Agenda item

(1) Motion by Councillor M J Hill OBE

The Government’s long-awaited ‘Devolution White Paper’, is expected to be published in early Autumn 2020. It is widely anticipated that it will provide some stimulus towards the Government’s ambition to ‘level up’ the country and to further devolve powers and resources to enable greater local decision-making. 

This provides an excellent opportunity for Greater Lincolnshire. We are an economic powerhouse, key to the Midlands Engine, the Humber ‘Energy Estuary’ and the Northern Powerhouse, integral to UK PLC and a major gateway to Europe. We have clear high-growth potential in key industry sectors and we have the space and political will to exploit this. If we can gain from the Government the devolution of a range of specific powers and control over the associated funding we can achieve growth more quickly than anywhere else in the UK, enhance our collective financial resilience and establish a sustainable platform for our area to thrive, adapt and innovate.

The ten councils across Greater Lincolnshire have a proven track record of working in collaboration and already undertake many successful joint working opportunities, facilitated through the Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

The case for change, through a reduction in the number of local authorities and a consolidation of strategic powers is compelling for the following reasons:

·         Lincolnshire cannot benefit from the Government’s forthcoming devolution proposals without local government re-organisation.

·         The current situation guarantees inconsistency in terms of inputs and outputs across Greater Lincolnshire.

·         Duplication of teams, functions and services across Greater Lincolnshire leads to inefficiencies and poor value for money.

·         The financial situation of local government, including in Greater Lincolnshire, is highly precarious.

·         The current system doesn’t allow local authorities to focus on, or succeed in, levelling up the economy.

·         Local residents are confused by the different responsibilities of local government in two-tier areas.

This Council affirms its commitment to a devolution deal for Greater Lincolnshire and calls on the Executive to explore all opportunities with other Councils to submit proposals for local government reorganisation.

Upon being put to the vote, the motion was carried.

(2) Motion by Councillor R B Parker

We are sure thatthis council recognises the contribution made by so many people and organisations across Lincolnshire to protect the health and well-being of Lincolnshire residents during the current Covid-19 pandemic.  We will particularly want to acknowledge the major contribution to the safety and well-being of our residents made by County Council staff, NHS workers, Care Workers, Voluntary and Statutory organisations, Parish Councils, Community groups, including Food Banks, and people in local communities who have looked out for vulnerable people.

This council will also recognise that Covid-19 cases are again rising, with the likelihood - without government intervention -  that the virus will continue to spread, hospital admissions will increase and sadly deaths will follow. In addition, the national and local economy will continue to deteriorate with a loss of jobs and businesses going under and, more than likely, schools will again be affected with the likelihood of blended or on-line learning becoming necessary.

It is imperative that the government commits to a nation-wide maximum suppression strategy with the aim of stopping community transmission of Covid-19. The present test, track and trace is just not good enough with people being expected to travel long distances, hundreds of miles in some cases and delays in getting back test results. Matters are likely to get even worse without fundamental improvements as winter approaches with the likelihood of increased demand for tests as people catch other seasonal viruses. Further, NHS Providers, the body representing hospital trusts in England, have made it clear that ‘NHS staff are having to self-isolate in the absence of a test for either them or their loved ones, taking valuable NHS staff away from the frontline where they are needed.’ - a situation this council would not wish to see continue.

The Covid-19 pandemic has also revealed the failings of our centralised system of governance. Examples are the poor management and distribution (particularly to Care Homes) of Personal Protective Equipment; delays in the sharing of data on infection rates and the quickly withdrawn promise made to local councils to ‘spend whatever it takes’ to respond to the pandemic, which has led to some councils spending more on responding to the cost pressures of Covid -19 than funding granted by government. 

This council therefore calls on the Leader of the Council to write to the Prime Minister calling for

1)    Substantial improvements to the test, trace and track system to ensure that tests are readily available and results are returned within 24 hours;

2)    The English Devolution Bill to be used to deliver

(a)          more powers to local councils without necessarily strings being attached

(b)          ‘Levelling up’ agenda so as to reduce the inequalities including government funding that exist between different parts of England.

Upon being put to the vote, the motion was carried unanimously.