Agenda item

To debate the motions submitted in accordance with Standing Order 41.

 

Members are asked to note:

·                that the motions submitted have now been republished with the agenda along with proposed amendments of which notice has been received.

·                Where a motion concerns an executive function, nothing passed can be actioned until approved by the Executive or an officer with the relevant delegated power.

 

(Agenda republished to include the motions on 7 July 2022 and subsequent notice of proposed amendments on 11 July 2022)

(1)        Following the approval of an amendment moved by the Labour Group in relation to the original Motion submitted by the Conservative Group, the following Motion (as amended) was AGREED:

 

“Pollution of the Wealdstone Brook

 

The Wealdstone Brook, which runs in open water, starts in Harrow, runs through Woodcock Park in Kenton and then into Wembley past all the new developments around the stadium before reaching the River Brent, has been heavily polluted with untreated human sewage and toxic chemicals for some considerable time.

 

The Wealdstone Brook has nothing living in it – it is effectively a dead river.  The toxic smells which have come from liquids evaporating at low temperatures from the Brook water are nauseating and residents who live close to the Brook or have been walking close to the Brook in Woodcock Park, have been feeling physically sick as a result of these noxious odours.

 

Thames Water, who have been investigating the sources of the pollution, have admitted liability for cleaning up the pollution.  They have agreed that the pollution of the Wealdstone Brook is one of the worst they have come across but as a result of the shared responsibility for the maintenance of the Brook as it passes through Brent, Brent Council and the Environment Agency must also share some of the responsibility.

 

As a result the residents living nearby have expressed their disgust at the state of the Brook and this council considers that Thames Water should have acted with greater urgency once it had reports of untreated human sewage, toxic gases and smells vaporising from the water of the Wealdstone Brook.

 

This council notes that almost £19bn was paid out in dividends to shareholders in the nine major water companies operating in England between 2010 and 2021.

 

This Council therefore resolves:

 

To do whatever is necessary and within the Council’s power to ensure that the water in Wealdstone Brook is cleaned up.

 

To ask the Leader of the Council and the Leaders of the Opposition Groups to write to the Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, to call for additional support for Brent Council to respond to the pollution in Wealdstone Brook and enforce the principle of the ‘polluter pays’.

 

To support the Labour Party pledge of common ownership of water services to unlock the desperately needed investment in water infrastructure and create services that are run on behalf of consumers, not shareholders profit.

 

To do what the Council can toensure that the agencies concerned take the necessary steps to detect and rectify all wrongly connected foul sewers which run into the Brook and to put them right at no cost to Council tax payers, in Brent.

 

To seek legal opinion as to whether legal action can be taken against the agencies that have responsibility for ensuring that the Wealdstone Brook is free of pollution if there is no immediate rectification of the problem.

 

To ensure in light of a serious risk to public health and as a matter of urgency the necessary actions are taken as soon as possible to put the foregoing into practice.”

 

(2)        Following the approval of an amendment moved by the Labour Group in relation to the original Motion submitted by the Liberal Democrats Group, the following Motion (as amended) was AGREED:

 

“Support for Refugees and Asylum Seekers

 

This Council notes:

 

That refugees and asylum seekers are human beings who deserve our full respect and support. 

 

The way in which Boris Johnson’s government talks about and presents refugees, who face their plight through no fault of their own, is deeply un-British, offensive and shameful.

 

Our own borough is home to people from all corners of the world and all wish to make a valuable contribution to our international community.

 

Brent is welcoming of refugees and asylum seekers.  The collective leadership of every councillor is essential in ensuring that refugees who arrive in our community have access to needed support and are given the basic opportunities afforded to all in order that they can contribute to society.

 

Organisations like Care 4 Calais, English for Action, Salusbury World, Young Roots, amongst others, are doing crucial work in our community to help settle refugees and offer basic support, whether through English classes that they run or by seeking to address the immense mental trauma many refugees have and are experiencing.

 

The Brent Labour Manifesto promised that under Labour leadership, Brent Council will stand “ready to support refugees fleeing war in any way we can”.  With the help of our outstanding voluntary sector and local residents, Brent has already given sanctuary to 154 people under the Homes for Ukrainians Scheme.

 

This Council believes:

 

In the UN Refugee Convention statutes that give right to any individuals seeking asylum.  We believe that Brent has a moral duty to help those fleeing war and persecution.  We continue to support the Alf Dubs amendment to the 2016 Immigration Act to allow unaccompanied child refugees in Europe to reunite with family members here in the UK after Brexit.

 

This Council therefore calls on the government to:

 

1.          Drop its shameful, un-British Rwanda policy.  The Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has set out the Labour Party position that “it is not a long term plan; it is a short term stunt and government gimmick.”

 

2.     End the hostile environment pursued by successive Conservative Governments that seeks to criminalise people who have been forced to flee their homelands through no fault of their own.

 

3.     Reverse the cuts to legal aid that have disproportionately affected those on lower incomes, BAME groups and women as well as refugees.  The legal aid and family reunion system requires urgent reassessment and significant reform, with refugees denied justice due to drastic legal aid cuts.

 

4.     Acknowledge asylum seekers are making dangerous, tragically, all too often, fatal journeys across Europe to seek sanctuary and safety and therefore must allow asylum seekers the legal right of passage into the UK.

 

5.     Give refugees and asylum seekers the ability to play a full part in our society and economy by giving those who arrive in the UK a right to work quickly under defined and reasonable terms.

 

This Council also resolves to:

 

1.     Immediately establish and publish a directory of ESOL provision within our borough on the Council website and also provide easy access benefit and other advice to those who need it.

 

2.     Continue the award winning work of Brent Start which provides affordable training, including ESOL and English Language courses to over 8,000 learners a year.  This Council continues its commitment to investing £43m into creating a new state of the art adult education centre at Morland Gardens – enabling many more ESOL learners to benefit from the Brent Start service.

 

3.     Make representations to London Council as the body responsible for the Freedom Pass, to consider extending free bus travel to asylum seekers through the existing payment card system.

 

3.     Organise a Brent Refugee Summit by the end of this year (2022), bringing together organisations, mainly in the voluntary sector, who are currently working to support refugees and asylum seekers locally. This will show a united and concerted effort from this Council that people who arrive locally are welcome here and that Brent will play our part in helping to settle people who given the tools will make hugely valuable contributions to our borough - as those who came before them always have.”

 

(3)    The following Motion submitted by the Labour Group was AGREED:

 

“A Food Justice Strategy for Brent

 

Full Council notes that:

 

We are seeing a national food poverty emergency borne out of political choices and systemic failings from successive governments since austerity began in 2010. Recent Food Foundation data has recorded 7.3 million adults and 2.6 million children in UK households going without food or physically unable to get food in the past month

 

a)          Food poverty should never be seen as inevitable: from 1997 to 2010 poverty reduced significantly,[1] showing that with sufficient political willpower these issues can be tackled.

 

b)          The UK is in the midst of an economic recession, compounded by a cost-of-living crisis as energy bills soar, and the end of the £20 uplift to benefit payments.  Food aid organisations are already far busier than before the pandemic, and they are braced for a steep rise in demand in the months ahead.

 

c)          The result is an increasingly institutionalised food aid infrastructure, effectively now part of the welfare system.  This system is subsidised by the public to the tune of hundreds of thousands of pounds in Brent alone.  Food aid organisations act as a critical safety net for anyone unable to make ends meet – including those receiving all the benefits they are entitled to and many who are in work and still experiencing crisis.

 

d)          The long-delayed Government Food Strategy was lauded as the plan to help address this growing crisis.  It was supposed to lay out a vision for how we create, enhance, and protect sustainable food supplies. However, even the government’s own lead advisor Henry Dimbleby, whose review of Britain’s food system formed the basis for the document, said the White Paper did not amount to a strategy and could mean even more children going hungry.

 

e)          The pandemic disproportionately impacted Black and racially minoritised communities in Brent.  It underscored the injustice of food poverty for thousands of residents across the borough who were dependent on food banks and other forms of charitable food aid (including food parcels and vouchers from the council) for their day-to-day survival.  As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, there is a mushrooming of newly established food banks, and other forms of food support for vulnerable people provided by mutual aid groups, businesses and faith groups many of which still remain active.

 

f)            Brent Labour stood on a local election manifesto to develop a ‘Right to Food’ pledge to confront spiralling food poverty by bringing together existing food aid organisations, growers, and other stakeholders to address rampant inequalities in accessing affordable, culturally appropriate, nutritious food in Brent.

 

g)          A Brent Right to Food Summit was held in March 2022 at Cardinal Newman Catholic College with the participation of multiple Borough stakeholders, including Sufra NW London, Granville Community Kitchen, Brent Growers and Brent CVS.  The Summit clearly reflected widespread concern over the urgency of tackling the ongoing food emergency, both nationally and locally in Brent.

 

Full Council also notes the work that is already being done to address food insecurity across Bent, including:

 

a)          The appointment of Brent Council’s Food Justice Cabinet Champion.

 

b)          The commitment in Brent Council’s recent Health and Wellbeing Strategy to ‘work with partners on a food strategy’ for our Borough.

 

c)          The identification in the Health and Wellbeing Strategy of potentially positive food-related initiatives, ranging from healthier catering commitment to rolling out Incredible Edible schemes; diabetes prevention programmes, and guaranteeing a fair job for a fair wage across the food sector.

 

d)          The publication in July 2020 of the Brent Poverty Commission’s Report which included sections on food poverty, recommending that the Council ‘supports the future sustainability of food aid agencies in the borough including by further developing community garden schemes’.

 

e)          The continuing efforts by local mutual aid groups, the Brent Food Aid Network, Growing Brent, among countless others to mitigate food insecurity across our Borough.

 

f)            The celebration in March 2022 of a Brent Food Summit aimed at identifying the various solutions and coordinating effective responses to the food injustices in the Borough.

 

Full Council therefore resolves to:

 

a)          Declare Brent a Right to Food Borough, joining other local authorities across the country calling for the Right to Food to be enshrined into national law.

 

b)          Request the inclusion within a Cabinet Member portfolio of responsibilityfor co-developing a Brent Food Justice Strategy with representatives of local food security stakeholders, aimed at addressing the structural causes of food poverty and inequality in Brent.

 

c)          Strive toward a Brent without food banks, where food aid is drastically reduced to an emergency response to crises through ‘cash first’ solutions such as the scaling up of welfare advice services across the borough, as well as improved access to welfare assistance grants, school meals and supermarket vouchers for anyone in need.  We want an end to normalising emergency food aid as a routine form of addressing food insecurity.

 

d)          Support existing food aid providers through the allocation of land and suitable premises to establish or improve access to urban agriculture, community food gardens, social supermarkets and community kitchens among other initiatives; and ensure market space is available – especially in or near areas of deprivation – to distribute nutritious, affordable and culturally-appropriate food to local residents

 

e)          Work towards a ‘Right to Food’ dimension when formulating policy so that food becomes part of the Council’sdecision-making equation.”

 

(4)    The following Motion submitted by the Labour Group was AGREED:

 

“Zero Hours Justice Campaign

 

Full Council notes:

 

1.          The use of zero-hour contracts has risen over the last decade, meaning there are an increasing number of workers who do not have a guaranteed number of working hours each week.

 

2.          In Brent, it is estimated that of our residents in employment, nearly 30% are in roles which are low-paying and earn less than a living wage.

 

3.          There are very few roles in which zero hours contracts suit the worker. For the majority, such contracts nearly always provide one-sided flexibility in favour of the employer.

 

4.          Workers on zero-hour contracts face financial insecurity as a result of:

 

a.           the insecurity of not knowing how many hours they are working from week-to-week and, sometimes, from day-to-day;

 

b.           getting too few hours to financially make ends meet;

 

c.           spending money to be able to work and then being out-of-pocket when hours are cancelled (travel costs, childcare costs etc.);

 

d.           getting hours at the last minute and having to make urgent arrangements for childcare or other caring responsibilities, or cancel social plans; and

 

e.           the fear of refusing hours lest it results in fewer hours being offered, or bullying and harassment from the employer.

 

5.          Brent Labour stood on an election manifesto pledge to campaign for a new deal for workers’ rights, including the cessation of fire and rehire and the right to regular hours of work.

 

6.          Brent Council uses the commissioning process to ensure that providers never need to make use of exploitative zero hour contracts. Like most local authorities though we make use of time limited contracts to bring in specialists or agency workers with specific skills when we need to boost our workforce.

 

Full Council believes:

 

That despite the government promising on numerous occasion new legislation to provide better security for workers on zero-hour contracts, it has failed to do so. At present, the council is unable to legally enforce against such working practises.

 

That good work should equal good pay and the right to regular hours of work. As an anchor institution Brent Council is proud to be a local employer that does not and will not use zero-hour contracts.

 

That this Council should support the work of Zero Hours Justice, an organisation which seeks to end exploitative zero-hours contracts by providing help for workers on such contracts, and supporting businesses and other organisations that either do not use zero-hours contracts or only do so in accordance to minimal criteria.

 

Full Council therefore resolves:

 

(1)    To lead by example, reaffirming our commitment to our workforce to provide security, prosperity and respect in our employment; and work towards a zero-hours Justice Accreditation.

 

(2)    Never to unilaterally impose any zero-hour contracts on our directly employed staff.

 

(3)    To continue working with our suppliers and providers to ensure employment rights are followed; and discourage any indirect zero-hour contracts via agency or third-party contractor.”

Before moving on to consider the motions listed on the summons, the Mayor advised members that a total of 40 minutes had been set aside for the consideration of the four motions submitted for debate, based on an initial allocation of 10 minutes per motion. Should the time taken to consider the first motion be less than 10 minutes he advised that the remaining time available would be rolled forward for consideration of the remaining motions.

 

17.1  1^st Motion (Conservative Group) – Pollution of Wealdstone Brook

 

The Mayor invited Councillor Maurice to move the first motion which had been submitted on behalf of the Conservative Group.  Councillor Maurice, in moving the motion, felt it was important to recognise the concerns being raised by local residents (as outlined during the earlier deputation by John Poole) in relation to the impact being caused by the significant levels of pollution within Wealdstone Brook.  In view of what were felt to be the serious risks to public health and the health and wellbeing of the surrounding local community he queried why the issue had not been treated as a  major incident and advised the motion was calling on the Council to take urgent action, working collaboratively with the Environment Agency and Thames Water, to address the issues whilst also examining the potential for any legal action to ensure that those agencies with responsibility for the Brook undertook the necessary action to clean it up and avoid any immediate rectification of the problem.

 

The Mayor thanked Councillor Maurice for moving the motion and then drew members’ attention to an amendment submitted in the name of Councillor Krupa Sheth on behalf of the Labour Group in relation to the motion, which had been circulated in advance of the meeting. 

 

Councillor Krupa Sheth was then invited to move the amendment and having acknowledged the frustrations and concerns expressed earlier in the meeting regarding pollution within the brook once again highlighted the work being undertaken with Thames Water and the Environment Agency (as the main regulatory bodies with shared responsibility for maintenance of the brook) in seeking to ensure the necessary action was taken to not only clear the pollution but also to detect and rectify its source.  In reminding members of the reasons for not seeking to declare a major incident, members were advised of the work being undertaken with Public Health to monitor the impact on the local population.  Having outlined the work being undertaken with the relevant partner agencies to ensure the necessary action was being taken to address the concerns identified Councillor Krupa Sheth ended by also highlighting the need, as set out within her amendment, to consider the current ownership model for water infrastructure and in seeking to enforce the principle that the polluter should pay.  On this basis the amendment moved was as follows:

 

“Pollution of Wealdstone Brook

 

The Wealdstone Brook, which runs in open water, starts in Harrow, runs through Woodcock Park in Kenton and then into Wembley past all the new developments around the stadium before reaching the River Brent, has been heavily polluted with untreated human sewage and toxic chemicals for some considerable time.

 

The Wealdstone Brook has nothing living in it – it is effectively a dead river.  The toxic smells which have come from liquids evaporating at low temperatures from the Brook water are nauseating and residents who live close to the Brook or have been walking close to the Brook in Woodcock Park, have been feeling physically sick as a result of these noxious odours.

 

Thames Water, who have been investigating the sources of the pollution, have admitted liability for cleaning up the pollution.  They have agreed that the pollution of the Wealdstone Brook is one of the worst they have come across but as a result of the shared responsibility for the maintenance of the Brook as it passes through Brent, Brent Council and the Environment Agency must also share some of the responsibility.

 

As a result the residents living nearby have expressed their disgust at the state of the Brook and this Council considers that Brent Council Thames Water should have declared this to be a “Major Incident” acted with greater urgency once it had reports of untreated human sewage, toxic gases and smells vaporising from the water of the Wealdstone Brook.

 

This council notes that almost £19bn was paid out in dividends to shareholders in the none major water companies operating in England between 2010 and 2021.

 

This Council therefore resolves:

 

To do whatever is necessary and within the Council’s power to ensure that the water in Wealdstone Brook is cleaned up.

 

To ask the Leader of the Council and the Leaders of the Opposition Groups to write to the Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, to call for additional support for Brent Council to respond to the pollution in Wealdstone Brook and enforce the principle of the ‘polluter pays’.

 

To support the Labour Party pledge of common ownership of water services to unlock the desperately needed investment in water infrastructure and create services that are run on behalf of consumers, not shareholders profit.

 

To do what the Council can toensure that the agencies concerned take the necessary steps to detect and rectify all wrongly connected foul sewers which run into the Brook and to put them right at no cost to Council tax payers, in Brent.

 

To seek legal opinion as to whether legal action can be taken against the agencies that have responsibility for ensuring that the Wealdstone Brook is free of pollution if there is no immediate rectification of the problem.

 

To ensure in light of a serious risk to public health and as a matter of urgency the necessary actions are taken as soon as possible to put the foregoing into practice.”

 

The Mayor then invited other members to speak on both the original motion and amendment, with the following contribution received.

 

Councillor Matin spoke to express support for the concerns identified in relation to pollution not only within the Brook but also within the River Brent, which ran through her ward. As a result she supported the calls being made for the relevant agencies, including Thames Water and the Environment Agency, to fully investigate, report back and undertake the necessary action to address the concerns identified.

 

As there were no further contributions, the Mayor then invited Councillor Maurice (as mover of the original motion) and Councillor Krupa Sheth (as mover of the amendment) to exercise their rights of reply.

 

In summing up, Councillor Maurice highlighted the serious public health concerns identified in relation to the current levels of pollution within the Brook along with the need (supported by local residents) for the Council to take urgent action in seeking to ensure that the relevant agencies were forced to address the issue and provide an appropriate response.

 

Councillor Sheth, in exercising her right to reply on the amendment assured members of work already being undertaken by the Council with Thames Water and the Environment Agency (as the main regulatory bodies for the Brook) in seeking to ensure the necessary action was being taken to identify and remedy the source of the pollution, with the amendment seeking to recognise and hold the relevant agencies to account.

 

Having thanked Councillors for their contributions, the Mayor advised that he intended to move straight to the vote on the motion starting with the amendment.

 

The amendment, as set out above, was then put to the vote and declared CARRIED.

 

The Mayor then moved on to put the substantive motion, as amended and set out below, to a vote which was declared CARRIED.

 

It was therefore RESOLVED to approve the following motion:

 

“Pollution of the Wealdstone Brook

 

The Wealdstone Brook, which runs in open water, starts in Harrow, runs through Woodcock Park in Kenton and then into Wembley past all the new developments around the stadium before reaching the River Brent, has been heavily polluted with untreated human sewage and toxic chemicals for some considerable time.

 

The Wealdstone Brook has nothing living in it – it is effectively a dead river.  The toxic smells which have come from liquids evaporating at low temperatures from the Brook water are nauseating and residents who live close to the Brook or have been walking close to the Brook in Woodcock Park, have been feeling physically sick as a result of these noxious odours.

 

Thames Water, who have been investigating the sources of the pollution, have admitted liability for cleaning up the pollution.  They have agreed that the pollution of the Wealdstone Brook is one of the worst they have come across but as a result of the shared responsibility for the maintenance of the Brook as it passes through Brent, Brent Council and the Environment Agency must also share some of the responsibility.

 

As a result the residents living nearby have expressed their disgust at the state of the Brook and this council considers that Thames Water should have acted with greater urgency once it had reports of untreated human sewage, toxic gases and smells vaporising from the water of the Wealdstone Brook.

 

This council notes that almost £19bn was paid out in dividends to shareholders in the nine major water companies operating in England between 2010 and 2021.

 

This Council therefore resolves:

 

To do whatever is necessary and within the Council’s power to ensure that the water in Wealdstone Brook is cleaned up.

 

To ask the Leader of the Council and the Leaders of the Opposition Groups to write to the Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, to call for additional support for Brent Council to respond to the pollution in Wealdstone Brook and enforce the principle of the ‘polluter pays’.

 

To support the Labour Party pledge of common ownership of water services to unlock the desperately needed investment in water infrastructure and create services that are run on behalf of consumers, not shareholders profit.

 

To do what the Council can toensure that the agencies concerned take the necessary steps to detect and rectify all wrongly connected foul sewers which run into the Brook and to put them right at no cost to Council tax payers, in Brent.

 

To seek legal opinion as to whether legal action can be taken against the agencies that have responsibility for ensuring that the Wealdstone Brook is free of pollution if there is no immediate rectification of the problem.

 

To ensure in light of a serious risk to public health and as a matter of urgency the necessary actions are taken as soon as possible to put the foregoing into practice.”

 

17.2  2^nd Motion (Liberal Democrat Group) – Support for Refugees and Asylum Seekers

 

The Mayor then invited Councillor Georgiou to move the second motion, submitted on behalf of the Liberal Democrats Group.  Councillor Georgiou in moving the motion began by expressing strong reservations and concern at the Government’s treatment of refugees and asylum seekers, with particular reference to their Rwanda policy.  In seeking support for the motion, Councillor Georgiou felt it was important to recognise the diverse and welcoming nature of Brent as home to people from all over the world who were able to make a valued contribution to the local community alongside the need to treat refuges and asylum seekers with compassion and respect.  He felt this was in direct contrast to the hostile environment being created by the Government’s current approach and, as a result, advised that the motion was seeking support in calling for the Government to provide a legal right of passage for asylum seekers into the UK as well as the right to work under defined and reasonable terms.  In addition he was keen to recognise the crucial work being undertaken by a number of organisations within the community (some of whom were present at the meeting) and to ensure this continued to be supported by the Council across the borough.  In concluding, Councillor Georgiou urged all members to support the motion in opposition to the stance being taken by the current Government.

 

Following the original motion being moved the Mayor advised members of an amendment submitted by Councillor Donnelly-Jackson on behalf of the Labour Group, which had been circulated prior to the meeting.

 

Councillor Donnelly-Jackson was then invited to move the amendment and advised that whilst supportive of the sentiment expressed in the motion felt there was also a need (as detailed within the amendment) to recognise the proactive approach already being taken by the current Administration supported by the voluntary and community sector across Brent to welcome and support refugees and asylum seekers in the borough.  In supporting opposition to the Government’s current approach, the amendment also highlighted and expressed support for the Labour amendment to the 2016 Immigration Act relating to unaccompanied child refugees as well as recognising the essential support being provided through Brent Start in relation to affordable training opportunities.  On this basis the amendment moved was as follows:

 

“Support for Refugees and Asylum Seekers

 

This Council notes:

 

That refugees and asylum seekers are human beings who deserve our full respect and support. 

 

The way in which Boris Johnson’s government talks about and presents refugees, who face their plight through no fault of their own, is deeply un-British, offensive and shameful.

 

Our own borough is home to people from all corners of the world and all wish to make a valuable contribution to our international community.

 

Brent must remain iswelcoming of refugees and asylum seekers. and offer required leadership from a local government level byThe collective leadership of every councillor is essential in ensuring that refugees who arrive in our community have access to needed support and are given the basic opportunities afforded to all in order that they can make a contribution contribute to society.

 

Organisations like Care 4 Calais, English for Action, Salusbury World, Young Roots, amongst others, are doing crucial work in our community to help settle refugees and offer basic support, whether through English classes that they run or by seeking to address the immense mental trauma many refugees have and are experiencing.

 

The Brent Labour Manifesto promised that under Labour leadership, Brent Council will stand “ready to support refugees fleeing war in any way we can”.  With the help of our outstanding voluntary sector and local residents, Brent has already given sanctuary to 154 people under the Homes for Ukrainians Scheme.

 

This Council believes:

 

In the UN Refugee Convention statutes that give right to any individuals seeking asylum.  We believe that Brent has a moral duty to help those fleeing war and persecution.  We continue to support the Alf Dubs amendment to the 2016 Immigration Act to allow unaccompanied child refugees in Europe to reunite with family members here in the UK after Brexit.

 

This Council therefore calls on the government to:

 

1.         Drop its shameful, un-British Rwanda policy.  The Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has set out the Labour Party position that “it is not a long term plan; it is a short term stunt and government gimmick.”

 

2.      End the hostile environment pursued by successive Conservative Governmentsthat seeks to criminalise people who have been forced to flee their homelands through no fault of their own.

 

3.      Reverse the cuts to legal aid that have disproportionately affected those on lower incomes, BAME groups and women as well as refugees.  The legal aid and family reunion system requires urgent reassessment and significant reform, with refugees denied justice due to drastic legal aid cuts.

 

3.4.   Acknowledge asylum seekers are making dangerous, tragically, all too often, fatal journeys across Europe to seek sanctuary and safety and therefore must allow asylum seekers the legal right of passage into the UK.

 

4.5.   Give refugees and asylum seekers the ability to play a full part in our society and economy by giving those who arrive in the UK a right to work quickly under defined and reasonable terms.

 

This Council also resolves to:

 

1.      Immediately establish and publish a directory of ESOL provision within our borough on the Council website and also provide easy access benefit and other advice to those who need it.

 

2.      Continue the award winning work of Brent Start which provides affordable training, including ESOL and English Language courses to over 8,000 learners a year.  This Council continues its commitment to investing £43m into creating a new state of the art adult education centre at Morland Gardens – enabling many more ESOL learners to benefit from the Brent Start service.

 

2.3.   Make representations to London Council as the body responsible for the Freedom Pass, to consider Extendextending free bus travel to asylum seekers through the existing payment card system.

 

3.      Organise a Brent Refugee Summit by the end of this year (2022), bringing together organisations, mainly in the voluntary sector, who are currently working to support refugees and asylum seekers locally. This will show a united and concerted effort from this Council that people who arrive locally are welcome here and that Brent will play our part in helping to settle people who given the tools will make hugely valuable contributions to our borough - as those who came before them always have.”

 

The Mayor then invited other members to speak on both the original motion and amendment, with the following contributions received.

 

Councillor Kansagra in responding to the motion, felt it was important to recognise the main countries from which a majority of asylum seekers were arriving and to not only address the main causes in them seeking refuge but also to tackle the criminal gangs involved in their journey to the UK.  He felt this was an approach the Government had sought to adopt whilst also recognising international rules in relation to application for asylum and the pressures also being placed on local services.

 

Councillor Lorber, speaking in support of the motion expressed concern at what he felt was the lack of empathy and understanding demonstrated by the Government and Conservative Group towards the plight of refugees and asylum seekers along with the benefits and positive contribution they had made to society.  In recognising the risks taken to reach safety, he felt this would only be as a direct result of persecution or fear of harm and as such there was a duty on the Government to act responsibly and with compassion in seeking to welcome and support asylum seekers and refugees arriving in the UK in search of safety.

 

Councillor Muhammed Butt, speaking in support of the amendment, highlighted his disappointment at the approach adopted by the Conservative Group in support of the Government, which it was felt demonstrated a clear lack of empathy and understanding in their attitude towards asylum seekers and refugees.  In contrast, he was proud of the approach taken by the Council to make Brent a safe, welcoming and supportive destination for those fleeing persecution and harm with the Administration committed to continue providing this support in contrast to the hostile stance by the Government.

 

Following a brief exchange regarding a point of personal explanation from Councillor Kansagra and point of order raised by Councillor Georgiou on the conduct of the debate the Mayor ruled that as all members who had indicated they wished to speak had been heard he would move straight to the vote on the motion starting with the amendment.

 

The amendment, as set out above, was then put to the vote and declared CARRIED.

 

The Mayor then moved on to put the substantive motion, as amended and set out below, to a vote which was declared CARRIED.

 

It was therefore RESOLVED to approve the following motion:

 

“Support for Refugees and Asylum Seekers

 

This Council notes:

 

That refugees and asylum seekers are human beings who deserve our full respect and support. 

 

The way in which Boris Johnson’s government talks about and presents refugees, who face their plight through no fault of their own, is deeply un-British, offensive and shameful.

 

Our own borough is home to people from all corners of the world and all wish to make a valuable contribution to our international community.

 

Brent is welcoming of refugees and asylum seekers.  The collective leadership of every councillor is essential in ensuring that refugees who arrive in our community have access to needed support and are given the basic opportunities afforded to all in order that they can contribute to society.

 

Organisations like Care 4 Calais, English for Action, Salusbury World, Young Roots, amongst others, are doing crucial work in our community to help settle refugees and offer basic support, whether through English classes that they run or by seeking to address the immense mental trauma many refugees have and are experiencing.

 

The Brent Labour Manifesto promised that under Labour leadership, Brent Council will stand “ready to support refugees fleeing war in any way we can”.  With the help of our outstanding voluntary sector and local residents, Brent has already given sanctuary to 154 people under the Homes for Ukrainians Scheme.

 

This Council believes:

 

In the UN Refugee Convention statutes that give right to any individuals seeking asylum.  We believe that Brent has a moral duty to help those fleeing war and persecution.  We continue to support the Alf Dubs amendment to the 2016 Immigration Act to allow unaccompanied child refugees in Europe to reunite with family members here in the UK after Brexit.

 

This Council therefore calls on the government to:

 

1.      Drop its shameful, un-British Rwanda policy.  The Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has set out the Labour Party position that “it is not a long term plan; it is a short term stunt and government gimmick.”

 

2.      End the hostile environment pursued by successive Conservative Governments that seeks to criminalise people who have been forced to flee their homelands through no fault of their own.

 

3.      Reverse the cuts to legal aid that have disproportionately affected those on lower incomes, BAME groups and women as well as refugees.  The legal aid and family reunion system requires urgent reassessment and significant reform, with refugees denied justice due to drastic legal aid cuts.

 

4.      Acknowledge asylum seekers are making dangerous, tragically, all too often, fatal journeys across Europe to seek sanctuary and safety and therefore must allow asylum seekers the legal right of passage into the UK.

 

5.      Give refugees and asylum seekers the ability to play a full part in our society and economy by giving those who arrive in the UK a right to work quickly under defined and reasonable terms.

 

This Council also resolves to:

 

1.      Immediately establish and publish a directory of ESOL provision within our borough on the Council website and also provide easy access benefit and other advice to those who need it.

 

2.      Continue the award winning work of Brent Start which provides affordable training, including ESOL and English Language courses to over 8,000 learners a year.  This Council continues its commitment to investing £43m into creating a new state of the art adult education centre at Morland Gardens – enabling many more ESOL learners to benefit from the Brent Start service.

 

3.      Make representations to London Council as the body responsible for the Freedom Pass, to consider extending free bus travel to asylum seekers through the existing payment card system.

 

4.      Organise a Brent Refugee Summit by the end of this year (2022), bringing together organisations, mainly in the voluntary sector, who are currently working to support refugees and asylum seekers locally. This will show a united and concerted effort from this Council that people who arrive locally are welcome here and that Brent will play our part in helping to settle people who given the tools will make hugely valuable contributions to our borough - as those who came before them always have.”

 

17.3  3^rd Motion (Labour Group) – A food Justice Strategy for Brent

 

The Mayor then invited Councillor Hack to move the first motion submitted by the Labour Group. In moving the motion, Councillor Hack drew member’s attention to the continued increase in food poverty and food bank use that was felt to be a direct consequence of the Conservative Government’s programme of austerity and had predated the pandemic.  Highlighting the launch of the Brent Right to Food campaign, Councillor Hack highlighted the impact of the current food poverty crisis, which he felt had been caused as a direct result of political choices made by the Government.  As a result he urged all members to support the calls for a Food Justice Strategy, which sought to enshrine the Right to Food in law and support the development of community gardens, social supermarkets, universal school meals and community kitchens for local residents as a means of ending food poverty and the reliance on food backs within the borough.

 

Following the motion being formally moved the Mayor opened the motion up to debate, with the following contributions received.

 

Councillor Grahl, as Cabinet Member for Children, Young People & Schools, thanked Councillor Hack for highlighting the issue of food poverty with particular reference to the impact this had on the health, wellbeing and educational attainment of children and young people in Brent.  The issues highlighted had also been recognised by the Brent Poverty Commission and whilst aware that more action was required, she felt it important to outline the range of support already in place which included the provision of financial support to food aid groups and Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) programmes.  In supporting the motion, Councillor Grahl ended by assuring members of the work being undertaken in relation to assessing current levels of school mean provision and in seeking to ensure that the support being provided was making the necessary impact.

 

Councillor Afzal, also speaking in support of the motion, highlighted his own experience in relation to the impact of food poverty and expressed disappointment and concern at the lack of focus by the Government on the issue.  It was noted that the limited action taken to date by the Government had only been as a result of a high profile public campaign.  In contrast, Councillor Afzal commended the approach undertaken in Brent, working with mutual aid groups to support the most vulnerable families faced with food poverty and ended by urging all members to support the motion.

 

Councillor Choudry also spoke in support of the motion, and echoed the frustrations raised at the lack of Government action in seeking to tackle the food poverty crisis before acknowledging what he felt was the exemplary work undertaken at a local level in Brent by the Council and voluntary organisations to support residents in need.

 

As a final contribution, Councillor Gbajumo expressed concern at the impact which the changes in welfare benefits introduced by the Government were having in making food poverty worse and widening food inequality.  In highlighting the disproportionate effect of the pandemic on BAME residents in terms of health inequality she felt this had also further exacerbated the gap in terms of food poverty. In fully supporting the motion Councillor Gbajumo stressed the importance of acting to end food insecurity in order to address the food poverty crisis with immediate effect.

 

As no further members had indicated they wished to speak and Councillor Hack had confirmed he did not need to exercise his right of reply, the Mayor moved on to put the motion, as set out below, to a vote which was declared CARRIED.

 

It was therefore RESOLVED to approve the following motion:

 

“A Food Justice Strategy for Brent

 

Full Council notes that:

 

We are seeing a national food poverty emergency borne out of political choices and systemic failings from successive governments since austerity began in 2010. Recent Food Foundation data has recorded 7.3 million adults and 2.6 million children in UK households going without food or physically unable to get food in the past month

 

a)        Food poverty should never be seen as inevitable: from 1997 to 2010 poverty reduced significantly,[1] showing that with sufficient political willpower these issues can be tackled.

 

b)        The UK is in the midst of an economic recession, compounded by a cost-of-living crisis as energy bills soar, and the end of the £20 uplift to benefit payments.  Food aid organisations are already far busier than before the pandemic, and they are braced for a steep rise in demand in the months ahead.

 

c)         The result is an increasingly institutionalised food aid infrastructure, effectively now part of the welfare system.  This system is subsidised by the public to the tune of hundreds of thousands of pounds in Brent alone.  Food aid organisations act as a critical safety net for anyone unable to make ends meet – including those receiving all the benefits they are entitled to and many who are in work and still experiencing crisis.

 

d)        The long-delayed Government Food Strategy was lauded as the plan to help address this growing crisis.  It was supposed to lay out a vision for how we create, enhance, and protect sustainable food supplies. However, even the government’s own lead advisor Henry Dimbleby, whose review of Britain’s food system formed the basis for the document, said the White Paper did not amount to a strategy and could mean even more children going hungry.

 

e)        The pandemic disproportionately impacted Black and racially minoritised communities in Brent.  It underscored the injustice of food poverty for thousands of residents across the borough who were dependent on food banks and other forms of charitable food aid (including food parcels and vouchers from the council) for their day-to-day survival.  As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, there is a mushrooming of newly established food banks, and other forms of food support for vulnerable people provided by mutual aid groups, businesses and faith groups many of which still remain active.

 

f)          Brent Labour stood on a local election manifesto to develop a ‘Right to Food’ pledge to confront spiraling food poverty by bringing together existing food aid organisations, growers, and other stakeholders to address rampant inequalities in accessing affordable, culturally appropriate, nutritious food in Brent.

 

g)        A Brent Right to Food Summit was held in March 2022 at Cardinal Newman Catholic College with the participation of multiple Borough stakeholders, including Sufra NW London, Granville Community Kitchen, Brent Growers and Brent CVS.  The Summit clearly reflected widespread concern over the urgency of tackling the ongoing food emergency, both nationally and locally in Brent.

 

Full Council also notes the work that is already being done to address food insecurity across Bent, including:

 

a)        The appointment of Brent Council’s Food Justice Cabinet Champion.

 

b)        The commitment in Brent Council’s recent Health and Wellbeing Strategy to ‘work with partners on a food strategy’ for our Borough.

 

c)         The identification in the Health and Wellbeing Strategy of potentially positive food-related initiatives, ranging from healthier catering commitment to rolling out Incredible Edible schemes; diabetes prevention programmes, and guaranteeing a fair job for a fair wage across the food sector.

 

d)        The publication in July 2020 of the Brent Poverty Commission’s Report which included sections on food poverty, recommending that the Council ‘supports the future sustainability of food aid agencies in the borough including by further developing community garden schemes’.

 

e)        The continuing efforts by local mutual aid groups, the Brent Food Aid Network, Growing Brent, among countless others to mitigate food insecurity across our Borough.

 

f)          The celebration in March 2022 of a Brent Food Summit aimed at identifying the various solutions and coordinating effective responses to the food injustices in the Borough.

 

Full Council therefore resolves to:

 

a)        Declare Brent a Right to Food Borough, joining other local authorities across the country calling for the Right to Food to be enshrined into national law.

 

b)        Request the inclusion within a Cabinet Member portfolio of responsibilityfor co-developing a Brent Food Justice Strategy with representatives of local food security stakeholders, aimed at addressing the structural causes of food poverty and inequality in Brent.

 

c)         Strive toward a Brent without food banks, where food aid is drastically reduced to an emergency response to crises through ‘cash first’ solutions such as the scaling up of welfare advice services across the borough, as well as improved access to welfare assistance grants, school meals and supermarket vouchers for anyone in need.  We want an end to normalising emergency food aid as a routine form of addressing food insecurity.

 

d)        Support existing food aid providers through the allocation of land and suitable premises to establish or improve access to urban agriculture, community food gardens, social supermarkets and community kitchens among other initiatives; and ensure market space is available – especially in or near areas of deprivation – to distribute nutritious, affordable and culturally-appropriate food to local residents

 

e)        Work towards a ‘Right to Food’ dimension when formulating policy so that food becomes part of the Council’sdecision-making equation.”

 

17.4  4^th Motion (Labour Group) – Zero Hours Justice Campaign

 

The Mayor then invited Councillor Chan to move the final motion submitted by the Labour Group who began by setting the zero hours justice campaign in the context of the Cost of Living Crisis and highlighting the negative impact on those affected.  In highlighting the approach taken by the Administration to recognise and value its employees he was also proud of the stance being taken by the Council to support  and encourage other employers to support the right to fair pay, along with the London Living Wage and in challenging the use of zero hours contracts.  Recognising the Council’s leadership he urged all members to support the motion in as a means of seeking the necessary employment and financial security for workers, especially for those on low pay given the additional challenges and pressures created by the Cost of Living crisis.

 

Following the motion being formally moved the Mayor opened the motion up to debate, with the following contributions received.

 

In responding to the motion, Councillor Maurice whilst recognising what he felt to be the challenges associated with zero hour contracts also outlined how many of these issues were faced by self-employed workers.  Although supportive of the efforts being made to challenge and cease the practice of fire and rehire he felt this would be difficult to effectively legislate against and suggested it was important to also recognise the flexibility provider for some workers through zero hour contracts.

 

Councillor Grahl in fully supporting the motion, disagreed with the comments made by Councillor Maurice and outlined how, in her view, zero hour contracts were often exploited by employers rather than providing any benefits in terms of flexible working.

 

Councillor Kennelly, also speaking in support of the motion, felt there was a clear need to distinguish between the self-employed and those being employed on zero hour contracts in order to fully understand the need for a new deal for workers rights, including the need to secure fair pay, regular hours of works and a cessation of fire and rehire.  As such he advised he was fully supportive of the motion and in the Council working towards zero hours justice accreditation.

 

As no further members had indicated they wanted to speak, the Mayor then invited Councillor Chan to exercise his right of reply.  In responding Councillor Chan thanked colleagues for their support of the Zero Hours Justice Campaign noting the opportunities and aspirations that many Brent residents would benefit from if the motion was fully supported moving forward.

 

The Mayor then put the motion, as set out below, to a vote which was declared CARRIED.

 

It was therefore RESOLVED to approve the following motion:

 

“Zero Hours Justice Campaign

 

Full Council notes:

 

1.         The use of zero-hour contracts has risen over the last decade, meaning there are an increasing number of workers who do not have a guaranteed number of working hours each week.

 

2.         In Brent, it is estimated that of our residents in employment, nearly 30% are in roles which are low-paying and earn less than a living wage.

 

3.         There are very few roles in which zero hours contracts suit the worker. For the majority, such contracts nearly always provide one-sided flexibility in favour of the employer.

 

4.         Workers on zero-hour contracts face financial insecurity as a result of:

 

a.         the insecurity of not knowing how many hours they are working from week-to-week and, sometimes, from day-to-day;

 

b.         getting too few hours to financially make ends meet;

 

c.         spending money to be able to work and then being out-of-pocket when hours are cancelled (travel costs, childcare costs etc.);

 

d.         getting hours at the last minute and having to make urgent arrangements for childcare or other caring responsibilities, or cancel social plans; and

 

e.         the fear of refusing hours lest it results in fewer hours being offered, or bullying and harassment from the employer.

 

5.         Brent Labour stood on an election manifesto pledge to campaign for a new deal for workers’ rights, including the cessation of fire and rehire and the right to regular hours of work.

 

6.         Brent Council uses the commissioning process to ensure that providers never need to make use of exploitative zero hour contracts. Like most local authorities though we make use of time limited contracts to bring in specialists or agency workers with specific skills when we need to boost our workforce.

 

Full Council believes:

 

That despite the government promising on numerous occasion new legislation to provide better security for workers on zero-hour contracts, it has failed to do so. At present, the council is unable to legally enforce against such working practises.

 

That good work should equal good pay and the right to regular hours of work. As an anchor institution Brent Council is proud to be a local employer that does not and will not use zero-hour contracts.

 

That this Council should support the work of Zero Hours Justice, an organisation which seeks to end exploitative zero-hours contracts by providing help for workers on such contracts, and supporting businesses and other organisations that either do not use zero-hours contracts or only do so in accordance to minimal criteria.

 

Full Council therefore resolves:

 

(1)     To lead by example, reaffirming our commitment to our workforce to provide security, prosperity and respect in our employment; and work towards a zero-hours Justice Accreditation.

 

(2)     Never to unilaterally impose any zero-hour contracts on our directly employed staff.

 

(3)     To continue working with our suppliers and providers to ensure employment rights are followed; and discourage any indirect zero-hour contracts via agency or third-party contractor.”