Issue - meetings

To consider the following Notices of Motion under Standing Order 11:

A – Motions previously referred to the Executive for consideration in accordance with Standing Order 11(a)(ii)(copies of the relevant report to the Executive and an extract from the Executive minutes are attached)

(i)         From Councillor Blanchard

“Council notes that:

·  To produce foie gras, at just 12 weeks old ducks and geese are restrained and grain is forced down the throat through a tube or pipe, a process that often results in physical injury;

·  They are forcibly fed the equivalent to an adult human eating 1-28 lbs (7-13 kg) of spaghetti a day; and, after two or three weeks, when they are ready for slaughter, their livers will have swollen to about ten times normal size.  The swollen liver expands the abdomen and can make movement and breathing difficult, as well as causing other health problems;

·  Most ducks are kept in wire cages so small they have no room to turn around or stretch their wings, and their feet are often injured by the wire floor;

·  Many die before the force feeding cycle ends, and the mortality rate for ducks raised on foie gras farms is overwhelmingly the highest in the industry;

·  The force-feeding of geese is already outlawed in Poland, Denmark, Germany, Norway and Israel.

Council believes that:

·  This intolerably cruel and painful practice is unnecessary and should end;

·  The city of Chicago, USA, has shown tremendous compassionate leadership in its brave decision to ban foie gras in its shops and restaurants;

·  The torture of small innocent animals should not be a matter of personal dietary choice.

Council resolves to:

·  Instruct the Chief Executive to write to Ben Bradshaw MP, Minister of State responsible for Animal Welfare, informing him of this motion and asking for the production and sale of foie gras to be banned in the UK;

·  Do as much as reasonably possible to discourage or prohibit the sale of foie gras within the authority area, whether in shops or restaurants.”

B – Motions submitted for consideration directly by Council, in accordance with Standing Orders 11(a)(ii)

(ii)        From Councillor Steve Galloway

            "Council places on record its support for the Chief Constable of North Yorkshire in his efforts to ensure that adequate government grant is provided to his force to ensure that, at least, as many Police Officers and PCSOs are available, to enforce the law on the streets of York, as are currently allocated".

(iii)       From Councillor Kirk

“Council notes with concern the flooding caused around York this summer as a result of drainage systems being unable to cope with the level of rainfall.

Council calls for the government to introduce a statutory duty on the private water companies to review and upgrade drainage in line with the increased needs due to climate change, as well as to maintain drainage systems properly and make pumping stations proof against flooding.”

(iv)       From Councillor Potter

            “City of York Council calls upon North Yorkshire Police Authority to  ...  view the full agenda text for item 34

Six notices of motion had been received.  Councillor Steve Galloway therefore moved, Councillor Scott seconded and Council agreed a motion to suspend Standing Order 11(b), which limited the number of notices of motion to be discussed to five, so that all of the notices of motion could be considered.

(i)         Sale and Production of Foie Gras

This motion had previously been referred to the Executive for consideration in accordance with Standing Order 11(a)(ii):

“Council notes that:

·  To produce foie gras, at just 12 weeks old ducks and geese are restrained and grain is forced down the throat through a tube or pipe, a process that often results in physical injury;

·  They are forcibly fed the equivalent to an adult human eating 1-28 lbs (7-13 kg) of spaghetti a day; and, after two or three weeks, when they are ready for slaughter, their livers will have swollen to about ten times normal size.  The swollen liver expands the abdomen and can make movement and breathing difficult, as well as causing other health problems;

·                          Most ducks are kept in wire cages so small they have no room to turn around or stretch their wings, and their feet are often injured by the wire floor;

·  Many die before the force feeding cycle ends, and the mortality rate for ducks raised on foie gras farms is overwhelmingly the highest in the industry;

·  The force-feeding of geese is already outlawed in Poland, Denmark, Germany, Norway and Israel.

Council believes that:

·  This intolerably cruel and painful practice is unnecessary and should end;

·  The city of Chicago, USA, has shown tremendous compassionate leadership in its brave decision to ban foie gras in its shops and restaurants;

·  The torture of small innocent animals should not be a matter of personal dietary choice.

Council resolves to:

·  Instruct the Chief Executive to write to Ben Bradshaw MP, Minister of State responsible for Animal Welfare, informing him of this motion and asking for the production and sale of foie gras to be banned in the UK;

·  Do as much as reasonably possible to discourage or prohibit the sale of foie gras within the authority area, whether in shops or restaurants.”

As the proposer of the motion, Cllr Blanchard put forward an alteration with Council’s consent:

“Delete the final two bullet points after ‘Council resolves to’ and replace with:

·        ‘Instruct the Chief Executive to write to Lord Rooker, the Minister for Sustainable Food and Farming and Animal Health, stating the council’s concern regarding the sale of foie gras in the UK and requesting a review of central government policies on animal welfare issues;

·        Ban the procurement of foie gras by the council;

·        Ban sale of foie gras by the council on its premises;

·        Place a link to the website of Compassion in World Farming on the council website;

·        Inform representative hospitality organisations in the city of its view.’”

The altered motion was then moved by Cllr Blanchard, and seconded by Cllr Scott:

“Council notes that:

·  To produce foie gras, at just 12  ...  view the full minutes text for item 34