Glasgow City Council Agenda - 03 April 2008, 13:30 
A meeting to be held at at 13:30 on 03 April 2008.
| Number | Item |
|---|---|
| 1895 | Minutes of Council meetings of 12th and 21st February 2008 (Print 6, pages 723 to 736). View Papers |
| 2 | Print 6 - Committees' minutes - Consideration of paragraphs marked "C", remaining paragraphs being submitted for information only (page 737 onwards). |
| 3 | Consideration of minutes previously objected to. |
| 4 | Invitations to attend conferences etc - Report by Chief Executive. View Papers |
| 5 | Changes to committees etc. |
| 6 | Representation on outside bodies |
| (a) | Glasgow Community Safety Services - Add David Ritchie; and |
| (b) | West of Scotland Road Safety Forum - Remove Ruth Simpson and add Euan McLeod, with Gerald Leonard as substitute. |
| 7 | Correspondence. |
| 8 | Questions. |
| 9 | Notices of motion |
| (a) | by Councillor Steven Purcell "Council regrets the Scottish Government's decision to press ahead with its misconceived proposal for a Local Income Tax (LIT). Council notes that the biggest losers from the Scottish Government's proposals will be hard-working families and young working people, while the winners will be those living off unearned income. In contrast the poorest currently qualify for 100% Council Tax relief and would therefore gain no benefit from the LIT plan. Council further notes that there is nothing 'local' about a flat-rate 3p rise in Income Tax across all of Scotland, and this proposal is an attack on the ability of Councils to set local taxes. It will also harm Scotland's ability to attract and retain the skilled workers essential to economic success. Council warns that an estimated shortfall of £800 million in local government finances would have a catastrophic effect on vital public services in Glasgow. Council calls on the Scottish Government to consider fairer proposals for a property-based tax." |
| (b) | by Councillor Jennifer Dunn "Council recognizes the huge benefits to Glasgow from the many students who study in the city, in particular, from the skilled workforce that is available from the high graduate numbers in the city. Council also recognizes the significant contribution to Glasgow's economy from the three universities and numerous colleges. Council believes that supporting students financially is an investment for the future economy, and congratulates the Scottish Government's abolition of the graduate endowment fee. Council also supports the replacement of student loans with student grants." |
| (c) | by Bailie Dr Nina Baker "The Council recognizes that the principle energy resources - oil and gas have reached or will soon reach their supply peaks and then diminish sharply, inevitably leading to increasing costs for electricity and heating. The supply of piped gas from Europe will peak by 2010, so that urgent action is needed to reduce our reliance on gas heating (ref: 2007 BP Statistical Review of World Energy). The number of households living in poverty in Glasgow has increased by over 27,000 since 2002, due to increased costs of Gas and Electricity. As these costs are predicted to continue rising in relation to incomes, fuel poverty will not reduce unless dramatic action is taken. The UK Government is committed to bringing in zero carbon building standards by 2016. Glasgow should take the lead by introducing the English Code for Sustainable Homes level 6 as the required building standards for new residential buildings. This standard will mean that new residential building will be built to such a standard that they will not require any form of heating. This Council therefore believes we should adopt the Code for Sustainable Homes level 6 as the required building standard for new residential buildings and incorporate this requirement into City Plan 2." |
| (d) | by Councillor Alex Dingwall "Council welcomes the decision of Home Secretary Jacqui Smith to review the case of Mehdi Kazemi, a gay teenager from Iran who faced deportation back to Iran where his partner had been arrested and executed. However Council believes that the UK Government should urgently review all similar cases where Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender asylum seekers face persecution, imprisonment or execution if returned to their country. Council therefore agrees that the Chief Executive write to the Home Secretary urging her to halt any further deportations and to review the Home Office policy to ensure that anyone with a well founded fear of persecution on account of their real or imputed sexual identity is able to seek and obtain asylum in accordance with the UN Refugee Convention." |