Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from County Councillor Liz Oades.

Announcements

County Council Elections 2021

The Chairman acknowledged that this was likely to be the last meeting of the Full Council in this municipal year and the last meeting before the county council elections on 6 May.  There were a number of Members who would not be standing for re-election and the Chairman took this opportunity to record the county council’s appreciation for the many years of service provided by those Members and conveyed the council's best wishes to them for the future.

County Councillor Azhar Ali and County Councillor Geoff Driver also paid tribute to the service of those Members not standing again.

None declared.

Questions submitted under Standing Order B28.

County Councillors Charles Edwards; Gillian Oliver; Gina Dowding, Tim Ashton and Paul Greenall asked their respective Questions as follows:

County Councillor Michael Green, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Environment and Planning; County Councillor Phillippa Williamson, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Schools; County Councillor Shaun Turner, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing; County Councillor Keith Iddon, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport; and County Councillor Geoff Driver, Leader of the County Council, replied respectively

Resolved: - That the minutes of the meetings held on 17 December 2020 and 11 February 2021, and of the Extraordinary General Meeting held on 11 February 2021, be confirmed and signed by the Chairman.

County Councillor Alan Schofield moved a report setting out the recommendations of the Audit, Risk and Governance Committee in relation to the Code of Conduct for Members.

Resolved: - That:

(i)  The changes proposed to the Code of Conduct as detailed in Appendices 'A' and 'B' to the report to Audit, Risk and Governance Committee, now presented, be approved.

(ii)  The Local Government Association model Code of Conduct be considered further by the Political Governance Working Group, with recommendations from that group being considered by the Audit, Risk and Governance Committee to agree recommendations to Full Council.

County Councillor Keith Iddon moved a report setting out the proposed Members' Allowance Scheme for 2021/22.

The following amendment was proposed by County Councillor David Whipp, seconded by County Councillor David Howarth:

That Special Responsibility Allowances be reduced by 10%.

On being put to the vote, the amendment was LOST.

The following amendment was proposed by County Councillor Paul Greenall, seconded by County Councillor Mark Perks:

1. Section 8.6 of the members allowance scheme (p.85) be deleted as members should not be able to claim travel expenses for attending meetings at County Hall, as that should be regarded as being included in their basic allowance.
2. As per schedule B on p.90, special responsibility allowances for all group Whips and Secretaries should cease with immediate effect.
3. As per schedule B on p.90, special responsibility allowances for all Lead Members and Champions should cease with immediate effect.

On being put to the vote, the amendment was LOST.

The substantive motion was then put to the vote and was CARRIED. It was therefore:

Resolved: - That the 2021/22 Members' Allowance Scheme, as presented at Appendix 'A' to the report, now presented, be approved.

County Councillor Keith Iddon moved a report setting out a proposal for the appointment of a new member of the Independent Remuneration Panel, following an open recruitment process and interviews.

Resolved: - That the appointment of Ms Lisa Strapps to serve on the Independent Remuneration Panel for a four-year term with effect from 25 February 2021, as set out in the report, now presented, be approved.

County Councillor Geoff Driver moved a report setting out the council's proposed 2021/22 Pay Policy Statement as required by the Localism Act 2011.

Resolved: - That the recommendations of the Employment Committee be noted and that the 2021/22 Pay Policy Statement, as set out at Appendix 'A' to the report, now presented, be approved.

County Councillor Geoff Driver moved a report setting out the proposed financial threshold above which decisions should be treated as Key Decisions as defined in Standing Order C19 (1) (a).

Resolved: - That the financial threshold for Key Decisions, for the purposes of Standing Order C19 (1) (a), remaining at £1.7m for 2021/22, as set out in the report, now presented, be confirmed.

County Councillor Eddie Pope moved a report setting out a proposal that Lancashire County Council agrees to the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham delegating its pension fund administration function to Lancashire County Council pursuant to section 101 of the Local Government Act 1972.

Resolved: - That:

(i)  Agreement be given to the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham delegating its pension fund administration function to Lancashire County Council pursuant to section 101 of the Local Government Act 1972 subject to the council entering into appropriate legal agreements with the parties, as set out in the report, now presented.

(ii)  The Director of Corporate Services be authorised to agree the final legal agreement on behalf of the Council, as set out in the report, now presented.

