Agenda item

This Council is concerned at the obscene profits recently announced by energy companies during a cost of living crisis when average annual energy costs for Leeds residents have increased by around £1000 since 2019.

 

Council is further concerned this comes at a time when the Government is ending the energy bill support scheme, further increasing pressures on household budgets for families in Leeds during the cost of living crisis.

 

This council has supported a network of Warm Spaces to mitigate the impact of this national crisis, which we know has been a vital service for people this winter. However, this should never have been necessary, because people deserve to be able to heat their own homes.

 

Council calls on the Government to extend the windfall tax on energy companies and use the funding to freeze energy bills now and provide further support for households in Leeds struggling in the cost of living crisis. Council further calls on the Government to move to publicly owned clean energy provision for the future.

 

It was moved by Councillor Lennox, seconded by Councillor Truswell that this Council is concerned at the obscene profits recently announced by energy companies during a cost of living crisis when average annual energy costs for Leeds residents have increased by around £1000 since 2019.

 

Council is further concerned this comes at a time when the Government is ending the energy bill support scheme, further increasing pressures on household budgets for families in Leeds during the cost of living crisis.

 

This council has supported a network of Warm Spaces to mitigate the impact of this national crisis, which we know has been a vital service for people this winter. However, this should never have been necessary, because people deserve to be able to heat their own homes.

 

Council calls on the Government to extend the windfall tax on energy companies and use the funding to freeze energy bills now and provide further support for households in Leeds struggling in the cost of living crisis. Council further calls on the Government to move to publicly owned clean energy provision for the future.

 

An amendment was moved by Councillor Howley, seconded by Councillor Hart-Brooke;

 

Delete the final paragraph and replace with:

 

“Council calls on the Government to extend the windfall tax on energy companies by removing the super-deduction for oil and gas companies and use the funding to reduce energy bills further and continue support for households beyond July and until lower energy costs feed through to Leeds residents. Council further calls on the Government to remove the windfall tax on renewable electricity generators to enable further investment in the cleanest and cheapest forms of energy production.”

 

The amended White Paper will then read:

 

This Council is concerned at the obscene profits recently announced by energy companies during a cost of living crisis when average annual energy costs for Leeds residents have increased by around £1000 since 2019.

 

Council is further concerned this comes at a time when the Government is ending the energy bill support scheme, further increasing pressures on household budgets for families in Leeds during the cost of living crisis.

 

This council has supported a network of Warm Spaces to mitigate the impact of this national crisis, which we know has been a vital service for people this winter. However, this should never have been necessary, because people deserve to be able to heat their own homes.

 

Council calls on the Government to extend the windfall tax on energy companies by removing the super-deduction for oil and gas companies and use the funding to reduce energy bills further and continue support for households beyond July and until lower energy costs feed through to Leeds residents. Council further calls on the Government to remove the windfall tax on renewable electricity generators to enable further investment in the cleanest and cheapest forms of energy production.

 

A second amendment was moved by Councillor Lamb, seconded by Councillor Firth

 

Delete all after “This Council” and replace with:

 

“notes global economic challenges as a result of Putin’s barbaric war in Ukraine which led to an inflation rate of 10 per cent in the United States, the Eurozone and the United Kingdom at the end of 2022. Council welcomes news that the UK had the fastest growing economy in the G7 last year and that the Prime Minister’s plan to cut inflation is working as revised predictions show the UK economy will no longer go into recession and inflation will fall back to 3 per cent in quarter 4.

 

Council welcomes the substantial and continuing UK government support to help residents in Leeds and across the country deal with high energy costs and the rising cost of living. Overall, the government is providing a total of £94 billion, equivalent to £3,300 per household on average, across this financial year and next, to support households with higher costs. This includes:

 

• Extending the Energy Price Guarantee at £2,500 for a further three months, in addition to the £400 energy bill discount for all households.
• Extending 30 hours of childcare a week to working parents of children aged 9 months to 4 years 
• Paying Universal Credit childcare costs up front rather than in arrears 
• Introducing reforms to the childcare sector including changes to 2-year-old staff: child ratios from 1:4 to 1:5 
• Establishing a new Universal Support programme for disabled people and the long-term sick 
• Abolishing the Work Capability Assessment and increasing the Administrative Earning Threshold to 18 hours 
• Freezing fuel duty for a thirteenth year, saving the average driver around £200 

 

Council notes the government responded to the rise in energy costs by also introducing, and then extending, the Energy Profits Levy (EPL) on energy companies - taking the headline tax rate for the sector to 75 per cent - to help fund support for people in the current economic climate. Council welcomes commitments in the EPL that encourage oil and gas producers to invest in UK energy supply, further reducing our reliance on Russian gas. Council further welcomes the government’s commitment to new nuclear power.

 

Council notes that this administration has control over the fees and charges payable by residents in Leeds for council services, and regrets that the administration has chosen to increase many of these despite the economic challenges and the impact on vulnerable residents. Council therefore calls on the administration to undertake a review of all fees and charges to see if practical changes can be made to support Leeds residents.”

 

A third amendment was moved by Councillor Forsaith, seconded by Councillor Cunningham

 

After paragraph 3 insert:

 

“Council deeply regrets the lack of action by the Government to roll out and support a national programme of home insulation, as well as heat and electricity microgeneration, when the urgent need to respond to the climate emergency became apparent.  Such a national retrofitting programme would have supported households now and in a just transition to a fairer and more sustainable future.  Council further regrets the lack of action in transitioning fully to renewable sources of electricity and heat generation, which has left households still dependent on fossil fuels and their supply from other countries.”

 

After “… struggling in the cost of living crisis.” in paragraph 4 insert: “Council also calls upon the Government to come up with long-term plans and finance to help householders, and landlords, to retrofit the properties that they own.”

 

  ___________________________________

The amended White Paper would then read:

 

“This Council is concerned at the obscene profits recently announced by energy companies during a cost of living crisis when average annual energy costs for Leeds residents have increased by around £1000 since 2019.

 

Council is further concerned this comes at a time when the Government is ending the energy bill support scheme, further increasing pressures on household budgets for families in Leeds during the cost of living crisis.

 

This council has supported a network of Warm Spaces to mitigate the impact of this national crisis, which we know has been a vital service for people this winter. However, this should never have been necessary, because people deserve to be able to heat their own homes.

 

Council deeply regrets the lack of action by the Government to roll out and support a national programme of home insulation, as well as heat and electricity microgeneration, when the urgent need to respond to the climate emergency became apparent.  Such a national retrofitting programme would have supported households now and in a just transition to a fairer and more sustainable future.  Council further regrets the lack of action in transitioning fully to renewable sources of electricity and heat generation, which has left households still dependent on fossil fuels and their supply from other countries.

 

Council calls on the Government to extend the windfall tax on energy companies and use the funding to freeze energy bills now and provide further support for households in Leeds struggling in the cost of living crisis.  Council also calls upon the Government to come up with long-term plans and finance to help householders, and landlords, to retrofit the properties that they own.  Council further calls on the Government to move to publicly owned clean energy provision for the future.”

 

The amendments in the name of Councillor Howley and Councillor Lamb were declared lost the amendment in the name of Councillor Forsaith was carried and upon being put to the vote it was

 

RESOLVED – That this Council is concerned at the obscene profits recently announced by energy companies during a cost of living crisis when average annual energy costs for Leeds residents have increased by around £1000 since 2019.

 

Council is further concerned this comes at a time when the Government is ending the energy bill support scheme, further increasing pressures on household budgets for families in Leeds during the cost of living crisis.

 

This council has supported a network of Warm Spaces to mitigate the impact of this national crisis, which we know has been a vital service for people this winter. However, this should never have been necessary, because people deserve to be able to heat their own homes.

 

Council deeply regrets the lack of action by the Government to roll out and support a national programme of home insulation, as well as heat and electricity microgeneration, when the urgent need to respond to the climate emergency became apparent.  Such a national retrofitting programme would have supported households now and in a just transition to a fairer and more sustainable future.  Council further regrets the lack of action in transitioning fully to renewable sources of electricity and heat generation, which has left households still dependent on fossil fuels and their supply from other countries.

 

Council calls on the Government to extend the windfall tax on energy companies and use the funding to freeze energy bills now and provide further support for households in Leeds struggling in the cost of living crisis.  Council also calls upon the Government to come up with long-term plans and finance to help householders, and landlords, to retrofit the properties that they own.  Council further calls on the Government to move to publicly owned clean energy provision for the future.”

 

On the requisition of Councillor Lennox and Lewis the voting on the substantive motion in the name of Councillor Forsaith was recorded as follows;

 

YES - 64

 

Akhtar, Almass, Arif, Bithell, Bowden, Bromley, Brooks, Burke, Carlill, Coupar, Dowson, Dye, Farley, Flint, France-Mir, Garthwaite,Garvani, Gibson, Grahame, Gruen, Hamilton, Harland, Hayden, Heselwood, A Hussain, Z Hussain, Illingworth, Iqbal, Jenkins, Khan, Lennox, Lewis, Maloney, Marshall-Katung, Martin, McKenna, Midgley, Mulherin, Pryor, Rafique, Renshaw, Ritchie, Scopes, Sewards, Shahzad, Sharpe, Taylor, Thomson, Truswell, Tudor, Venner, Wilson, Wray, Dixon, Blackburn, Cunningham, Forsaith, Campbell, Chapman, Downes, Golton, Howley, Hart-Brooke and Lay

 

 

 

NO - 17

 

Alderson, B Anderson, C Anderson, Buckley, Andrew Carter, Cohen, Firth, Flynn, Foster, Harrington, Lamb, Richards, Robinson, D Seary, S Seary, Stephenson and Wadsworth,

 

ABSTAIN – 3

 

Hutchison, Senior and Newton