Agenda and minutes

www.swansea.gov.uk/disclosuresofinterests

The Chief Legal Officer gave advice regarding the potential personal and prejudicial interests that Councillors and / Officers may have on the agenda.

The Head of Democratic Services reminded Councillors and Officers that the

“Disclosures of Personal and Prejudicial Interests” sheet should only be completed if the Councillor / Officer actually had an interest to declare. Nil returns were not required. Councillors and Officers were also informed that any declarable interest must be made orally and in writing on the sheet.

In accordance with the provisions of the Code of Conduct adopted by the City and County of Swansea no interests were declared.

To approve & sign the Minutes of the previous meeting(s) as a correct record.

Resolved that the following Minutes be approved and signed as a correct record:

1)        Ordinary Meeting of Council held on 4 November 2020.

The Chief Legal Officer submitted an information report setting out the written responses to questions asked at the last Ordinary Meeting of Council.

1)              Condolences

a)              Former Councillor Keith Marsh

The Presiding Member referred with sadness to the recent death of Former Councillor Keith E Marsh. Former Councillor Marsh represented the Bishopston Ward on the City and County of Swansea for approximately 19 years from 4 June 1998 to 4 May 2017.

All present sat silently as a mark as sympathy and respect.

2)              Nick Williams – Director of Education

The Presiding Member stated that Nick Williams had retired as Director of Education with immediate effect due to ill-health. Nick helped to improve the Authority’s Education service over many years and in different roles. The presiding Member stated that he hoped that Nick’s health improves over the coming months and years and wished him best wishes for the future.

3)              APSE (Association for Public Service Excellence) Nominations

The Presiding Member announced that Swansea was well represented in the APSE Service Awards with five Service Areas shortlisted. These awards have been extremely competitive, with over 100 organisations taking part from across the UK. Only the very best submissions had been shortlisted in each category. The Authority had been shortlisted in the following categories:

Ø    Building Services for Workforce Initiative for the Development of the In-house Sprinkler Initiative.

Ø    Building Services for Best Team of the year.

Ø    Craig Cefn Parc for Best Housing and Regeneration Initiative.

Ø    Trading Standards Team of the year.

Ø    Culture Sport and Leisure Team of the year.

The winners shall be announced on 16 December 2020. Good luck to all involved.

4)              Corrections / Amendments to the Council Summons

a)              Item 13 “Consultation Response - Corporate Joint Committees

An amended version of the CJC Consultation response has been circulated. The paragraph in italics below has been added to response 1b.

1b)     Do you agree that CJCs should have broadly the same governance and administrative framework as a principal council provided that this is proportionate? Please give your reasons.

In principle, yes - this would appear to be appropriate provided it is indeed proportionate and does not develop into a separate administrative ‘monster’ over time. CJCs will need to be properly resourced and each CJC will need individual Monitoring Officer / S 151 Officer and Admin staff for each CJC., which needs to be recognised and supported financially by Welsh Government.

“It is important that CJC’s are subject to the same scrutiny and audit oversight as constituent authorities. Whilst such scrutiny arrangements should be at the discretion of the CJC’s it is essential that the cost of this additional scrutiny provision (including the costs of scrutiny officers working with the CJC) should be borne by Welsh Government so as not to impact on the ability and capacity of officers to carry out day to day scrutiny within each constituent authority.”

CJC’s will also allow for pooling of resources or sharing of specific skills and expertise and could help address some capacity issues.

1)              APSE (Association for Public Service Excellence) - Nomination for Council of the Year

The Leader of the Council announced that Swansea had been nominated as Council of the Year in the APSE Awards.

2)              Tidal Technology - Dragon Energy Island

The Leader of the Council provided an update in relation to the potential of Tidal Technology in Swansea Bay as part of the Dragon Energy Island scheme.

3)              Protecting Jobs within Swansea

The Leader of the Council expressed his concern at the demise of some of the major UK shopping chains. He stated that the Council was doing all possible to safeguard jobs within Swansea.

4)              Covid-19 Vaccine

The Leader of the Council stated that the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine would be rolled out in the coming days.

5)              Swansea - A Defibrillator Friendly City

The Leader of the Council stated that the Council was teaming up with local charity, Heartbeat Trust UK in order to install up to 200 life-saving defibrillators. The aim being to save lives and to make Swansea the first “defib-friendly” city in the UK.

Questions must be submitted in writing, no later than noon on the working day prior to the meeting.  Questions must relate to items on the agenda. Questions will be dealt with in a 10 minute period.

Two Public Questions were received. One was from John Childs in relation to Minute 33 “Pension Fund Update on Climate Change” and the other from Rebecca Evans (Member of the Senedd) in relation to Minute 41 “Councillors Questions - Question “Financial Ways to safeguard safe outside trading”.

The questions were responded to by the relevant Cabinet Members.

The Economy, Finance & Strategy Cabinet Member submitted a report detailing the calculation of the Council Tax Base for the City and County of Swansea, its Community / Town Councils and the Swansea Bay Port Health Authority for 2021-2022.  The Council is required to determine the Council Tax Bases by 31 December 2020.

Resolved that:

1)        The calculation of the Council Tax Bases for 2021-2022 be approved;

2)        In accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Tax Base) (Wales) Regulations 1995, as amended, the calculation by the City and County of Swansea Council for the Year 2021-2022 shall be:

The Chair of the Pension Fund Committee submitted a report on how the pension fund is progressing on its commitment to reduce the carbon footprint of its listed equity portfolio by 50% by 2022 and other initiatives to address climate change risk.

