Issue - meetings

To enable Non Cabinet Members to raise an issue of relevance to Brent for debate on which notice has been provided in accordance with Standing Order 34 and to receive reports from Cabinet members, as required, on any issues previously raised.

Members are asked to note that the subject identified for debate at this meeting is as follows:

Provision of support to deal with cases of RAAC Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete in Brent Schools

Please note: The motion submitted as the basis for this debate has been attached.

(Agenda republished on 10 September 2023 to include a Labour Group amendment on the original motion submitted as the basis for the Non-Cabinet Member debate)

Following the approval of an amendment moved by the Labour Group in relation to the original motion submitted, the following motion (as amended) was AGREED as the outcome of the non-cabinet member debate:

“Provision of support to deal with cases of RAAC (Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete) in Brent Schools

This Council notes:

Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) is a lightweight form of concrete pioneered in Sweden whose use swept across Europe particularly in schools, colleges, and other building construction from the 1950’s until the mid-1990s.  Used in flat roofing, floors, and walls it offered a cheaper alternative to standard concrete, but its short lifespan means its use in permanent buildings has caused problems. The Secretary of State for Education has clarified, out of 22,500 schools in England, 156 have been confirmed to have RAAC and 52 of these have already got mitigations in place and are dealing with repairs.

To date, it has been identified that onlyone Brent school, although not maintained by the Council, has RAAC.  St. Gregory’s Catholic Science College discovered it had RAAC in its Maths block in November 2022. Safety measures were introduced, and work was completed by Tuesday 12^th September.  The Council was informed by the school’s CEO/Headteacher in January 2023 of the discovery of RAAC.  There is no current financial impact to the Council as the school affected is operated by an academy trust, therefore the local authority is not the responsible body.

Upon notification in January 2023, DfE have supported the school in arranging surveys and discussing the management of RAAC. Since the summer, a dedicated case officer has been assigned to the school from the DfE to manage the next steps of removing RAAC from the school with all costs to be reimbursed by the DfE as it rightfully should.

When Brent residents apply for rear building extensions, building control officers demand high quality materials be used. If this RAAC was known to have a recommended 30-year lifespan there must be question as to why it was approved in long term school and civic developments and what reviews were put in place by Building Control to undertake regular checks on its safety?

Parents, teachers and pupils across the country have been rightly concerned aboutthe news of RAAC and this has been reflected in how it has been reported.  The Secretary of State for Education Gillian Keegan MP is the tenth Conservative Secretary of State for Education since 2010 and showed no sympathy for parents’ concerns across the UK in her highly unprofessional behaviour when she was being interviewed by ITV news.

As a result, this Council recognises:

·             That the Conservative Government in the 1980s colluded in neglecting capital and infrastructure investment despite insatiable public demand for increased revenue spending on vital public services. This has been worsened by the effects of Austerity which decimated the country’s public services and de-funded buildings provided for our nation’s schoolchildren. People a century ago  ...  view the full decision text for item 15

In accordance with Standing Order 34, the Mayor advised that the next item on the agenda was the non-cabinet member debate, with the subject chosen for consideration being the provision of support regarding cases of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in Brent Schools.

Members were advised that the motion submitted as the basis for the debate had been circulated with the agenda and that the time available for the debate was 25 minutes.

Prior to the introduction of the motion submitted for debate, Councillor Kansagra raised a Point of Order regarding the limited notice provided of the subsequent amendment to the original motion which had submitted by the Labour Group.  As a result, he advised he would be seeking to raise the process and timing for the submission of amendments to motions at the next Constitutional Working Group in an effort to ensure sufficient time was provided for amendments to be properly considered in advance of the relevant meeting.

Having noted the comments highlighted by Councillor Kansagra, the Mayor then invited Councillor Mistry to introduce the motion which had been submitted as the basis for the Non-Cabinet Member debate.  As context for the debate, Councillor Mistry outlined the background to the use of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in building construction and safety concerns relating to its use in the construction of school buildings.  As a result of an inspection programme initiated by the Department for Education (DfE), the Secretary of State for Education had recently confirmed a total of 156 schools across England as having identified RAAC within their buildings of which 52 now had mitigations in place.  In terms of Brent, one school had initially been identified within the list (St Gregory’s Catholic Science College School) with another having subsequently been identified at Kingsbury High School but she was pleased to note that work was now underway to complete repairs following the introduction of safety measures and liaison with the Council.  In recognising that there would be no financial impact on the Council in terms of St Gregory’s Catholic Science College, as the school operated as an Academy, Councillor Mistry advised that the motion was seeking to ensure the necessary support was in place for any further schools identified as being affected moving forward, recognising the issue as one which fell under the responsibility of successive Governments since the 1980s.

In addressing the amendment submitted to the motion by the Labour Group, Councillor Mistry expressed disappointment at the extent of the changes proposed as it was hoped that members from all groups on the Council would be seeking the same outcome in terms of the support and financial assistance being sought from the DfE to mitigate and ensure the necessary repairs could be undertaken to ensure the safety of all sites affected.  Whilst recognising the support provided for St Gregory’s Catholic Science College School, Councillor Mistry reiterated the need to recognise this as a failure of successive governments and hoped that on this basis all members would support  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15

To enable Non Cabinet Members to raise an issue of relevance to Brent for debate on which notice has been provided in accordance with Standing Order 34 and to receive reports from Cabinet members, as required, on any issues previously raised.

