Agenda item

To consider any motions, due notice of which have been given in accordance with Standing Order 4.8.12.

(A)       Modern Slavery

“That, in view of evidence that modern slavery is hidden even in affluent areas like North Hertfordshire, this Council notes the legal duties imposed upon it in the Modern Slavery Act 2015, notes the training delivered by Hertfordshire Constabulary to the Council’s safeguarding group and agrees that the Council must seek to raise awareness of the signs of modern slavery and human trafficking in all its work and within the District.  To achieve this the Council agrees to support the principles of the Modern Slavery Charter.”

Following debate and upon being put to the vote, the amended motion was carried unanimously.

(B)       Members’ Allowances Scheme

RESOLVED:  That this Council recognises that the Allowance Scheme for 2018/19, approved by the Council on 18th January 2018, was improperly made.

The adopted scheme for 2017/18 shall therefore remain in place without amendment for the 2018/19 year.

The Council further instructs that the Chief Executive does not convene the IRP until any scheduled review of the allowances for 2019/20.

Council instructs that the sum of approx. £6,800 saved by retaining the 2017/18 allowance scheme be allocated to the 5 Area Committees pro-rata to their existing allocation.

(A)       Modern Slavery

Due notice having been given in accordance with Standing Order 4.8.12, it was moved by Councillor Martin Stears-Handscomb, and seconded by Councillor Ian Albert:

“That, in view of evidence that modern slavery is hidden even in affluent areas like North Hertfordshire, this Council agrees to adopt as far as possible the Modern Slavery Charter (below).

It will:

1.      Train its corporate procurement team to understand modern slavery through the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply’s (CIPS) online course on Ethical Procurement and Supply.

2.      Require its contractors to comply fully with the Modern Slavery Act 2015, wherever it applies, with contract termination as a potential sanction for non-compliance.

3.      Challenge any abnormally low-cost tenders to ensure they do not rely upon the potential contractor practising modern slavery.

4.      Highlight to its suppliers that contracted workers are free to join a trade union and are not to be treated unfairly for belonging to one.

5.      Publicise its whistle-blowing system for staff to blow the whistle on any suspected examples of modern slavery.

6.      Require its tendered contractors to adopt a whistle-blowing policy which enables their staff to blow the whistle on any suspected examples of modern slavery.

7.      Review its contractual spending regularly to identify any potential issues with modern slavery.

8.      Highlight for its suppliers any risks identified concerning modern slavery and refer them to the relevant agencies to be addressed.

9.      Refer for investigation via the National Crime Agency’s national referral mechanism any of its contractors identified as a cause for concern regarding modern slavery.

10.  Report publicly on the implementation of this policy annually.”

An amended motion was tabled at the meeting.  It was moved by Councillor Martin Stears-Handscomb and seconded by Councillor Tony Hunter:

“That, in view of evidence that modern slavery is hidden even in affluent areas like North Hertfordshire, this Council notes the legal duties imposed upon it in the Modern Slavery Act 2015, notes the training delivered by Hertfordshire Constabulary to the Council’s safeguarding group and agrees that the Council must seek to raise awareness of the signs of modern slavery and human trafficking in all its work and within the District.  To achieve this the Council agrees to support the principles of the Modern Slavery Charter.”

Following debate and upon being put to the vote, the amended motion was carried unanimously.

(B)       Members’ Allowances Scheme

The following motion was submitted without the due notice specified in Standing Order 4.8.12.  However, the Chairman had exercised his discretion by allowing the motion to be considered at this Council meeting.

In accordance with Standing Order 4.8.15(a), as the motion was a motion to rescind a previous decision made at a meeting of the Council within the past six months, the notice of motion had been required to be signed by at least 12 Members.  The following Members had signed the notice of motion:

Councillor Lynda Needham

Councillor Julian Cunningham

Councillor John Booth

Councillor Mike Rice

Councillor Ray Shakespeare-Smith

Councillor David Levett

Councillor Tony Hunter

Councillor Paul Marment

Councillor Jim McNally

Councillor Faye Frost

Councillor Steve Hemingway

Councillor David Barnard

Councillor Fiona Hill

Therefore, it was moved by Councillor Lynda Needham and seconded by Councillor Julian Cunningham:

“That this Council recognises that the Allowance Scheme for 2018/19, approved by the Council on 18th January 2018, was improperly made.

The adopted scheme for 2017/18 shall therefore remain in place without amendment for the 2018/19 year.

The Council further requests that the Chief Executive does not convene the IRP until any scheduled review of the allowances for 2019/20.

Council requests that the sum of approx. £6,800 saved by retaining the 2017/18 allowance scheme be allocated to the 5 Area Committees pro-rata to their existing allocation.”

Following brief debate, the mover and seconder of the motion accepted a wording change to the third and fourth paragraphs of the motion to replace the word “requests” with “instructs”.

Upon the amended motion being put to the vote, it was therefore

RESOLVED:  That this Council recognises that the Allowance Scheme for 2018/19, approved by the Council on 18th January 2018, was improperly made.

The adopted scheme for 2017/18 shall therefore remain in place without amendment for the 2018/19 year.

The Council further instructs that the Chief Executive does not convene the IRP until any scheduled review of the allowances for 2019/20.

Council instructs that the sum of approx. £6,800 saved by retaining the 2017/18 allowance scheme be allocated to the 5 Area Committees pro-rata to their existing allocation.