any government before it and is fully committed to making sure everyone pays their fair share;

·         The reinvestment of £1bn in HMRC, expected to bring in £9bn more each year than Labour managed in their last year in government;

·         The investment of an additional £77m  in HMRC to expand its anti-avoidance and evasion activity, specifically focusing on off-shore evasion and avoidance by wealthy individuals and multinationals, including the General Anti Abuse Rule which came into effect last year, all expected to raise an additional £2bn of tax that would otherwise have gone unpaid;

·         That the Coalition Government have strengthened the penalties for offshore tax evasion, overturning the last Labour Government’s laissez-faire approach towards the very rich;

·         Agreements made with tax havens to declare information about people hiding money offshore, including one with the Swiss government who have already paid £340m  of an expected £5bn in additional tax revenue by 2018; and

·         The employment of 200 new criminal investigators to pursue prosecutions against those breaking our tax laws.

This Council Meeting resolves

To invite all political Groups to lobby their respective local Members of Parliament to continue this focus on tackling tax avoidance and evasion and to support such measures in the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.(i)