Agenda item

To receive and consider the following motions:-

1.            County Lines and Child Exploitation         

Witney Town Council notes that: 

• We are only too aware of the issues in Oxfordshire of the County Lines and Child Criminal Exploitation, through our partnerships with WODC, TVP and other key organisations.
• We are equally aware of the damage that this criminal behaviour can wreak in communities like ours, and the potentially lifelong consequences it can have for vulnerable young people.
• We also note that County Lines and Child Criminal Exploitation is the subject of a current Early Day Motion in the House of Commons, which has been supported by MPs from across the political spectrum.

https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/57477/county-lines-and-child-criminal-exploitation

Therefore this council resolves to: 

• Write to Robert Courts MP, asking him to add his signature to the motion, and to encourage as many of his Parliamentary colleagues to do the same.

Proposed by Cllr Ashbourne, seconded by Cllr Collins.

2.            Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill

Witney Town Council declared a Climate Emergency at the Council meeting on 26th June 2019 and followed up with a Public Meeting in July 2019 enabling everyone to share ideas and visions for change. These included engagement with Central Government, West Oxfordshire District Council, Oxfordshire County Council, relevant stake holders and other organisations to initiate local action on climate change.

On September 20th 2020, an Early Day Motion entitled the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill was tabled in the House of Commons. The Government’s recent Ten Point Plan goes a long way towards tackling the UK’s carbon emissions, but this Bill recognises that our carbon footprint extends beyond the UK’s borders. The Bill calls for:

•the UK to make and enact a serious plan to combat climate change. This means dealing with our real fair share of emissions so that we don’t go over critical global rises in temperature

•our entire carbon footprint be taken into account (in the UK and overseas)

•the protection and conservation of nature here and overseas along supply chains, recognising the damage we cause through the goods we consume

•those in power not to depend on technology to save the day, which is used as an excuse to carry on polluting as usual

•people to have a real say on the way forward in a citizens’ assembly with bite

This Council agrees with the principles of this Bill and supports Oxfordshire residents in their efforts to see it come into law.  We ask the Leader of this Council to write to our MP, asking them to support their constituents by voting for this Bill when it comes to the House of Commons.

Proposed by Cllr Prosser, seconded by Cllr Smith.

The Council received and considered two motions.  The Leader informed the Council that it had come to her attention that as a member of Government, the Rt Hon. Robert Courts could not support private members bills, such as those to be presented to Council.  This was confirmed by Cllr Harvey.

The motions were presented as follows:-

1.            County Lines and Child Exploitation         

Witney Town Council notes that: 

• We are only too aware of the issues in Oxfordshire of the County Lines and Child Criminal Exploitation, through our partnerships with WODC, TVP and other key organisations.
• We are equally aware of the damage that this criminal behaviour can wreak in communities like ours, and the potentially lifelong consequences it can have for vulnerable young people.
• We also note that County Lines and Child Criminal Exploitation is the subject of a current Early Day Motion in the House of Commons, which has been supported by MPs from across the political spectrum.

Therefore this council resolves to: 

• Write to Robert Courts MP, asking him to add his signature to the motion, and to encourage as many of his Parliamentary colleagues to do the same.

Proposed by Cllr Ashbourne, seconded by Cllr Collins.

2.            Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill

Witney Town Council declared a Climate Emergency at the Council meeting on 26th June 2019 and followed up with a Public Meeting in July 2019 enabling everyone to share ideas and visions for change. These included engagement with Central Government, West Oxfordshire District Council, Oxfordshire County Council, relevant stake holders and other organisations to initiate local action on climate change.

On September 20th 2020, an Early Day Motion entitled the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill was tabled in the House of Commons. The Government’s recent Ten Point Plan goes a long way towards tackling the UK’s carbon emissions, but this Bill recognises that our carbon footprint extends beyond the UK’s borders. The Bill calls for:

•the UK to make and enact a serious plan to combat climate change. This means dealing with our real fair share of emissions so that we don’t go over critical global rises in temperature

•our entire carbon footprint be taken into account (in the UK and overseas)

•the protection and conservation of nature here and overseas along supply chains, recognising the damage we cause through the goods we consume

•those in power not to depend on technology to save the day, which is used as an excuse to carry on polluting as usual

•people to have a real say on the way forward in a citizens’ assembly with bite

This Council agrees with the principles of this Bill and supports Oxfordshire residents in their efforts to see it come into law.  We ask the Leader of this Council to write to our MP, asking them to support their constituents by voting for this Bill when it comes to the House of Commons.

Proposed by Cllr Prosser, seconded by Cllr Smith.

                Due to the Leader’s update, amendments were proposed as detailed below. 

Motion 1 - votes for the amendment:  16 for, 1 abstention; votes for the motion : 16 for, 1 abstention.

Motion 2 – votes for the amendment: 12 for, 5 abstentions; votes for the motion: 11 for, 6 abstentions.

                Both motions were therefore carried with the proposed amendments.

RESOLVED:          that both motions as presented are passed with the following amendments:

Motion 1 - County Lines and Child Exploitation

Final paragraph to read:

Write to Robert Courts MP asking him to support this motion shall it come to parliament and to reply to Witney Town Council informing what steps both the Government and he himself will be taking to safeguard vulnerable young people affected by county lines, both nationally and locally.

Motion 2 - Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill

Final sentence to read:

We ask the Leader of this Council to write to our MP, asking, that whilst we understand as a member of the Government he is unable to support this private members bill, he replies to Witney Town Council in the light of this with what policies he thinks need to be brought in to address climate change on a scale sooner than 2050, and how to improve on things like the recent Environment Bill to address climate and ecological emergency and engages with his constituents on this bill.