Glasgow City Council Agenda - 29 October 2020, 11:00 
A meeting to be held at by video conference at 11:00 on 29 October 2020.
| Number | Item |
|---|---|
| 1 | Minutes of Council meeting of 10th September 2020 (Print 2, pages 22 to 39). View Papers |
| 2 | Print 2 - Committees' minutes - Submitted for information and approval as a correct record only (page 40 onwards). View Papers |
| 3 | Changes to committees etc. View Papers |
| 4 | Representation on outside bodies - Culture and Sport Glasgow (Glasgow Life) - Appoint Mrs Siobhan Nairn as Independent Director in place of Mr Benny Higgins and re-appoint Ms Lee McConnell, Mr Iain Mac Ritchie and Mr Dilawar Singh as Independednt Directors. View Papers |
| 5 | Correspondence:- View Papers |
| (a) | Letter from Minister for Older People and Equalities in response to motion on Black Lives Matter etc; and View Papers |
| (b) | Letter from First Minister in response to motion on frontline staff during coronavirus pandemic. View Papers |
| 6 | Questions. View Papers |
| 7 | Notices of motions. |
| (a) | By Councillor Richard Bell:- "Council notes the crisis of low pay and precarity in a labour market characterised by increasingly casualised forms of employment that offer little in the way of pay, predictable hours or long-term security which have been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Council further notes the evident inability of our bureaucratically costly social security system, with its dependence on means-testing and often arbitrary sanctions, to provide an adequate income. Council believes that a Universal Basic Income, an unconditional, non-withdrawable income paid to everyone, has the potential to offer genuine social security to all while boosting entrepreneurialism and the creation of small businesses. Council further believes that a Universal Basic Income could see everyone through emergency periods, and a recovery phase, providing structural support to all in society as we face the challenge of COVID-19 and future challenges such as automation in the workplace. Council welcomes the results of the recent feasibility study in Scottish council areas including Glasgow, and the recommendation that Scotland commits to a 3-year pilot of the idea co-delivered by the Scottish and UK Governments alongside local authorities, which would provide a reliable, unconditional source of income for everyone. Council considers that as the world looks for ways to build back better from this global crisis, Scotland is well placed to take a world-leading role in developing new radical approaches that provide a real safety net for the most vulnerable people in society, and that Glasgow should be at the heart of this. Council calls on the UK and Scottish Government to fund and commission the possibilities offered by the feasibility study. Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Prime Minister and First Minister noting Glasgow City Council's willingness to collaborate in implementing a Universal Basic Income, highlighting the potential for economic renewal and stability, thus supporting a sustainable, inclusive and wellbeing economy. View Papers |
| (b) | By Councillor Martin Rhodes:- Council notes the decision made by TSB to close a further 6 branches across Glasgow; that research by Which? Magazine suggests that Glasgow will have lost around 50% of its local bank branches by 2021; and that similar concerns have been expressed about reductions in the network of free ATMs. Council believes that local and easily accessible bank branches are an important part of building a local community; recognises that the pace of change towards digital banking risks isolating vulnerable residents and undermining local, small businesses; and that access to free ATMs is vital for our communities. Council further believes that this situation is contrary to the spirit of this Council's Financial Inclusion Strategy, namely that services should be provided locally and accessibly, and at the earliest opportunity to reduce crisis demand on the public purse; and contrary to the Council's Strategic Plan to support small businesses and support business diversity in local high streets across the City. Council therefore resolves to condemn the continuing closure of local bank branches, calls on TSB Bank to reverse these decisions; and that a report should be brought to the relevant Committee outlining how the Council is working and can work with partners such as credit unions, advice services, commercial banks and others to: - ensure that citizens have access to basic banking facilities that are accessible, flexible and local to them; - ensure that there is provision for free ATMs across the city and all its communities; and - ensure that lack of available cash and the blight of vacant bank branches are not barriers to local high street growth. View Papers |
| (c) | By Councillor Euan Blockley:- "Council notes the recent release of the Evaluation of Attainment Scotland Fund - Third interim report - Year 4 which states: 'On a number of NIF attainment measures, there is some progress in closing the attainment gap, although this is a varied picture depending on the measure under consideration. Overall, quantitative measures of the attainment gap do not yet show a consistent pattern of improvement.' Council regrets the slow pace of progress in closing the attainment gap in Scotland, despite the First Minister of Scotland identifying it specifically in 2015 as the priority by which she should be personally judged. Council notes that the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic has the potential to worsen educational inequality in Scotland. Council further acknowledges the impact of the Scottish Government's cuts to Glasgow's budget which put pressure on Council's resources to improve educational attainment within the city. Council notes Scotland's local government revenue budget decreased by 7.1% between 2013/14-2018/19, a rate 9 times higher than the change to the Scottish Government's revenue budget over the same period, and that the latest Scottish Government GERS figures show that these cuts have been forced on councils despite public expenditure in Scotland being £1,633 higher than the UK average due to the UK Government's Barnett Formula. Council notes the recent publication of the Scottish Conservative educational policy paper entitled 'Restore our Schools' which outlines a number of measures designed to improve educational standards in Scotland. These include: - the recruitment of 3,000 teachers - including over 300 here in Glasgow. - the establishment of a national tutoring programme to give extra support to pupils who have fallen behind their peers during the Coronavirus pandemic. - a new independent school and education inspector which would report to the Scottish Parliament and ensure that education policy is genuinely accountable to the electorate. Council further notes the Scottish Government's rejection of a motion tabled in the Scottish Parliament which would have sought to plainly state the priority of the Scottish Government to focus on narrowing the attainment gap in schools instead of talking about the constitution and separation. Council regrets that the Scottish Government refused to make this commitment and that it would rather prioritise constitutional debate over action on attainment. Council welcomes the UK Government's commitment to bridging the gap between education and employment with a comprehensive package of support for businesses to invest in training and apprenticeships, including through the £2 billion Kickstart Scheme. Council encourages eligible Glasgow businesses to participate in the scheme and provide opportunities to our city's young people at risk of long term unemployment. Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills outlining its support for the Scottish Government to plainly state that its priority is narrowing the attainment gap and that this is a far greater priority than debates over separation. View Papers |
| (d) | By Bailie Dr Martin Bartos:- "Council reaffirms its belief in the importance of an ecologically and economically sustainable, integrated multi-modal public transport network which is safe, accessible and affordable to serve the needs of people across this and nearby regional authorities. Council notes the worsening climate emergency, as well as the need for a green recovery from the current pandemic, which together underpin the need for effective, collective action on transport. Council welcomes fresh ideas and momentum, such as the Free Our City campaign for free transport. Council recognises Scottish Government's work on active travel and its commitment to the Scottish Greens' proposal for free bus travel for under 19s and agrees that options to extend this should be explored. Council believes sustainable revenue and capital funding is required to underpin a step change towards better public transport and notes that successive Governments have not provided this. Council agrees that in order to achieve better integration and delivery of this essential public service and to deliver any ambitious new public transport projects: 1. the public transport network must move into public control, and 2. government must agree with Transport Authorities a new mechanism for sustainable revenue funding. Council agrees to write to Scottish Ministers asking them to engage with the Transport Authorities to give effect to these recommendations." View Papers |
| (e) | By Councillor Rhiannon Spear:- "COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown from March this year was an event without parallel in Education. Never before had pupils been sent home to the care of their families for such a prolonged period. Providing them with ongoing support and education presented teachers, other education staff, parents, carers and the pupils themselves with an unprecedented challenge. How the City responded to that challenge is set out in the report 'Glasgow Stories of Recovery, Resilience and Reconnection' and this Council commends that report. In particular Council further commends all of the teachers, staff, parents, carers, pupils and representative groups such as Glasgow City Parents Group who rose to the challenge of ensuring that educational continuity and support was available from March to August. This City thanks all of them for their work and effort. Council notes that the challenge of COVID continues but also notes and welcomes the fact that our Education system is better prepared for remote learning and online support as a result of facing the challenges of recent months. Further, Council reaffirms its commitment to be a Nurturing City with strong relationships, compassion and adaptive leadership at its core." View Papers |
| 8 | Emergency motion by Councillor Graham Campbell:- "Council recognises the appalling casualties and loss of life among civilians protesting police brutality in Nigeria and condemns the violent response to peaceful protests, which has led to dozens being killed, hundreds injured and hundreds more detained in police custody. Council notes widespread concern, including within the Nigerian diaspora in Glasgow, about the role of the notorious Specialist Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), which has been the subject of persistent complaints and allegations of human rights abuses and corruption over a number of years. Council is further concerned by reports of the Nigerian military directly shooting at civilians carrying out a peaceful protest at Lekki, Lagos on October 20. Although the number of fatalities is yet to be confirmed, the incident has been confirmed by local officials and described as both excessive and unlawful by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Council notes there have been widespread reports of the bodies of innocent civilian protestors being removed from the scene and of violence, including sexual violence, being used against female detainees. Council notes with deep concern the deteriorating security situation and the curfews being imposed in many major Nigerian cities and acknowledges the cries for justice against endemic corruption and violence. Council further notes reports of SARS officers demanding bribes at gunpoint and illegally detaining, assaulting and robbing innocent civilians - particularly drivers, students and the operators of small businesses. Council recognises the voices from the Nigerian Diaspora communities in Glasgow who protested in their hundreds in George Square on Saturday October 24th 2020. Council supports the five key demands they have raised: 1) The immediate release of all arrested protesters 2) Justice for all the deceased victims of police brutality and appropriate compensation for their families 3) Setting up an independent body to oversee the investigation and prosecution of all reports of police misconduct 4) Training the police and retraining disbanded SARS officers in line with Nigeria's new Police Act, use psychological evaluation and training (to be confirmed by an independent body) of all disbanded SARS officers before they can be redeployed. 5) Increase police salaries so that they are adequately compensated for protecting lives and property. Council further acknowledges the urgent need to reform the Nigerian Police force to restore public confidence in law enforcement and calls for a code of conduct body that will ensure that Nigerian police rules of engagement with the public and public rights in relations to the security agencies are clearly communicated. Council therefore resolves to approach Police Scotland and engage the Safe Glasgow Partnership to investigate the possibility of offering the expert training resources available at the Police Training College, Tulliallan to their police counterparts in Nigeria. Council further resolves that the Leader of the Council write to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice to make Scottish Government representations to the Nigerian Consulate and to make our citizens views known to them. Council further resolves that the Leader also write to UK Government Foreign Secretary to make similar representations to the Nigerian authorities that they must End SARS now. Council resolves to support efforts to seek a peaceful resolution that meets the demands of the End SARS protesters for fundamental reform in Nigeria." View Papers |
| 9 | Emergency motion by Councillor Thomas Kerr:- "Council notes that the Scottish Government's Coronavirus Strategic Framework received Parliamentary approval on Tuesday and sets out Scotland's strategic approach to suppress the virus to the lowest possible level and keep it there, while we strive to return to a more normal life for as many people as possible. Council understands that the Framework moves to a strategic approach to outbreak management based on 5 levels of protection and acknowledges the statement of the First Minister of Scotland as well as engagement from Scottish Government Ministers indicating that from 2nd November the City of Glasgow may be placed into Tier 3 - the second highest level of restrictions. Council notes that higher levels of restrictions - Tier 2 and above - are intended to be in place for relatively short periods (2-4 weeks) and only for as long as required to get the virus down to a low, sustainable level. Council notes that existing, broadly comparable restrictions to Tier 3, have already been in place for several weeks in Glasgow and businesses affected currently have no clarity on when they should begin preparations to reopen their premises. Council acknowledges the package of financial support to businesses affected by restrictions within the Strategic Framework. Council notes that despite the Scottish Government's commitment to matching the level of business grants in England there has been no comparable guarantee to backdate to August the financial support Scottish businesses can expect to receive. Council considers that, despite the package of financial support within the Strategic Framework, there is far more that needs to be done to support businesses in Glasgow. Council recognises the reaction to the Strategic Framework from industry bodies including the Scottish Retail Consortium who have criticised plans to close non-essential shops in Tier 4 in these terms: "we believe any move to close non-essential retailers will have only a very minimal impact on reducing the spread of the virus whilst carrying very significant economic harms...Any attempt to close non-essential stores during the golden Christmas shopping quarter may mean many are unable to reopen, having missed out on this vital trading period." Council further recognises Dr Liz Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, who has said "We cannot stress enough how essential it is that businesses have as much clarity on restrictions on trading as is possible…The support available for business will be essential as restrictions continue and we urge governments to ensure it is allocated efficiently and effectively over the coming weeks and months." Council notes that the UK Government has increased the Scottish Government's budget by £7.2 billion to tackle Coronavirus, on top of Scotland's access to UK-wide schemes, including the recently enhanced Job Support Scheme, a doubling of the self-employment grant, and 79,000 businesses in Scotland accessing £2.9 billion from UK Government Coronavirus loan schemes. Council further notes that £700 million worth of funding to the Scottish Government from the UK Government allocated at the beginning of the month has yet to fully laid out. Council believes that the Scottish Government should work closely with the UK Government in order to ensure funding gets to businesses as quickly as possible and recognises that in light of the ever-changing situation, further funding might have to be made available from the Chancellor and in that event, the Council would resolve to ensure that money would be guaranteed from the UK Government as has been the case throughout the pandemic. Council further resolves to write to the First Minister of Scotland asking that she utilises monies and the powers available to the Scottish Government to enhance the economic package of support for businesses immediately affected by Coronavirus restrictions in Glasgow and to ask that she provide further clarity for the city's businesses by ensuring any change in Tier Level is communicated well in advance through the creation of a Coronavirus Business Council to give premises time to plan and adapt and additionally to ensure that business support is made available as soon as restrictions come into force in order to protect jobs and livelihoods." View Papers |