Minutes for Council meeting, Oct 27 2010, 7.00PM official page

To agree the Minutes of the Council Meeting held on 28 July 2010.

 

No motion or discussion may take place upon the Minutes except as to their accuracy, and any question on this point will be determined by a majority of the Members of the body attending who were present when the matter in question was decided.  Once confirmed, with or without amendment, the person presiding will sign the Minutes.

Public Involvement Items

Presentation to the Council of petitions for consideration.

Up to half an hour will be allowed for questions by Members of the Public.

 

Questions will be taken in the order notices are received by the Chief Executive.  Each question to have no more than one part.  No member of the public shall ask more than 2 questions at a meeting.

a.      To receive written responses to questions submitted by Members in line with procedure Rule A1.38

 

b.     Up to 10 minutes will be allowed for Members questions.

 

Up to 3 items of business may be prioritised for consideration under this section.  Each political party may select an item of business, from the list of items on the agenda, for early debate.  The order in which early debate items are taken will be based on each party in rotation choosing the 1st, 2nd and 3rd items.

Item                              Title of Report                      Page

No.                                                                                 No.

 

Reports from Cabinet in Relation to the Council's Budget and Policy Framework

Reports from Officers

Motions

Greenwich Council notes the enthusiasm of a group of Greenwich parents to start an all through "free school" majoring on foreign languages and teaching the prestigious International Baccalaureate. As noted by the parents, it would be the first school in England to offer all three diploma programmes (primary, middle years and sixth-form). While the IB may not be the choice of every parent, its proven worth in England and abroad would add depth and diversity to what is on offer in Greenwich, and the Council welcomes this initiative by its parents.

Council notes the then Leader of the Opposition, David Cameron’s statement of 30^th April 2010 that the Conservative Party has “no policy to change the current or future security of tenure of tenants in social housing”.

 

Council also notes repeated statements made by Greenwich Conservatives in election material that:

 

“Labour’s suggestion that Conservative policy in Greenwich or nationally is to end secure tenancies is utterly without foundation”

 

Council also notes the statement given by Councillor Spencer Drury to the Bexley Times on 4^th March 2010 that:

 

“…while I am Leader, I would not support an end to secure tenancies in our borough.”

 

This Council further notes the comments of the Prime Minister on the 3^rd August on the subject of security of tenure for social housing tenants, and his statement on that day stating that:

 

“There is a question mark over whether, in the future, should we be asking when you are given a council home, is it for a fixed period because maybe in five or 10 years you will be doing a different job and you will be better paid and you will be able to get into the private sector.”

 

Council believes that the Prime Minister’s statement of 3^rd August represents a flagrant breach of the pledges given by the Conservative Party during the recent election and the assurances given by Greenwich Conservatives. Council further believes that any plans to end security of tenure for new social housing tenants will exacerbate the drift towards a stigmatised social housing sector occupied only by the most vulnerable in our communities and will undermine the shared ideal of mixed communities. Council calls upon the Government to re-examine its proposals in this area.