Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were presented on behalf of County Councillors Azhar Ali, Peter Britcliffe, Jenny Molineux, Jenny Purcell and Andrew Snowden.

Announcements

Mr Chris Kenny, Chief Fire Officer, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service

The Chairman reported that Mr Chris Kenny would be retiring as Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service's Chief Fire Officer on 30 April 2019.

Mr Kenny had been Chief Fire Officer since October 2012 after joining the county in 2000. Before that he spent his early years working for Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, and his service totalled forty years since originally joining Merseyside in 1978.

Full Council thanked Mr Kenny for his outstanding service to the people of Lancashire and wished him well in his retirement. County Councillor Frank De Molfetta, Chair of the Lancashire Combined Fire Authority, would convey the Full Council's appreciation and best wishes to Mr Kenny.

There were no interests declared.

Questions submitted under Standing Order B28.

County Councillors Kim Snape and Paul Greenall asked their respective questions as follows:

County Councillor Keith Iddon, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, replied.

Question 2 from County Councillor Azhar Ali would receive a written response due to him not being present to ask his question.

Resolved: - That the minutes of the meetings held on 13 December 2018 and 14 February 2019 be confirmed and signed by the Chairman.

County Councillor Albert Atkinson moved a report setting out details of the proposed Members' Allowance Scheme for 2019/20.

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

That the Special Responsibility Allowance for the Leader of the County Council (and Special Responsibility Allowances pro-rata to it) 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 Paul Hayhurst:

1. Paragraph 8.1 of the Members Allowance Scheme (Appendix 'A') be amended as follows:

8.1 A Councillor including the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the County Council, and or Co-opted member shall be entitled to receive travelling allowances for journey made within the County of Lancashire, subject to the following restrictions:

a.  Travelling Allowances will not be paid for journeys between a Member’s and Co-opted member’s home address and County Hall.

b.  For other journeys made within the County of Lancashire, Travelling Allowances will only be payable for journeys in excess of the agreed fixed mileage between a member’s and Co-opted member’s home address and County Hall (see paragraph 8.6).

c.  Travelling allowances will only be paid for journeys made beyond Lancashire in exceptional circumstances, which shall be approved by the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Members Allowances (see Schedule ‘E’ - Annex 2).”

2. Special responsibility allowance payments made to Group Whips and Group Secretaries as per schedule B, should be withdrawn.

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

The following amendment was proposed by County Councillor Gina Dowding, seconded by County Councillor Paul Hayhurst:

That Special Responsibility Allowance payments made to Group Whips be removed.

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 recommendations set out in the report, now presented, be noted and that the Members' Allowance Scheme for 2019/20 as set out in Appendix 'A' to the report, now presented, be approved.

County Councillor Geoff Driver moved a report setting out details of the county council's proposed 2019/20 Pay Policy Statement as required by the Localism Act 2011.

Resolved: - That the recommendations of the Employment Committee be noted and the Pay Policy Statement 2019/20, as set out at Appendix 'A' to the report, now presented, be approved.

County Councillor Geoff Driver moved a report setting out a proposal to change the financial threshold above which decisions should be treated as Key Decisions as defined in Standing Order 19(1).

Resolved: - Full Council confirmed the financial threshold for Key Decisions, for the purposes of Standing Order 19(1), be increased to £1.6m, for 2019/20 as set out in the report, now presented.

County Councillor Michael Green moved a report setting out proposals resulting from a review of public participation at meetings of the Development Control Committee.

The following amendment was proposed by County Councillor Kevin Ellard, seconded by County Councillor Munsif Dad:

Refer this item to the meeting of the Development Control Committee on 8 May for consideration, invite County Councillor Green to participate, and bring this back the next Full Council meeting on 23 May.

In accordance with the requirements of procedural Standing Order B45(4), a recorded vote was taken. The names of the County Councillors who voted for or against the Motion and those who abstained are set out below:

For (37)

Against (41)

Abstain (1)

The amendment was therefore LOST.

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

In accordance with the requirements of procedural Standing Order B45(4), a recorded vote was taken. The names of the County Councillors who voted for or against the Motion and those who abstained are set out below:

For (42)

Against (37)

Abstain (0)

It was therefore:

Resolved: - That:

(i)  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

County Councillor Eddie Pope moved a report setting out a proposal to re-appoint the current independent Chair of the Lancashire Local Pension Board.

Resolved: - That the re-appointment of Mr William Bourne as the independent Chair of the Lancashire Local Pension Board with effect from 1 April 2019 for an initial 2 years with an option for an extension for a further 2 years, as set out in the report now presented, be approved.

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 3 December 2018, 17 January 2019 and 7 February 2019.

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 held on 28 January 2019.

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 meetings on 14 January 2019 and 11 February 2019.

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

County Councillor Alan Schofield moved the report of the Pension Fund Committee from its meetings on 30 November 2018 and 1 February 2019.

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

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

Children's Services Scrutiny Committee – 5 December 2018 and 16 January 2019

Education Scrutiny Committee – 6 December 2018

Health Scrutiny Committee – 11 December 2018

Internal Scrutiny Committee – 18 January 2019

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 29 January 2019.

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 17 December 2018.

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

The Chairman informed Full Council that Notices of Motion 1 and 5 had been withdrawn and that Notice of Motion 5 would be re-submitted for the next meeting of Full Council on 23 May 2019.

2.  It was moved by County Councillor Lizzi Collinge and seconded by County Councillor Julie Gibson that:

End Violence at Work Charter

Lancashire County Council recognises that many public service workers are subjected to violence and aggression in the course of their work.  Evidence provided by UNISON highlights that in some contracted out services, public service workers are told by their employers to tolerate violence, suggesting assaults are just “part of the job”.

This council applauds UNISON for developing the ‘End Violence at Work Charter’ - which commits employers to ten basic actions to safeguard public service workers and provide support should they become the target of violence at work. 

This council wishes to see far more employers confront the issue of violence in the workplace and therefore commits to: 

Making the ‘End Violence at Work Charter’ a core part of our commissioning process. 

Asking all existing service contract providers in Lancashire to sign up to the End Violence at Work Charter and make the award of new contracts dependent on a commitment by the organisation to sign the Charter. 

This Council recognises that this approach is consistent with our ongoing commitment to an ethical procurement and commissioning process.

Further, council reiterates its opposition to violence at work in all sectors and reaffirms its commitment to working with its own employees and Trade Unions to ensure that all appropriate steps and support are in place to tackle the issue for its own workforce.

The following amendment was proposed by County Councillor Alan Vincent, seconded by County Councillor Geoff Driver:

LCC recognises that many public service workers are subjected to violence and aggression in the course of their work.

Unison believes that in some contracted out services, public service workers are told by their employers to tolerate violence, suggesting assaults are just “part of the job”.

Whilst LCC has no evidence of this, we agree with Unison and the other unions representing our staff that employers should, as we already do, provide safeguards within an action plan to end violence at work, and that their Charter provides a useful template for such a plan.

This Council will encourage all existing and future service contracts providers to us to provide safeguards within an action plan to end violence at work.

This Council recognises that this approach is consistent with our ongoing commitment to an ethical procurement and commissioning process.

Further, council reiterates its opposition to violence at work in all sectors and reaffirms its commitment to working with its own employees and Trade Unions to ensure that all appropriate steps and support are in place to tackle the issue for its own workforce including our commitment to a zero tolerance approach to violence.

The amendment was put to the vote and was CARRIED and became the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.