An item of urgent business may only be considered under this heading where, by reason of special circumstances to be recorded in the Minutes, the Chairman is of the opinion that the item should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency.  Wherever possible, the Chief Executive should be given advance warning of any Member’s intention to raise a matter under this heading.

There was no urgent business to be considered.

County Councillor Geoff Driver moved the report of the Cabinet from its meetings on 14 January 2021 and 4 February 2021, together with details of urgent Key Decisions taken since the last meeting of Full Council.

Resolved: - That the report of the Cabinet, now presented, be noted.

County Councillor Alan Schofield moved the report of the Audit, Risk and Governance Committee from its meeting on 25 January 2021. In moving the report, County Councillor Schofield drew Full Council's attention to an error on page 154 where the dates in the section relating to the 'External Audit - Audit Progress Report and Sector Update' should read '2020/21'.

Resolved: - That the report of the Audit, Risk and Governance Committee, now presented, be noted.

County Councillor Geoff Driver moved the report of the Employment Committee from its meeting on 8 February 2021.

Resolved: - That the report of the Employment Committee, now presented, be noted.

County Councillor David O'Toole moved the report of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees from their meetings as follows:

Education and Children's Services Scrutiny Committee - 16 December 2020, 13 January 2021 and 2 February 2021

External Scrutiny Committee - 12 January 2021

Health Scrutiny Committee - 15 December 2020 and 2 February 2021

Internal Scrutiny Committee - 22 January 2021

Resolved: - That the report of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees, now presented, be noted.

County Councillor Shaun Turner moved the report of the Lancashire Health and Wellbeing Board from its meeting on 19 January 2021.

Resolved: - That the report of the Lancashire Health and Wellbeing Board, now presented, be noted.

County Councillor Frank De Molfetta moved the report of the Lancashire Combined Fire Authority from its meeting on 14 December 2020.

Resolved: - That the report of the Lancashire Combined Fire Authority, now presented, be noted.

1.  It was moved by County Councillor Matthew Tomlinson and seconded by County Councillor Michael Green that:

This Council extends its sympathies and condolences to all our residents and families who have lost loved ones in the COVID-19 pandemic. Council commends everyone across the County, including many of our own staff, who have stepped forward during the last twelve months to provide help, assistance and support to all in our community in such difficult times In doing so, this Council supports the efforts of South Ribble resident Rachael Lidgett’s campaign to mark March 23rd as a day of national remembrance of all those who have died as a result of COVID-19. This Council further commits to provide publicity to the ongoing campaign and petition via its normal communications outlets.

On being put to the vote, the Motion was CARRIED. It was therefore:

Resolved: - That:

This Council extends its sympathies and condolences to all our residents and families who have lost loved ones in the COVID-19 pandemic. Council commends everyone across the County, including many of our own staff, who have stepped forward during the last twelve months to provide help, assistance and support to all in our community in such difficult times In doing so, this Council supports the efforts of South Ribble resident Rachael Lidgett’s campaign to mark March 23rd as a day of national remembrance of all those who have died as a result of COVID-19. This Council further commits to provide publicity to the ongoing campaign and petition via its normal communications outlets.

2.  It was moved by County Councillor Julie Gibson and seconded by County Councillor Shaun Turner that:

This Council notes that between January and August 2020, there was a 74.05% increase in households in Lancashire applying for Universal Credit (figures from the meeting of the External Scrutiny Committee, 12 January 2021).

This Council notes the percentage of unemployment claimants in Lancashire at November 2020 stood at 5.9% (43,430 people) an increase from 5.7% (42,440 people) in October (figures from NOMIS ONS website) and that most of these claimants will have applied for Universal Credit for the first time.

This Council recognises the introduction of the £20.00 uplift by the Chancellor which was introduced to help with the worst effects of the pandemic.

This Council questions why this vital uplift is to be removed in April when Lancashire, along with many other areas, is still in the middle of one of the worst pandemics.

This Council therefore resolves to write to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, The Right Honourable Therese Coffey MP to:

(i)  Highlight the rising cases of Universal Credit applications across Lancashire.

(ii)  Ask her to retain the £20 per week uplift in Universal Credit permanently.

The following friendly amendment was proposed by County Councillor Shaun Turner in accordance with Standing Order B42:

This Council notes that between January and August 2020, there was a 74.05% increase in households in Lancashire applying for Universal Credit (figures from the meeting  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.