Glasgow City Council Agenda - 23 January 2020, 13:00 
A meeting to be held at City Chambers, Glasgow at 13:00 on 23 January 2020.
| Number | Item |
|---|---|
| 1 | Election of Lord Provost. View Papers |
| 2 | Minutes of Council meeting of 31st October 2019 (Print 5, pages 343 to 352). View Papers |
| 3 | Print 5 - Committees' minutes - Consideration of paragraphs marked "C", remaining paragraphs being submitted for information and approval as a correct record only (page 353 onwards). View Papers |
| 4 | Future Arrangements for Council Meetings - Report by Council Business Manager. View Papers |
| 5 | Changes to committee etc - Asylum Seeker Strategic Forum - Appoint Annette Christie as Convener in place of Jennifer Layden. View Papers |
| 6 | Representation on outside bodies. View Papers |
| 7 | Correspondence - Letter from Kevin Stewart MSP, Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning, in respect of Evictions. View Papers |
| 8 | Questions. View Papers |
| 9 | Notice of motions:- |
| (a) | By Councillor Susan Aitken:- "Scotland's right to choose. Council notes the outcome of the 2019 UK general election, in which all of Glasgow's MPs and a majority of Scotland's MPs were returned on a manifesto that noted the Scottish Government's mandate to offer the people of Scotland the right to choose their own future in a new referendum on becoming an independent country. Council recognises that Glasgow wholeheartedly rejected ruthless Conservative austerity and isolationism which threatens jobs, sustainability and wellbeing and regards that the new Conservative Government's recklessness decision to delay its budget until 11th March is another example of the disregard in which it holds Scottish devolved and local government and Scottish communities. Council believes that it is a fundamental democratic principle that decisions on Scotland's future should rest with the people who live here. Council believes that the UK Government's continued refusal to acknowledge any circumstances in which the Scottish people would have the right to make a choice about their constitutional future is fundamentally undemocratic. Council further believes that both the UK Government and the law should now recognise the constitutional and political reality: that decisions about whether to hold a referendum on Scotland's constitutional future are for the Scottish Parliament to make as the democratic voice of Scotland. Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Prime Minister to (a) express its alarm at the unacceptable UK budget delay and (b) to demand that they agree the transfer of power that would put beyond doubt the Scottish Parliament's right to legislate for a referendum on independence as outlined in the Scottish Government's paper "Scotland's Right to Choose: Putting Scotland's Future in Scotland's Hands"." View Papers |
| (b) | By Councillor Malcolm Cunning:- "Council notes, with distress, the decision by the UK Government not to publish a budget until 11th March. Council believes that this situation undermines Local Government in Scotland, and directly harms the vital services that are needed in our communities. Council notes the recent Audit Scotland report, which highlights that total revenue funding from the Scottish Government to Local Government has fallen by 7.6% in real terms since 2013/14. Council further notes that money either directly ring-fenced, or linked directly to national policy initiatives now accounts for 10% of all Local Government revenue from the Scottish Government. Council resolves to support the COSLA campaign for fair funding for essential services, and further instructs the Leader of the Council to make direct and public representation to the Scottish Government, that the budget settlement for Local Government in financial year 2020/2021 should be base, plus inflation, plus growth, and that all Scottish Government commitments should be fully funded, to allow for further meaningful investment in core Council services on which every single citizen relies." View Papers |
| (c) | By Councillor Thomas Kerr:- "Council commends the work of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, launched in the United Kingdom in December 2007. The scheme is a free book gifting organisation devoted to inspiring a love of reading in the hearts of children everywhere. Each month, enrolled children receive a high quality, age appropriate book in the post, free of charge. Children receive books from birth to age 5. Book selections in the UK include popular characters such as Peppa Pig and beloved authors and illustrators including Lynley Dodd. Additionally, Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) assists in the conversion of select titles to braille and audio books for children in the United Kingdom who are blind or partially sighted. Council appreciates the importance of reading in boosting childhood development with evidence suggesting that children who read for enjoyment every day not only perform better in reading tests than those who don't, but also develop a broader vocabulary, increased general knowledge and a better understanding of other cultures. According to Save the Children UK learning to read well starts early, and good early language skills are the vital stepping stone. If children do not learn to speak and listen from an early age, along with developing their understanding of the meaning of words and stories, they will struggle to learn to read well when they get to primary school. In fact, reading for pleasure is more likely to determine whether a child does well at school than their social or economic background. It is therefore a vital component of our determination to close the attainment gap across Scotland. Council therefore endorses the Dolly Parton Imagination Library and its work across the United Kingdom. Council instructs officers to bring a report to the relevant committee detailing the existing policies of this council to encourage childhood literacy and further outline a feasibility study into the incorporation of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in Glasgow including any budgetary implications for this Council." View Papers |
