Agenda

Venue: MS Teams

Contact: Ayshe Simsek, Democratic Services and Scrutiny Manager 

Note: use the link on the agenda front sheet or paste the following into your browser https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MmVmNWI5MTctZjM3OS00ODNlLTg2MTEtMDJhZThmY2E2ZTcw%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%226ddfa760-8cd5-44a8-8e48-d8ca487731c3%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2223a26c29-9165-4501-876b-873e129c6319%22%2c%22IsBroadcastMeeting%22%3atrue%7d&btype=a&role=a 

Items
No. Item

1.

FILMING AT MEETINGS

Please note this meeting may be filmed or recorded by the Council for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council’s internet site or by anyone attending the meeting using any communication method.  Although we ask members of the public recording, filming or reporting on the meeting not to include the public seating areas, members of the public attending the meeting should be aware that we cannot guarantee that they will not be filmed or recorded by others attending the meeting.  Members of the public participating in the meeting (e.g. making deputations, asking questions, making oral protests) should be aware that they are likely to be filmed, recorded or reported on.  By entering the meeting room and using the public seating area, you are consenting to being filmed and to the possible use of those images and sound recordings.

 

The Chair of the meeting has the discretion to terminate or suspend filming or recording, if in his or her opinion continuation of the filming, recording or reporting would disrupt or prejudice the proceedings, infringe the rights of any individual, or may lead to the breach of a legal obligation by the Council.

2.

To receive apologies for absence

3.

To ask the Mayor to consider the admission of any late items of business in accordance with Section 100B of the Local Government Act 1972

4.

Declarations of Interest

A member with a disclosable pecuniary interest or a prejudicial interest in a matter who attends a meeting of the authority at which the matter is considered:

 

(i) must disclose the interest at the start of the meeting or when the interest becomes apparent, and

(ii) may not participate in any discussion or vote on the matter and must withdraw from the meeting room.

 

A member who discloses at a meeting a disclosable pecuniary interest which is not registered in the Register of Members’ Interests or the subject of a pending notification must notify the Monitoring Officer of the interest within 28 days of the disclosure.

 

Disclosable pecuniary interests, personal interests and prejudicial interests are defined at Paragraphs 5-7 and Appendix A of the Members’ Code of Conduct

 

5.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 1 March 2021 pdf icon PDF 187 KB

6.

To receive such communications as the Mayor may lay before the Council

7.

To receive the report of the Monitoring Officer and Head of Legal Services

8.

To consider requests to receive Deputations and/or Petitions and, if approved, to receive them

9.

To receive reports from the following bodies pdf icon PDF 12 KB

a)    Staffing and Remuneration Committee

b)    Standards Committee

Additional documents:

10.

Haringey Debate: Supporting the Vaccination effort in the Borough and building back better

11.

To answer questions, if any, in accordance with Council Rules of Procedure Nos. 9 & 10 pdf icon PDF 468 KB

1.      From Councillor Stone to the Cabinet Member for Finance and Strategic Regeneration

Can the Cabinet Member for Finance and Strategic Regeneration outline how the capital programme in the Council’s 2021/22 budget will benefit residents?

 

2.      From Cllr Dennison to the Cabinet Member for Finance and Strategic Regeneration

Well over £20 million in investment has been budgeted for upgrades to Wood Green HQ, Library & Customer Service Centre. What specifically is this being spent on?

 

3.      From Cllr Gunes to the Cabinet for Public Realm and Transformation

What support is the Council providing to residents experiencing immediate financial hardship as a result of the pandemic?

 

 

4.      Cllr Barnes to the Cabinet Member for Housing and Estate Renewal

Haringey has a record of failure on building Council homes going back over 30 years. When this administration took over, you promised to complete - not begin - the building of 1000 Council homes by 2022. Even before the pandemic began, you admitted you would fail to reach this target. Do you think these continued broken promises by successive Labour administrations in Haringey are acceptable to the residents of our borough?

 

5.      Cllr Peacock to the Leader of the Council

Can the Leader clarify why the Cabinet has chosen to pursue a full refurbishment of the Civic Centre rather than simply fixing the immediate safety issues?

 

 

6.      Cllr Cawley-Harrison to the Leader of the Council

The decision on Noel Park pods has been pushed back yet again. Can you give a clear timetable to leaseholders about what is happening with the works to their homes and how they will be supported by this Council?

 

12.

To consider the following Motions in accordance with Council Rules of Procedure No. 13 pdf icon PDF 127 KB

Motion C

Universal Basic Income

 

Proposer: Councillor Josh Dixon

Seconder: Councillor Sakina Chenot

 

Council notes that:

  • Financial security is critical to a stable and thriving society
  • According to Trust for London, 34% of Haringey’s population lives in poverty
  • Due to the nature of employment in Haringey the borough has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic, and has the highest growth rate in unemployment in the country
  • Haringey Council launched the Haringey Support Fund in March to provide one off emergency financial support to some residents facing unexpected financial hardship because of the impact of Covid-19
  • Results from a Finnish trial of Universal Basic Income (UBI) in 2017-18 showed improvements in employment and wellbeing for the group who participated
  • A network of UBI Labs has been set up and works with local authorities across the UK developing UBI proposals to address poverty, inequality, discrimination and environmental damage, long-term and immediately, in relation to coronavirus

 

Council believes that:

  • This year more than any other has shown that when unexpected events take place, the precarious nature of low-paid, insecure employment is a major fault-line in the resilience of our economy
  • A UBI could help alleviate poverty, opening the door to opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach, and liberate people from the anxiety of job insecurity through a monthly income regardless of employment status, wealth, or marital status
  • A UBI will prevent the need for short term emergency financial supports in moments of crisis, such as a pandemic or financial crash
  • There are many potential benefits to a UBI including:
    • More flexible workforce and greater freedom to change jobs;
    • Supporting a caring economy to value unpaid work;
    • Removing the negative impacts of means testing, benefit sanctions and conditionality;
    • Enabling greater opportunities for people to work in community and cultural activities or to train or reskill in areas that will be needed to transition to a lower-carbon economy
  • This is the right time to trial Universal Basic Income

 

Council resolves to:

  • Write to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, calling for a fully evaluated and fully-funded trial of basic income in our borough, as a result of the effects of the Covid pandemic
  • Work with other local authorities to help test UBI in London

 

 

Motion D

 

Proposed by Cllr Seema Chandwani

Seconded by Cllr Stone

 

Reinstate Council Tax Benefit

 

This Council notes:

  • In 2013, the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition government scrapped Council Tax Benefits;
  • This change to our council tax system was branded the Pickles Poll Tax after the Minister of the time - Eric Pickles;
  • Scrapping Council Tax Benefits resulted in over 5 million low-income households paying more council tax; 
  • The government replaced Council Tax Benefits with the Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS), which intended that people on a low income would pay up to 20% of their council tax, without consideration to affordability.

This Council further notes:

Additional documents:

13.

To receive the report of the Chief Executive pdf icon PDF 180 KB

To consider and agree the Council Calendar of Meetings for the 2021/22 Municipal Year.

Additional documents: