Agenda item

Councillor C Martin to Move

Council strongly believes that the two-child limit to benefit payments, introduced by the Government in 2017, is a cruel and harmful policy that should be scrapped. Research from the University of York has shown its introduction has had no positive impacts on employment and earnings. Instead it has dragged thousands of local families into poverty.

Council notes with concern the stance of the Government who are committed to keeping the cap – going as far suspending the whip from MPs who rebel against this position.

Council resolves to:

Call upon the Portfolio Holder for Equalities and Inclusion to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Prime Minister indicating Durham County Council's strong belief that the two child limit to benefit payments should be scrapped.

Further request the Portfolio Holder to write to all MPs covering the Durham County Council area, asking them to commit their public support to the campaign to end the cruel two child limit to benefit payments.

Councillor J Miller to Move

The former Bluebell Primary School site in Trimdon Grange has been empty for some time, becoming a blight on our community, and a hotspot of ASB and other crime, including arson. This has resulted in damage to a Council building which would cost around £1 million to repair, with current ongoing costs of paying for 24/7 security.

This is because the Council does not have an empty buildings strategy.

Therefore, this Council calls on the relevant Portfolio Holder to establish a cross-party working group to create an Empty Buildings Strategy, to prevent issues, such as this in Trimdon, happening across our county.

The Chair informed Council that there were two Motions for consideration.  The second Motion was to be moved by Councillor L Hovvels and not Councillor J Miller, as stated on the agenda.

The Chair invited Councillor Martin to move his Motion.

Moved by Councillor C Martin and Seconded by Councillor J Blakey

Council strongly believed that the two-child limit to benefit payments, introduced by the Government in 2017, was a cruel and harmful policy that should be scrapped. Research from the University of York had shown its introduction had had no positive impacts on employment and earnings. Instead, it had dragged thousands of local families into poverty.

Council noted with concern the stance of the Government who were committed to keeping the cap – going as far suspending the whip from MPs who rebelled against this position.

Council resolves to:

Call upon the Portfolio Holder for Equalities and Inclusion to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Prime Minister indicating Durham County Council's strong belief that the two child limit to benefit payments should be scrapped.

Further request the Portfolio Holder to write to all MPs covering the Durham County Council area, asking them to commit their public support to the campaign to end the cruel two child limit to benefit payments.

An Amendment was Moved by Councillor A Surtees, Seconded by Councillor D Wood.

Council strongly believes that the two-child limit to benefit payments, introduced by the Government in 2017, was a cruel and harmful policy that should be scrapped. Research from the University of York had shown its introduction had had no positive impacts on employment and earnings. Instead, it has dragged thousands of local families into poverty.

Council notes with concern the stance of the Government who are committed to keeping the cap – going as far suspending the whip from MPs who rebel against this position.

Council resolves to:

Call upon the Portfolio Holder for Equalities and Inclusion to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Prime Minister indicating Durham County Council's strong belief that the two child limit to benefit payments should be scrapped.

Further request the Portfolio Holder to write to all MPs covering the Durham County Council area, asking them to commit their public support to the campaign to end the cruel two child limit to benefit payments.

Council welcomed the stance of the Government in reviewing Child Poverty and all the determinants through the formation of a Child Poverty Strategy Plan and Ministerial Task Force.

Council calls upon the Portfolio Holder for Equalities and Inclusion to write to the Secretary of State for Education and the Secretary of State for the Department of Work & Pensions to ask how Durham County Council could help and support the delivery of the new Child Poverty Strategy Plan which would drive cross-government action to address child poverty.

Council further requests the Portfolio Holder to write to the North East Mayor who had already launched her Child Poverty Unit to ask how Durham County Council could get more involved with the NECA Child Poverty Unit.

Councillors A Shield, A Hopgood and M Wilkes spoke against the amendment.

Councillors C Bihari, R Crute and O Gunn spoke for the amendment.

Councillor O Gunn requested for a named vote which was supported.

Councillor C Martin said that the reason for bringing this forward at this stage was essentially due to having a new government in place.  The previous government had been content with the policy and now that a Labour government was in place, Councillor Martin believed it was the correct time to write to ministers and MPs.  To include child poverty overall was diluting the point of this Motion as it was regarding the two child benefit cap, and he urged members to submit a further Motion of Child Poverty at a later date.

For the Amendment

Councillors E Adam, R Adcock-Forster, V Anderson, V Andrews, P Atkinson, A Batey, C Bihari, J Chaplow, R Charlton-Lainé, J Clark, I Cochrane, R Crute, S Deinali, K Earley, L Fenwick, C Fletcher, J Griffiths, O Gunn, C Hampson, A Hanson, J Higgins, L Hovvels, M Johnson, C Kay, B Kellett, L Maddison, R Manchester, B McAloon, M McGaun, D McKenna, S McMahon, J Miller, B Moist, D Mulholland, D Nicholls, J Purvis, S Quinn, J Scurfield, P Sexton, G Smith, T Smith, A Surtees, F Tinsley, S Townsend, C Varty, E Waldock, J Watson, M Wilson and D Wood.

Against the Amendment

Councillors M Abley, R Bell, A Bell, J Blakey, D Brown, L Brown, B Coult, T Duffy, J Elmer, D Haney, P Heaviside, T Henderson, L Holmes, C Hood, A Hopgood, G Hutchinson, A Jackson, N Jones, P Jopling, C Lines, C Martin, E Mavin, L Mavin, S McDonnell, J Nicholson, R Ormerod, E Peeke, R Potts, J Quinn, A Reed, G Richardson, S Robinson, K Robson, K Rooney, J Rowlandson, A Savory, E Scott, A Shield, J Shuttleworth, M Stead, W Stelling, A Sterling, T Stubbs, D Sutton-Lloyd, M Walton, A Watson and M Wilkes.

Abstenions

Councillors J Cairns and J Charlton.

Councillor A Surtees said that this was an opportunity for Durham County Council to get behind the North East Combined Authority and establish a cross party working to look at child poverty, which included the two child cap.  Councillor Surtees spoke of the significant importance of supporting our people and our communities and be being an exemplar for the Country on good practice. She asked for a named vote on the Substantive Motion, which was supported.

For the Substantive Motion

Councillors E Adam, R Adcock-Forster, V Anderson, V Andrews, P Atkinson, A Batey, A Bell, C Bihari, J Blakey, D Brown, L Brown, J Cairns, J Chaplow, J Charlton, R Charlton-Lainé, J Clark, I Cochrane, B Coult, R Crute, S Deinali, T Duffy, K Earley, J Elmer, L Fenwick, C Fletcher, J Griffiths, O Gunn, C Hampson, D Haney, A Hanson, P Heaviside, T Henderson, J Higgins, C Hood, A Hopgood, L Hovvels, G Hutchinson, M Johnson, N Jones, C Kay, B Kellett, C Lines, L Maddison, R Manchester, C Martin, E Mavin, L Mavin, B McAloon, S McDonnell, M McGaun, D McKenna, S McMahon, J Miller, B Moist, D Mulholland, D Nicholls, J Nicholson, R Ormerod, J Purvis, S Quinn, A Reed, G Richardson, S Robinson, K Robson, K Rooney, J Rowlandson, A Savory, E Scott, J Scurfield, P Sexton, A Shield, J Shuttleworth, G Smith, T Smith, M Stead, W Stelling, A Surtees, F Tinsley, S Townsend, C Varty, E Waldock, A Watson, J Watson, M Wilkes, M Wilson and D Wood.

Against the Substantive Motion

Councillors R Bell, L Holmes, A Jackson, E Peeke, R Potts, J Quinn,

A Sterling, D Sutton-Lloyd and M Walton.

Abstentions

Councillors M Abley, P Jopling and T Stubbs.

The Substantive Motion was Carried.

In accordance with the Council Procedure Rules, the Chair announced that the time for consideration of Motions had lapsed and announced that Councillor Hovvels Motion would be deferred until the next meeting.