Agenda item

To consider the following Motions on Notice under Standing Order 23:

 

Motions submitted for consideration directly by Council, in accordance with Standing Order 23.1

 

(i)        From Cllr Gillies

 

Review of Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures

 

'Whereas Council

 

Notes the launch of the Government's 'Review of Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures' consultation;

 

Further notes that rates of problem and at-risk gambling, particularly on gaming machines, have been found to be higher among loyalty card holders and where there are clusters of gaming shops;

 

Recognises that whilst York does not have a severe problem of clusters of betting shops per se it does host a large number of betting shops, some of which, particularly in the city centre, are in close proximity to each other and all of which have gaming machines;

 

Council therefore requests that officers respond to the Government's consultation and to include the following points:

 

To ask the Government to address the evidence and widespread public concern over the use and abuse of gaming machines by reducing gaming machine stakes to £2;

 

To represent that local authorities should be given more powers to manage and respond to clusters of gambling premises in their areas; and

 

To support the introduction by the Government of a statutory cumulative impact approach to gambling licensing, in line with its approach to alcohol licensing.'

 

 

(ii)      From Cllr Runciman

 

Local Pharmacies

 

‘Council Notes:

 

·        Local pharmacies in York and North Yorkshire provide a range of NHS services and ensure residents can get face-to-face professional healthcare advice without an appointment.

·        Our pharmacies play an important role in promoting wellbeing such as healthy eating, smoking cessation, exercise, flu vaccination and sexual health.

·        96% of people can get to a pharmacy within 20 minutes, making them a health and social care asset close to where people live, work, and shop.

 

This Council is therefore extremely disappointed that the Department of Health (DH) proposes budget cuts of £200 million to pharmacies over the next two years to take effect from this month. This means a cut of 12% during the financial year and could lead to the loss of up to a quarter of pharmacies, putting extra pressure on our already strained GPs and hospitals.

 

The cuts to pharmacies come at a time of unprecedented pressure on wider health and social care services exacerbated by the following failures of the current Government:

 

·        Giving the NHS less than half of the £10 billion it promised before last year’s General Election

·        Cutting public health budgets, including in York where our public health grant has been reduced by £1.2 million over the last two years

·        A failure in the Autumn Statement to recognise or address the potential £2.6 billion national funding gap and growing crisis in social care

·        Earmarking a further £420 million of potential cuts to local services through the ‘Humber Coast and Vale’ Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP).

 

Council therefore resolves to write to the Secretary of State for Health, NHS England and Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group detailing our concerns and demanding an immediate reversal of the pharmacy proposals, as well as outlining our growing anxiety about the wider picture for local health and care services.’

 

(iii)     From Cllr S Barnes

 

Access to NHS Services

 

‘Council notes:

·        the financial crisis in health facing the NHS and City of York Council, whose public health funding has seen cutbacks in recent years;

·        The decision of Vale of York NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to ration access to NHS services by imposing conditions for surgery on some  who smoke or who are obese;

·        The expert clinical view put forward by the Royal College of Surgeons, and comments from its President, Clare Marx, who has labelled Vale of York NHS CCG’s policy as ‘frankly shocking’.

Council agrees with the CCG’s aim to reduce levels of obesity and smoking prevalence among York residents, and recognises that individuals themselves must play a part and take responsibility for looking after their own health.

 

But Council believes the recent CCG policy change regarding the provision of surgery to patients who are obese, or who smoke, sets a dangerous precedent. A change to restrict and ration health services to specific groups of people is unfair.

 

Furthermore, Council believes this policy threatens to exacerbate existing health inequalities.

 

Council resolves:

·        To write to Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Sir Simon Stevens, Head of NHS England, and Jeremy Hunt MP, Secretary of State for Health objecting to this decision in the strongest possible terms;

·        To request that the Executive commissions the Director of Public Health to assess the impact of this policy, including the impact on health inequalities, reporting back to Health and Adult Social Care Policy and Scrutiny Committee, with options recommended to Executive  for what the council can do to mitigate its impact on health inequalities.’

 

 

 

(iv)    From Cllr D’Agorne

 

Air Quality

 

‘Council notes:

·        That improving air quality is a key objective in the Council Plan and a matter of significant public concern;

·        That recent data shows that between 94 and 163 people die prematurely in York each year due to the impacts of poor air quality (Local Air Quality Management Status Report 2016, City of York Council);

·        That 50-70% of nitrogen dioxide pollution in York is from vehicle traffic, largely diesel vehicles and the annual average air quality objective for NO2 is still being breached at numerous locations around the inner ring road (Local Air Quality Management Status Report 2016, City of York Council)

·        A report by the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health in Feb 2016 estimated that the adverse impact on public health caused by air pollution costs the UK economy more than £20bn per year – around 16% of the current annual NHS budget.

·        The publication in December 2016 of draft guidelines by NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) calling on local authorities to take a range of actions to reduce the impact of road traffic related pollution on health including putting air quality at the centre of Local Plans, introducing Clean Air Zones and reducing emissions from public transport.

 

Council further notes:

·       That with the measures listed in York’s Third Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP3) in place, together withthe emission reduction measures through modal shift included in the Third Local Transport Plan (LTP3), the health based national air quality objectives for NO2 would be met by 2021 in all the current air quality ‘technical breach’ areas in York.

·       However, that while York has successfully secured ‘Go Ultra-Low City’ status and is making progress on establishing an electric charging network, there are significant actions identified in AQAP3 where a great deal still needs to be done to achieve targets. These include making tangible progress towards establishing a freight transhipment facility to keep delivery vehicles out of the city centre/urban areas, enforcement of anti-idling zones such as Rougier St, implementation of procurement requirements for council contracts, and firm plans for the establishment of a city centre Clean Air Zone by 2018.

·        That the AQAP3 plan makes no strategic assessment of the likely growth in traffic by 2021 and beyond arising out of housing growth within the draft Local Plan.

·        That the Council has a statutory public health responsibility to ‘improve the health of the local population’, with the overall management of air quality allocated to the Executive (section 3A, para. 2.1, no. 6 of the constitution).

 

Council therefore resolves to:

·        Request an annual joint strategic report to Executive by the Director for Place Services and the Director of Public Health on the progress towards targets and further actions proposed for all the elements of the Third Air Quality Management Plan (AQAP3), including the proposed Clean Air Zone for public transport, the Low Emission Strategy and the elements of the Third Local Transport Plan which relate to improving air quality.

 

·        Request a report to the Local Plan Working Group and Executive setting out how the emerging Local Plan will ensure that development does not detract from improvements in air quality in York. The completion of the city-wide transport model should include a cost/benefit analysis of the options for investment in a tram, light rail or guided bus way system to facilitate very low emission/zero carbon development, drawing on the experience of other cities in the UK and abroad.’

 

 

 

 

Motions submitted for consideration directly by Council, in accordance with Standing Order 22.1

 

(i)    Review of Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures

(proposed by Cllr Gillies and seconded by Cllr Douglas)

 

'Whereas Council

 

Notes the launch of the Government's 'Review of Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures' consultation;

 

Further notes that rates of problem and at-risk gambling, particularly on gaming machines, have been found to be higher among loyalty card holders and where there are clusters of gaming shops;

 

Recognises that whilst York does not have a severe problem of clusters of betting shops per se it does host a large number of betting shops, some of which, particularly in the city centre, are in close proximity to each other and all of which have gaming machines;

 

Council therefore requests that officers respond to the Government's consultation and to include the following points:

 

To ask the Government to address the evidence and widespread public concern over the use and abuse of gaming machines by reducing gaming machine stakes to £2;

 

To represent that local authorities should be given more powers to manage and respond to clusters of gambling premises in their areas; and

 

To support the introduction by the Government of a statutory cumulative impact approach to gambling licensing, in line with its approach to alcohol licensing.' ^1.

 

An amendment was proposed by Cllr Kramm as follows:

 

At the end of the motion the addition of the following paragraph:

 

That Officers present to the Local Plan Working

·        options for policy improvements which prevents clustering of betting shops, pay day loan shops, and pawnbrokers in the city and town centres,  

·        possibilities to restrict the change of use to Sui Generis uses and to limit the presence of fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs) in premises. ^2.

 

On being put to the vote the amendment was CARRIED.

 

A vote was then taken on the original motion, as altered by Cllr Kramm’s amendment, which was also CARRIED and it was

 

Resolved:  That the original motion, as altered by Cllr Kramm’s amendment, be approved.

 

(ii)  Local Pharmacies

(Proposed by Cllr Runciman and seconded by Cllr Cullwick)

 

‘Council Notes:

 

·        Local pharmacies in York and North Yorkshire provide a range of NHS services and ensure residents can get face-to-face professional healthcare advice without an appointment.

·        Our pharmacies play an important role in promoting wellbeing such as healthy eating, smoking cessation, exercise, flu vaccination and sexual health.

·        96% of people can get to a pharmacy within 20 minutes, making them a health and social care asset close to where people live, work, and shop.

 

This Council is therefore extremely disappointed that the Department of Health (DH) proposes budget cuts of £200 million to pharmacies over the next two years to take effect from this month. This means a cut of 12% during the financial year and could lead to the loss of up to a quarter of pharmacies, putting extra pressure on our already strained GPs and hospitals.

 

The cuts to pharmacies come at a time of unprecedented pressure on wider health and social care services exacerbated by the following failures of the current Government:

 

·        Giving the NHS less than half of the £10 billion it promised before last year’s General Election

·        Cutting public health budgets, including in York where our public health grant has been reduced by £1.2 million over the last two years

·        A failure in the Autumn Statement to recognise or address the potential £2.6 billion national funding gap and growing crisis in social care

·        Earmarking a further £420 million of potential cuts to local services through the ‘Humber Coast and Vale’ Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP).

 

Council therefore resolves to write to the Secretary of State for Health, NHS England and Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group detailing our concerns and demanding an immediate reversal of the pharmacy proposals, as well as outlining our growing anxiety about the wider picture for local health and care services.’

 

On being put to the vote the motion was CARRIED.

 

Resolved:  That the motion be approved.^3.

 

(iii)        Access to NHS Services

(Proposed by Cllr S Barnes and seconded by Cllr Boyce)

 

‘Council notes:

·        the financial crisis in health facing the NHS and City of York Council, whose public health funding has seen cutbacks in recent years;

·        The decision of Vale of York NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to ration access to NHS services by imposing conditions for surgery on some  who smoke or who are obese;

·        The expert clinical view put forward by the Royal College of Surgeons, and comments from its President, Clare Marx, who has labelled Vale of York NHS CCG’s policy as ‘frankly shocking’.

Council agrees with the CCG’s aim to reduce levels of obesity and smoking prevalence among York residents, and recognises that individuals themselves must play a part and take responsibility for looking after their own health.

 

But Council believes the recent CCG policy change regarding the provision of surgery to patients who are obese, or who smoke, sets a dangerous precedent. A change to restrict and ration health services to specific groups of people is unfair.

 

Furthermore, Council believes this policy threatens to exacerbate existing health inequalities.

 

Council resolves:

·        To write to Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Sir Simon Stevens, Head of NHS England, and Jeremy Hunt MP, Secretary of State for Health objecting to this decision in the strongest possible terms;^4.

 

·        To request that the Executive commissions the Director of Public Health to assess the impact of this policy, including the impact on health inequalities, reporting back to Health and Adult Social Care Policy and Scrutiny Committee, with options recommended to Executive  for what the council can do to mitigate its impact on health inequalities.’ ^5.

An amendment was proposed by Cllr Craghill as follows:

 

After ‘health inequalities‘ in the last paragraph before ‘Council resolves’ add ‘and is just one example of the sort of decisions which could limit access to NHS services for York residents as a result of the Government imposed Humber, Coast and Vale Sustainable Transformation Plan. There is still little clarity as to how the required £420 million saving will be made or which NHS facilities in the region will be closed or rationalised, jeopardising future free access for all.

‘In addition Council also notes there is clear opposition to the imposition of Sustainable Transformation Plans by an increasing number of Councils and Health and Well Being Boards, including Liverpool, Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin, Hammersmith & Fulham and Ealing.’

Under ‘Council resolves’ add a third bullet point:

‘To write to the Head of NHS England and the Secretary of State for Health to express this Council’s opposition to yet further cuts and service changes to the NHS through the Government imposed Sustainable Transformation Plans and to express this Council’s unwillingness to work with the Humber, Coast and Vale STP without a fully accountable governance structure and transparent public consultation on how the £420 million will be saved and the impact it will have on patients in York and across the region.’

On being put to the vote the amendment was LOST.

 

A vote was then taken on the original motion, which was CARRIED and it was

 

Resolved:  That the original motion, be approved.

 

(iv)  Air Quality

(Proposed by Cllr D’Agorne and seconded by Cllr Kramm)

 

‘Council notes:

·       That improving air quality is a key objective in the Council Plan and a matter of significant public concern;

·       That recent data shows that between 94 and 163 people die prematurely in York each year due to the impacts of poor air quality (Local Air Quality Management Status Report 2016, City of York Council);

·       That 50-70% of nitrogen dioxide pollution in York is from vehicle traffic, largely diesel vehicles and the annual average air quality objective for NO2 is still being breached at numerous locations around the inner ring road (Local Air Quality Management Status Report 2016, City of York Council)

·       A report by the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health in Feb 2016 estimated that the adverse impact on public health caused by air pollution costs the UK economy more than £20bn per year – around 16% of the current annual NHS budget.

·       The publication in December 2016 of draft guidelines by NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) calling on local authorities to take a range of actions to reduce the impact of road traffic related pollution on health including putting air quality at the centre of Local Plans, introducing Clean Air Zones and reducing emissions from public transport.

 

Council further notes:

·       That with the measures listed in York’s Third Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP3) in place, together withthe emission reduction measures through modal shift included in the Third Local Transport Plan (LTP3), the health based national air quality objectives for NO2 would be met by 2021 in all the current air quality ‘technical breach’ areas in York.

·       However, that while York has successfully secured ‘Go Ultra-Low City’ status and is making progress on establishing an electric charging network, there are significant actions identified in AQAP3 where a great deal still needs to be done to achieve targets. These include making tangible progress towards establishing a freight transhipment facility to keep delivery vehicles out of the city centre/urban areas, enforcement of anti-idling zones such as Rougier St, implementation of procurement requirements for council contracts, and firm plans for the establishment of a city centre Clean Air Zone by 2018.

·       That the AQAP3 plan makes no strategic assessment of the likely growth in traffic by 2021 and beyond arising out of housing growth within the draft Local Plan.

·       That the Council has a statutory public health responsibility to ‘improve the health of the local population’, with the overall management of air quality allocated to the Executive (section 3A, para. 2.1, no. 6 of the constitution).

 

Council therefore resolves to:

·       Request an annual joint strategic report to Executive by the Director for Place Services and the Director of Public Health on the progress towards targets and further actions proposed for all the elements of the Third Air Quality Management Plan (AQAP3), including the proposed Clean Air Zone for public transport, the Low Emission Strategy and the elements of the Third Local Transport Plan which relate to improving air quality.

 

·       Request a report to the Local Plan Working Group and Executive setting out how the emerging Local Plan will ensure that development does not detract from improvements in air quality in York. The completion of the city-wide transport model should include a cost/benefit analysis of the options for investment in a tram, light rail or guided bus way system to facilitate very low emission/zero carbon development, drawing on the experience of other cities in the UK and abroad.’

 

Cllr Galvin then moved and Cllr Aspden seconded referral of the motion to Corporate and Scrutiny Management Policy and Scrutiny Committee (CSMC) to enable a detailed examination of the motions content and recommendations to take place and on being put to the vote the motion to refer was CARRIED.

 

Resolved:  That the motion, be referred to CSMC for further examination.^6.