Agenda item

To consider Notices of Motion submitted under Procedure Rule 11.

1. Portfolio Holder for Corporate Management

 

The following Notice of Motion had been submitted by Councillor Roger Bennett and seconded by Councillor D. Thain:

 

“The Audit, Governance and Standards Committee have received a report from the Auditors, Grant Thornton, who have issued a cautionary note to this Council.

 

This report has exposed weaknesses in the controlling Group’s long term financial planning identifying:

 

1.    An absence of an up to date sustainable 3-5 year medium term financial plan;

 

2.    Lack of robust plans to deliver the required savings to balance the budget;

 

3.    Planned use of reserves to fund recurrent expenditure.

We call for the resignation of the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Management with immediate effect.

 

We demand on behalf of the tax payers of Redditch that the controlling group prioritise financial planning to ensure this Council has a sustainable medium term financial plan as soon as possible”.

 

In proposing this Motion, Councillor Bennett expressed concern that the difficult financial situation was not being adequately addressed by the controlling Group and that there appeared to be a lack of understanding of the financial position of the Authority and of the need to take difficult decisions on where savings would be made.

 

Councillor Bennett stated that a clear plan was required in order to make the required savings and that it was unsatisfactory to include such high levels of  unidentified savings within the Medium Term Financial Plan. Many other Local Authorities were in a similar situation in that they were required to make significant savings and they were able to produce a Medium Term Financial Plan for a three year period. The setting of a budget for one year was not satisfactory and this had been recognised by the Council’s Auditors.      

 

In responding to the Motion, the Leader stated that a decision had been taken in February 2014 to set a one year budget and to reconsider the position further later in the year with a view to considering a detailed financial plan for the period to the end of 2016/17. Councillor Brunner had been at the meeting of the Executive Committee when this approach had been agreed. There would be a report to the next meeting of the Executive Committee.  

 

The Leader reminded Members that the Auditors had signed off the accounts and had recognised that the savings unidentified at the time had in fact been achieved.

 

There was detailed discussion on the approach to be taken in addressing the very significant reduction in funding received from Central Government in recent years. Reference was also made to the stringent reductions in expenditure introduced by Worcestershire County Council and the likely impact of this on service users.   

 

Councillor John Fisher stated that he would not resign as Portfolio Holder for Corporate Management. Councillor Fisher stated that the Medium Term Financial Plan would be based on savings to be achieved in innovative and effective ways through work on Transformation of Services and Service Reviews. The intention was to protect and improve services and to support staff in making necessary changes rather than to achieve savings by making arbitrary cuts which would damage services.

 

The Notice of Motion was the subject of the following named vote in accordance with Procedure rule 17.7:

 

Members voting FOR the Motion:

 

Councillors Roger Bennett, Michael Braley, Andrew Brazier, Juliet Brunner, David Bush, Brandon Clayton, Carole Gandy, Gay Hopkins, Jane Potter and David Thain.  (10)

 

Members voting AGAINST the Motion:

 

Councillors Joe Baker, Rebecca Blake, Natalie Brookes, Greg Chance, John Fisher, Andrew Fry, Bill Hartnett, Wanda King, Alan Mason, Phil Mould, Mark Shurmer, Rachael Smith, Yvonne Smith, John Witherspoon and Nina Wood-Ford (15)

 

Abstentions:

 

None

 

The Mayor therefore declared the Motion to be LOST

 

 

2. World Mental Health Day

 

(Councillor Michael Braley sat in the seating provided for the public during this item and did not participate in it).

 

A Notice of Motion had been had been submitted by Councillor Rebecca Blake in respect of World Mental Health Day 2014. This was seconded by Councillor Bill Hartnett.

 

In proposing the Motion Councillor Blake referred to the work undertaken by the voluntary sector, businesses and statutory services over the past eighteen months within the Borough to address mental health issues and to improve awareness.

 

In seconding the Motion, Councillor Hartnett played tribute to the work of volunteers and support groups within the Borough who had highlighted mental health issues. There was a need to work in partnership to achieve the best outcomes.  

 

Councillor Juliet Brunner supported the Motion and referred to the work of the Redditch Mental Health Action Group  who had worked to change attitudes to mental health issues.

 

Councillor Brunner proposed the following addition to the wording of the Motion which was accepted by the Proposer and Seconder:

 

“that Redditch Borough Council refer a request for a review of the delivery and outcomes of Mental Health Services in Redditch to Worcestershire County Council’s Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee”   

 

During the debate, Members supported the Motion and it was highlighted that most people would know someone who was affected by mental health issues or would be affected themselves at some stage. 

 

It was

 

RESOLVED that

 

The Motion be agreed in the following terms:

 

(a)       “That Redditch Borough Council supports the town wide pledge to mark World Mental Health Day 2014.

 

‘We believe mental health matters and want to see it given as much attention, time and investment as physical health.

 

We believe a new way of delivering services is needed and the system needs to be radically overhauled to ensure help is given in a timely and appropriate manner and no-one is forgotten.

 

We believe this is not the responsibility of any one organisation and must be done together with everyone including patients to get the services Redditch needs and deserves.

 

We believe the time to act is now’; and

 

(b)       That a request be referred for a review of the delivery and outcomes of Mental Health Services in Redditch to Worcestershire County Council’s Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee ”