Falkirk Council Agenda - 28 June 2023, 10:00 
A meeting to be held at Grangemouth Community Education Unit, 69-71 Abbots Road, Grangemouth, FK3 8JB at 10:00 on 28 June 2023.
| Number | Item |
|---|---|
| In accordance with section 43 of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 the Provost has directed that this meeting will be conducted in such a manner as to allow remote attendance by elected members. The meeting will be livestreamed via the Council website at:- https://www.falkirk.gov.uk/live | |
| 1 | Sederunt |
| 2 | Declarations of Interest Members should declare any financial and non-financial interests they have in any item of business at the meeting, identifying the relevant agenda item and the nature of the interest. |
| 3 | Minutes and Information Bulletin |
| (a) | Minute of Meeting of Falkirk Council held on 29 March 2023; View Papers |
| (b) | Minute of Special Meeting of Falkirk Council held on 23 May 2023; View Papers |
| (c) | Volume of Minutes - Volume 4 2022/23, and View Papers |
| (d) | Information Bulletin - Volume 4 2022/23. View Papers |
| 4 | Rolling Action Log View Papers |
| 5 | Treasury Management Strategy Report by the Director of Transformation, Communities and Corporate Services. View Papers |
| 6 | Service Concession Arrangements Report by the Director of Transformation, Communities and Corporate Services. View Papers |
| 7 | The Former Royal Hotel, Slamannan Report by the Director of Place Services. View Papers |
| 8 | Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership Update Report by the Chief Officer, Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership. Note - Standing Order 20.20 applies to this agenda item View Papers |
| 9 | Execution of Deeds Report by the Director of Transformation, Communities and Corporate Services. View Papers |
| 10 | Delegation of Powers to Determine Urgent Issues During the Summer Recess Report by the Director of Transformation, Communities and Corporate Services. View Papers |
| 11 | Motions Three motions submitted in accordance with Standing Order 29 are set out below. Motions that refer to matters within the remit of the Executive, or Education, Children and Young People Executive, will stand referred to the appropriate body, without discussion, unless:- (1) special circumstances exist which, in opinion of the Provost (having consulted with the Council Leader and the Leader of the main Opposition groups) requires an exception to be made; (2) two thirds of the members present vote in favour of the matter being discussed; or (3) the motion raises an issue with significant impact on the Council area which the Provost, having consulted with the Leader of the Council and the Leaders of the main Opposition groups, considers suitable for debate at Council. The following motions stand referred to the Executive unless otherwise determined by the Provost, having consulted with the Leader of the Council and the Leaders of the main Opposition groups. |
| (a) | Care Experienced People (1) Falkirk Council recognises our collective responsibility as corporate parents and our commitment for the delivery of 'The Promise' that Scotland's children and young people will grow up loved, safe, and respected. (2) Council agrees to add 'Care Experienced' as a protected characteristic into our Equalities Impact Assessments where Care Experienced people is used to describe anyone who is currently, or has been, in the care system. For example, kinship care, looked after at home, foster care, residential care, secure homes, and adoption. (3) Council also agrees that when officers add 'Care Experienced' to the current statutory list of protected characteristics, consideration should be given to adapting the impact assessment process to integrate Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessments to advance compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and to report back to Executive. But 'Care Experienced' will be considered in all Impact Assessments from the date of Council agreeing this motion. (4) Council agrees to continually and proactively seek out and listen to the voices of care experience young people when developing new policies. (5) Notes that the addition of care experience as a protected characteristic would formally recognise the impact of any future decisions, services, policies might have on care experienced people. (6) To formally call upon all other bodies to treat care experience as a Protected Characteristic until such time as it may be introduced by legislation. Proposed by Councillor Paterson Deputation Requests An application has been made by Terry Galloway, Lead Campaigner for Care to be a Protected Characteristic to be received as a deputation to be heard in respect of this item of business. An application has been made by Casey Ferguson, Gemma Ferrie and Isa Santos - Falkirk Champs to be received as a deputation to be heard in respect of this item of business. In accordance with Standing Order 33.5, Council shall decide whether to hear the deputation. View Papers |
| (b) | Falkirk Area WASPI Group Council notes with disappointment the UK Government's failure to end the injustice experienced by women affected by the changes to state pension laws; who have unfairly borne the burden of the increase to the State Pension Age without adequate notice; and supports the campaign of the Women Against State Pension Injustice (WASPI) group to achieve fair and fast compensation arrangements for all women, including approximately 10,000 women in Falkirk, who were born in the 1950s and were affected by these changes to state pension age. Council further notes that 3.8 million women throughout the UK had significant pension changes imposed on them by the Pensions Acts of 1995 and 2011 with little/no personal notification of the changes. As a consequence, many women born in the 1950's are living in hardship. Retirement plans were shattered with devastating consequences. Women born in this decade are suffering financially and many have serious health problems which means they cannot work. Council understands that it is not the pension age itself that is in dispute; the issue is that the rise in women's state pension age has been too rapid and has happened without sufficient notice being given to the women affected, leaving them with no time to make alternative arrangements. Council acknowledges the work of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) chaired by Andrew Gwynne MP and co-chaired by Peter Aldous MP which agrees with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's (PHSO) finding of maladministration and that the APPG has submitted evidence to the PHSO calling for "the highest compensation level available in making its recommendations". Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Mel Stride MP to urge the UK Government: " to accept the reported findings of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman that 1950s-born women have been severely affected by the Department for Work and Pensions maladministration " to take swift action to provide an appropriate level of compensation to the women " to compensate beneficiaries of the estates of those who are deceased Council notes with disappointment the UK Government's failure to end the injustice experienced by women affected by the changes to state pension laws; who have unfairly borne the burden of the increase to the State Pension Age without adequate notice; and supports the campaign of the Women Against State Pension Injustice (WASPI) group to achieve fair and fast compensation arrangements for all women, including approximately 10,000 women in Falkirk, who were born in the 1950s and were affected by these changes to state pension age. Council further notes that 3.8 million women throughout the UK had significant pension changes imposed on them by the Pensions Acts of 1995 and 2011 with little/no personal notification of the changes. As a consequence, many women born in the 1950's are living in hardship. Retirement plans were shattered with devastating consequences. Women born in this decade are suffering financially and many have serious health problems which means they cannot work. Council understands that it is not the pension age itself that is in dispute; the issue is that the rise in women's state pension age has been too rapid and has happened without sufficient notice being given to the women affected, leaving them with no time to make alternative arrangements. Council acknowledges the work of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) chaired by Andrew Gwynne MP and co-chaired by Peter Aldous MP which agrees with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's (PHSO) finding of maladministration and that the APPG has submitted evidence to the PHSO calling for "the highest compensation level available in making its recommendations". Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Mel Stride MP to urge the UK Government: " to accept the reported findings of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman that 1950s-born women have been severely affected by the Department for Work and Pensions maladministration " to take swift action to provide an appropriate level of compensation to the women " to compensate beneficiaries of the estates of those who are deceased Proposed by Councillor Binnie View Papers |
| (c) | Older People Council notes that as a result of changes made by the First Minister to ministerial portfolios the role of Minister for Equalities and Older People has been replaced with a Minister for Equalities, Migrants and Refugees. Whilst we totally support the importance of migrants and refugees, we should not be down grading the importance of Older People in our community by removing the role of a named minister . Falkirk Council is disappointed Older Persons issues may receive less focus, by this action, at a time when our older population is growing and facing greater challenges than ever before. Age Scotland, along with 15 partner organisations, has sent an open letter to the First Minister calling for the reinstatement of a NAMED Older Persons Minister. FALKIRK COUNCIL agrees to support The Age Scotland campaign. Further Falkirk Council instructs the Chief Executive Officer to write to the First Minister, on our behalf, to ask for the reinstatement of a named Older Persons Minister. Proposed by Councillor Kelly View Papers |