Agenda item

Motion A (2012/13)

Councillor Winskill has given notice that he will move in the following terms:

This Council

·        recognises the importance of local post offices to decent neighbourhoods and strong communities.

·        welcomes the fact that after 20 years of reductions of service and closure of post offices to the detriment of local communities, the current coalition government is investing £1.3 billion to stabilise, improve and extend the services of post offices throughout the UK.

Council notes

·        the recent request from the Post Office Minister for councils to enter into strategic relationships with the Post Office to:

        Review the current location of post offices

        Review the services which they provide at present and could do in the future

        Look at ways of enhancing co-operation between the Post Office and all public sector bodies, but particularly the Council

        Develop methods for working together to deal with problems of financial exclusion. 

The Council resolves

·        To ask the Chief Executive to write to the chair of the Post Office to invite talks for the establishment of such a partnership in Haringey and to offer that the council provides a lead.

Motion B (2012/13)

Councillor Goldberg has given notice that he will move in the following terms:

This Council believes:

-         At a time when many low/middle income families are struggling to cope with the impact of tax and benefit changes and rising households costs, it is wrong for the Government to prioritise giving a £40,000 income tax cut to 14,000 millionaires across the UK    

-    This is particularly the case given that low income households with children in Haringey have been disproportionately hit by cuts in working tax credits since April 2012 

This council notes:

-     Around 1880 Haringey families in part time work have seen their working tax credits cut by up to £3,870 a year as a result of the Government increasing the amount of hours couples are required to work from 16 to 24 hours     

-         In the current economic climate, the majority of couples in part time work will find it difficult to increase the hours they work in order to be eligible for tax credits. 

-         The cuts in working tax credits are impacting the lives of around 5000 children in Haringey

-         Around 1900 families in Haringey are at the same time losing help with childcare costs.

-         For those families affected by the tax credit changes, the cuts negate any small benefit obtained from the rise in the income tax threshold introduced in April 2012

-         The cuts in working tax credits undermine the Government’s claims to be ‘making work pay’ as extra financial support for the low paid in part time work is withdrawn at a time of rising rents, transport costs and childcare costs  

This Council resolves:

-         To write to the chancellor asking that he cancels the proposed cut in the top rate of income tax being introduced in April 2013

-         To ask the chancellor to reinstate working tax credits for low paid households working fewer than 24 hours a week.        

Motions A & B (2012/13)

Motions A & B was not reached due to the late hour.