Agenda item

The Committee received a report for noting which provided an update on the immediate impacts of Brexit on Haringey as well as an outline for how the long-term risks and impacts of Brexit would be managed moving forward. The report was introduced by Jean Taylor, Head of Policy as set out in the agenda pack at pages 47-52. The following arose in response to the discussion of the report:

a.    In relation to procurement implications, the Committee questioned the possible loss of checks and balances, particularly as the UK was no longer aligned OEUJ procurement regulations and whether there was still an obligation to publish with finder tendering services. The Committee also sought assurances around whether, as the Green Paper was still a long time from being published, officers were satisfied with current arrangements around checks and balances. In response, officers agreed to provide a written response to these points. (Action: Jean Taylor).

b.    The Committee also questioned whether, in light of market softening, the Council was purchasing properties at above market rates. It was commented that the Council could be seen as an easy way for developers to get rid of properties at the top end of market values.  Officers responded that purchasing of properties was consistent with exiting strategies and assessment of need. Officers agreed to provide further information via email. (Action: Jean Taylor).

c.    The Committee also sought clarification as to whether there were any figures available for the number of EU citizens who had returned to their country of origin. The Committee also enquired about the number of residents who had received/applied for settled status and a comment on whether there were still problems with this process. Officers advised that there was anecdotal feedback on people returning to their country of origin, particularly in light of the economic impacts of Covid and that this applied to both those eligible for settled status as well as those who weren’t. It was suggested that this trend also pre-dated the pandemic.

d.    Officers commented that there was no readily available data source that allowed the authority to get a live picture of the data. It was envisaged that the census would provide a lot of information in this regard and the Council had also amended its equalities monitoring policy to capture nationality properly for the first time.

e.    Officers also advised the Committee that securing settled status or pre-settled status was a priority for the authority and that officer resources were in place to support this. The deadline for applications was approaching in the summer and a further update could be provided on this at  a future meeting.

f.     The Committee sought assurances around the impact of staffing in the care sector, which had previously been highlighted as an area of concern. In response, officers advised that the authority was monitoring the impact on the workforce and that social care workers were a particular area of concern. From the latest round of returns, officers had not been made aware of any significant impact but assured the Committee that this was an ongoing priority for monitoring.

g.    The Committee requested that a further update on Brexit be brought back to a future meeting in the early autumn and that this include an update on applications for settled status.

RESOLVED

The Committee noted the update.