Members are asked to note that the subject identified for debate at this meeting is as follows:

Casey Review of the Metropolitan Police

Please note: The motion submitted as the basis for this debate has been attached.

The following motion was unanimously AGREED as the outcome of the non-cabinet member debate:

“Casey Review – Metropolitan Police

This Council notes:

§    The damning findings of the March 2023 Casey Review, which showed a persistent and endemic culture of racism, misogyny, homophobia and violence against women within London’s Metropolitan Police force.

§    The recent BBC investigation that found that the Metropolitan Police seriously mishandled key inquiries related to a major suspect in the murder of Stephen Lawrence.

§    That whilst the Casey Review and the recent revelations about the Stephen Lawrence investigation are shocking, it will not be surprising to many in our communities across Brent who have been failed by the Metropolitan Police. Rather, these findings have further exposed an institution that has been known for systemic failures since before the murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1993.

§    The persistent failure of leadership at all levels of the Metropolitan Police to act decisively and remove dangerous officers from their posts, despite multiple reports showing their propensity for serious harm prior to the violence and destruction they subsequently caused to dozens of lives.

§    That the murder of Sarah Everard by Wayne Couzens, the dehumanising treatment of Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman, the Stephen Port murders, and the 48 rape offenses committed by David Carrick might have been prevented if swift and effective action had been taken at the time.

This Council also notes:

§    That crime disproportionately impacts members of the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities, those on the lowest incomes and members of the LGBTQ+ community, and that tackling crime across the borough means it is integral that these communities have trust and faith in the police that serve them.

§    Black people are nine times more likely to be stopped and searched by police than white people, official figures for England and Wales show.

§    As highlighted by Baroness Casey, it is not enough for the Metropolitan Police to “reflect” on what needs to change, but that it needs a complete overhaul in order to take firm and decisive action against racism, misogyny and homophobia.

§    The work of the Independent Scrutiny and Oversight Board, which has highlighted the reluctance of the Metropolitan Police so far to make any significant change.

§    Whilst this council recognises the heroic work done by many police officers, including our own neighbourhood officers here in Brent, there is clearly unfinished business in the police force if there is to be an end to the culture that enabled these horrifying injustices to take place.

This Council further notes:

§    Brent Council's efforts to address Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) through the following initiatives:

o      The establishment of a VAWG Scrutiny Task Group in 2020 which provided a set of recommendations on how best to utilise Council resources to help combat VAWG. These recommendations are currently being implemented and its progress regularly reviewed to ensure this issue remains a high priority for the Council.

o      Increased resources  ...  view the full decision text for item 14

In accordance with Standing Order 34, the Mayor advised that the next item on the agenda was the non-Cabinet member debate, with the subject chosen for consideration being the Casey Review of the Metropolitan Police.

Members were advised that the motion submitted as the basis for the debate had been circulated with the agenda and that the time available for the debate was 25 minutes.

The Mayor then invited Councillor Dixon to introduce the motion. As context for the debate, Councillor Dixon began by referencing the Sarah Everard case and expressing concern that the subsequent review undertaken by Baroness Casey had been driven through the concerns highlighted by women and other groups rather than an internal desire for change within the Metropolitan Police.  Whilst it was felt that the Metropolitan Police could change and rebuild trust, Councillor Dixon highlighted that for many communities this would involve a long and complex process given the loss in faith of policing by consent and need for the Metropolitan Police to open itself up to scrutiny as a result of the damning findings in the Casey Review, which had shown a persistent and endemic culture of racism, misogyny, homophobia and violence against women.  In pointing to the findings of institutionalised racism, lack of leadership and professional incompetence detailed in the Macpherson Report which had followed the death of Stephen Lawrence, Councillor Dixon stated that the findings of the Casey Review were again shocking with a critical need for fundamental change identified in order to rectify the elitism within the Police, the abuses of frontline officers, and the misogyny and racism embedded in the force. In commending and valuing the model of local neighbourhood policing as an essential way forward, Councillor Dixon praised the work of the local Safer Neighbourhood Teams which she was keen to see properly resourced.  Highlighting the increasing democratic deficit between the Metropolitan Police and communities they served, Councillor Dixon hoped all members would support the motion in seeking to add their voice and back the call for the recommendations within the Casey Review to be implemented as soon as possible. including the provision of more powers to the Commissioner to tackle the issues identified, addressing issues in terms of recruitment and police numbers and the establishment of new teams to deal with rape and domestic abuse with the disbanding of teams where it was clear deep rooted issues had taken hold.  In highlighting the need for action, it was felt the measures identified were essential in seeking to address the lost of trust in the Metropolitan Police as well as in ensuring the safety of victims.

The Mayor thanked Councillor Dixon for introducing the motion and then opened up the debate for contributions from other members.

In supporting the motion, Councillor Johnson stressed that a city as diverse as London required a police service that reflected the communities it served, with everyone needing to feel fairly treated irrespective of their characteristics. In highlighting the major mishandling of key inquiries  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14