Issue - meetings

THAT this Council deplores the cuts of £2 million in funding for local Further Education adult education classes made by the Labour Government.  Council believes that stopping many of the adult education classes run by Park Lane College at Osmondthorpe One Stop shop and the Swarthmore Centre can only lead to a widening of the gap between rich and poor in our City.  This council therefore calls on our Leeds MPs to fight these cuts and for the Labour Government to live up to its promises of Education, Education, Education and reinstate this funding immediately.

R BRETT

It was moved by Councillor Brett seconded by Councillor D Blackburn

That this Council deplores the cuts of £2 million in funding for local Further Education adult education classes made by the Labour Government.  Council believes that stopping many of the adult education classes run by Park Lane College at Osmondthorpe One Stop shop and the Swarthmore Centre can only lead to a widening of the gap between rich and poor in our City.  This council therefore calls on our Leeds MPs to fight these cuts and for the Labour Government to live up to its promises of Education, Education, Education and reinstate this funding immediately.

An amendment was moved by Councillor Wakefield seconded by Councillor Driver

Delete all after “this Council” and replace with:

‘notes the re-alignment by the Government of the budget for adult education to concentrate on training for young people and the unemployed. Council regrets the impact this is having on existing adult education classes in the city and calls on the Administration to consider imaginative ways of finding replacement funding for these classes, including considering whether Area Committee well-being budgets may be available.’

The amendment was lost and upon being the motion being put to the vote it was

RESOLVED – That this Council deplores the cuts of £2 million in funding for local Further Education adult education classes made by the Labour Government.  Council believes that stopping many of the adult education classes run by Park Lane College at Osmondthorpe One Stop shop and the Swarthmore Centre can only lead to a widening of the gap between rich and poor in our City.  This council therefore calls on our Leeds MPs to fight these cuts and for the Labour Government to live up to its promises of Education, Education, Education and reinstate this funding immediately.

(Councillor Murray having declared a personal and prejudicial interest under minute 45 above left the meeting during the debate of this item)

During the debate on this item Councillor Bale declared a personal interest as a family member attended adult education classes.