Resolved that:

1)              The action and progress identified in Paragraph 12 of the report that the Pension Fund has made in meeting its commitment to reducing its carbon exposure in its listed equity investments by 50% by 2022 be noted and approved.

The Cabinet Member for Homes, Energy & Service Transformation submitted an information report which presented a Policy review and proposed action following the Notice of Motion on Climate Change Emergency presented to Council on 27 June 2019.

Note: Councillor E W Fitzgerald asked a question in relation to Paragraph 2.1.21 (Active Travel Plan) of the report. She asked if there were figures relating to cycling, broken down between leisure users and commuters?”

The Environment Enhancement & Infrastructure Management Cabinet Member stated that a written response would be provided.

The Section 151 Officer submitted a report which sought consideration of the recommendation of the Appointments Committee of 17 November 2020 to appoint an additional Lay Member to the Audit Committee.

Resolved that:

1)              Julie Davies be appointed as a Lay Member of the Audit Committee commencing 4 December 2020.

2)              Her term of office shall end on 3 December 2025.

The Chief Executive submitted a report which provided an update on the arrangements around the Director of Education.

Resolved that:

1)              The approval of the Ill Health Retirement of Nick Williams be noted.

2)              The commencement of the process to recruit a Statutory Director of Education be noted.

3)              The appointment of Helen Morgan-Rees as Interim Statutory Director of Education be extended until such time as the post has been filled on a permanent basis.

The Leader of the Council submitted a report which sought approval for the Council’s response to the Welsh Government consultation on Corporate Joint Committees (CJCs) as provided by the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Bill.

Resolved that:

1)              The consultation response as outlined in Appendix A of the report be submitted to Welsh Government.

The Presiding Member, Monitoring Officer and Head of Democratic Services jointly submitted a report, which sought to make amendments in order to simplify, improve and / or add to the Council Constitution.

The proposed changes related to the following area of the Council Constitution:

a)              Part 3 – Responsivity for Functions – Terms of Reference – Policy Development Committees (PDCs).

Resolved that:

1)              The Economy & Infrastructure PDC be renamed as the Economy,

Environment & Infrastructure PDC.

2)              The Equalities & Future Generations PDC be renamed as the

Recovery & Future Generations PDC.

3)              The Terms of Reference of the Recovery & Future Generations PDC

be as outlined in Appendix A “Policy Development Committees (PDCs) Terms of Reference – Tracked Changes” of the report.

4)              Any consequential Constitutional amendments be made.

The Presiding Member, Monitoring Officer and Head of Democratic Services jointly submitted an information report setting out the amendments made by the Monitoring Officer to the Council Constitution following management and staffing changes in relation to the Social Services Directorate.

1)              Part A ‘Supplementary Questions’

Eight (8) Part A ‘Supplementary Questions’ were submitted. The relevant Cabinet Member(s) responded by way of written answers contained in the Council Summons.

Those supplementary question(s) required a written response are listed below:

Question 5

Councillor A M Day asked a question:

“Paragraph 2 of the written response refers to a forthcoming review. When will the review be undertaken and can the outcome of the review be shared with Councillors?”

The Homes, Energy & Service Transformation stated that written responses would be provided.

2)              Part B ‘Questions not requiring Supplementary Questions’

Three (3) Part B ‘Questions not requiring Supplementary Questions’ were submitted.

Notice of Motion from Councillors M Sherwood, R C Stewart, A S Lewis, D H Hopkins, J P Curtice, M B Lewis, M C Child, D W W Thomas, S Pritchard, W G Lewis, L V Walton, R Francis-Davies, L S Gibbard, A Pugh & C R Evans

Proposed by Councillor M Sherwood and Seconded by Councillor L Gibbard.

“That this Council:

a)              Believes that the current benefits system is failing citizens and is causing hardship to many communities in Swansea;

b)              Notes the concept of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) where citizens are paid a non means tested sum from the state to cover the basic cost of living, which is paid to all citizens individually, regardless of employment status, wealth, or marital status;

c)        Believes that testing a UBI is needed, as a UBI has the potential to address key challenges such as inequality, poverty, precarious employment, and loss of community through:

i)                Giving employers a more flexible workforce whilst giving employees greater freedom to change their job;

ii)              Valuing unpaid work, such as caring for family members and voluntary work;

iii)             Removing the negative impacts of benefit sanctions and conditionality;

iv)             Giving people more equal resources within the family, workplace and society.

d)              Notes the work of the UBI Lab network in developing proposals for pilots to test a UBI;

e)        Believes that the success of a UBI pilot should not be measured only by impact upon take-up of paid work, but also the impact upon communities and what the people within them do, how they feel, and how they relate to others and the environment around them;

f)         Believes that, given its history of social innovation, wealth of expertise, and active networks across community, business and public services, Swansea is ideally placed to pilot a UBI;

g)        Resolves to work with UBI Lab Swansea & Wales to prompt discussions within and beyond the city around a basic income;

h)        Resolves to send a copy of this Motion to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the Chancellor, the leader of the party in Government, their counterparts in all opposition political parties in Parliament, the First Minister of Wales and to all Swansea MPs”.

Resolved that the Notice of Motion outlined above be adopted.