| (d) | By Councillor Molyneux:- "Council believes that the recent catastrophic fires in Australia and floods in Indonesia are yet more evidence of the devastating impacts of climate breakdown. Council expresses its distress at the loss of human, animal and plant life, which serve as a reminder of the inextricable link between climate change and the destruction of nature, and extends its solidarity to all those who are suffering as a result. Council notes that the COP25 summit held in Madrid ended in widespread disappointment at the lack of action on key parts of the Paris Agreement. The outcomes of COP26 in Glasgow later this year must ensure that 2020 is the tipping point in the world's response to the United Nations' IPCC and IPBES reports, which offer a 10-year window within which a just transition must take place. Council therefore reiterates its expectation that COP26 must deliver a comprehensive and ambitious programme of action to decarbonise the global economy as quickly as possible. Council notes that, with the relocation of COP25 from Chile to Spain, Glasgow will be the fourth COP in a row to be held in the global north and believes that the voices of those in the global south, who are currently most affected by climate change and ecological devastation, must be prioritised ahead of richer nations and corporations in the global north, to bring the process back to life. Council also resolves to do all it can to ensure that Glasgow provides an inclusive, credible and dynamic platform for COP26 and uses the opportunity of being the host city to catalyse its own action on reducing emissions. Specifically, Council agrees to: a. instruct the Leader of the Council to write to the Heads of State of each participating nation in COP26, setting out Glasgow's clear expectations of the progress which must be made; b. instruct the Chief Executive to write to the UK Government, in its role as lead organiser for COP26, to ensure that voices of those in the global south are prioritised, including by ensuring adequate visa arrangements for representatives of indigenous and marginalised groups and other experts and activists from the global south to travel to COP26; c. instruct the Leader of the Council to write to the UK and Scottish Governments to ensure that climate action is prioritised in their spending and legislative plans, so that Glasgow has the funding and powers it needs to implement its climate and ecological emergency action plans in partnership with neighbouring authorities, public, private and third sector partners, and local communities; d. work with partners to maximise sustainability in the delivery of COP26, for example by exploring options for free public transport, free bike use, restrictions on the use of petrol or diesel vehicles, committing to making 'last mile' journeys by active travel, utilisation of circular economy business models, and sustainable food procurement and provision; e. work in partnership with the emerging Scottish civil society coalition around COP26 in the development and delivery of all aspects of the event, including making sure that the voices of those communities most affected (and most likely to be affected) by climate change here and in the global south are heard directly and a legacy of connection and solidarity is built; and f. ensure that Glasgow's schools are supported to engage with COP 26 and that their capacity to deliver Learning for Sustainability, which enables pupils to explore and act on the issues underpinning the climate and ecological emergencies, is enhanced." View Papers |
| (e) | By Bailie Kyle Thornton:- "Council grieves the loss of life and environmental devastation caused by the Australian bushfire crisis in recent weeks. Council sends its solidarity with the people of Australia who are currently suffering, including those who have lost their homes and livelihoods, and the firefighters and emergency services who have been putting themselves in harm's way in an attempt to bring the fires under control. Council laments the impact of the bushfire crisis on Australia's ecology and acknowledges reports that over a billion animals and hundreds of billions of insects have perished in the state of New South Wales alone according to wildlife experts. Council notes that while bush fires have always been a regular feature of Australia's seasonal calendar, the impact of climate change is intensifying the severity of natural disasters such as these. Council appreciates the expertise of Professor Stefan Rahmstorf of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, and lead author of the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Fourth Assessment Report, who has stated that the Australian bushfires have been exacerbated by two factors which have a "well-established" link to climate change: heat and dry conditions. Council understands that according to Australia's Bureau of Meteorology, temperatures have risen by more than one degree Celsius since 1920 - with recent months breaking temperature records amid a prolonged period of drought. Council notes our declaration of a climate emergency in May of last year and acknowledges the work of the Climate Emergency Working Group in setting a target of Glasgow becoming a carbon neutral city by 2030. Council further endorses the ambitions of the Scottish and UK Governments to work towards carbon neutrality and celebrates the clean energy milestone reached in 2019 when for the first time since the industrial revolution the UK generated more of its energy from zero carbon sources than fossil fuels - generating a record 83 days of electricity without coal. Council further commends the UK Government for successfully securing Glasgow as the host city for the upcoming 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) which represents the world's best hope of producing an international response to the climate emergency. Council therefore instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Prime Minister of Australia, expressing Glasgow's sincerest sympathies for the tragedy that his country is facing and inviting him to personally attend COP26 later this year in order to advance our mutual commitment to fighting climate change." View Papers |