Agenda item

This Council believes free TV licences are an invaluable lifeline to thousands of older people in Leeds at risk of social isolation. 

 

Council therefore opposes the proposal to scrap this vital pensioner benefit and calls on the Government to honour the promise made in the Conservative 2017 manifesto and fully fund the TV licence for all over 75s.

 

It was moved by Councillor Charlwood, seconded by Councillor Coupar thatthis Council believes free TV licences are an invaluable lifeline to thousands of older people in Leeds at risk of social isolation. 

 

Council therefore opposes the proposal to scrap this vital pensioner benefit and calls on the Government to honour the promise made in the Conservative 2017 manifesto and fully fund the TV licence for all over 75s.

 

An amendment was moved by Councillor Finnigan, seconded by Councillor Elliott

 

Delete all after “This Council” and replace with “believes free TV licenses are invaluable to many people in Leeds at risk of social isolation. This Council agrees to campaign for the scrapping of the TV License fee."

 

The White Paper would then read:

 

"This Council believes free TV licenses are invaluable to many people in Leeds at risk of social isolation. This Council agrees to campaign for the scrapping of the TV License fee."

 

A second amendment was moved by Councillor Bentley, seconded by Councillor Campbell

 

Delete all after “This Council believes” and replace with:

 

“..that all pensioners should receive a sustainable, living pension enabling  them to live with dignity, without fear of poverty or having to depend on arbitrary handouts at the whim of politicians.  The triple lock introduced by the Coalition Government in 2010 gives pensioners guaranteed real terms annual increases and enables them to share in the prosperity of the nation.

 

Council therefore:

 

·  Deplores the cynical ploy of the government to offload its obligations to the BBC

 

·  Calls on the government to consolidate annual payments for winter fuel allowance, Christmas bonus and TV licences for those over 75 into a guaranteed minimum pension.

 

·  Calls on the government and leaders of the main opposition parties to commit to retaining the triple lock arrangements in future Parliaments.”

 

The White Paper will then read:

 

This Council believes that all pensioners should receive a sustainable, living pension enabling them to live with dignity, without fear of poverty or having to depend on arbitrary handouts at the whim of politicians.  The triple lock introduced by the Coalition Government in 2010 gives pensioners guaranteed real terms annual increases and enables them to share in the prosperity of the nation.

 

Council therefore:

 

·  Deplores the cynical ploy of the government to offload its obligations to the BBC

 

·  Calls on the government to consolidate annual payments for winter fuel allowance, Christmas bonus and TV licences for those over 75 into a guaranteed minimum pension.

 

·  Calls on the government and leaders of the main opposition parties to commit to retaining the triple lock arrangements in future Parliaments

 

A third amendment was moved by Councillor C Anderson, seconded by Councillor Stephenson

 

Delete all after ‘This Council believes’ and replace with:

 

‘in the protection of benefits, such as the TV licence, for vulnerable pensioners in the City. 

 

This Council further believes that TV licences are not the only factor that impacts on the budgets of older people in Leeds. Taxpayers should have confidence that the system of setting and collecting taxes, both official, and those “taxes” imposed on residents like the “replacement bin tax” in Leeds, are both fair and balanced for all. This Council therefore rejects Labour's 'Land for the Many' policy paper, which includes proposals to replace council tax with a regressive land and garden tax that disproportionately targets elderly pensioners in Leeds.

 

This Council acknowledges that the decision relating to TV licences is the responsibility of the BBC, not this Council, and that the BBC should have used some of the other options available to meet their budget issues.

 

Finally this Council acknowledges that tackling social isolation is about more than just TV licences and calls on the Executive Member to bring a paper to Executive Board setting out what she and her administration will be doing to support residents who feel isolated.

 

The amendments in the name of Councillors Finnigan, Bentley and C Anderson were declared lost and upon being put to the vote it was

 

RESOLVED – That this Council believes free TV licences are an invaluable lifeline to thousands of older people in Leeds at risk of social isolation. 

 

Council therefore opposes the proposal to scrap this vital pensioner benefit and calls on the Government to honour the promise made in the Conservative 2017 manifesto and fully fund the TV licence for all over 75s.

 

On the requisition of Councillors Dowson and Lewis the voting on the three amendments and the motion were recorded as follows:

 

Amendment in the name of Councillor Finnigan

 

YES – 4

 

Elliott, Finnigan, Hutchison & Kidger

 

NO – 79

 

B Anderson, C Anderson, Akhtar, Almas, Arif, Bentley, Bithell, Blake, Brooks, Buckley, Campbell, Carlill, Chapman, Charlwood, Cohen, Coupar, Cunningham, Dawson, Downes, Dowson, Drinkwater, Dye, Firth, Gabriel, Garner, Garthwaite, Goddard, Golton, P Grahame, R Grahame, Groves, C Gruen, P Gruen, Hall, Hamilton, Harland, Harrington, M Harrison, Hayden, Heselwood, Hussain, Illingworth, Iqbal, Jenkins, Khan, Knight, Lamb, G Latty, P Latty, Lay, Lennox, J Lewis, Maqsood, Marshall Katung, McKenna, Midgley, Mulherin,  Nash, Pryor, Rafique, Ragan, Renshaw, Ritchie, Scopes, Seary, Shahzad, Sharpe, Shemilt ,Smart, Smith, Stephenson, Taylor, Truswell, Tunnicliffe, Venner, Wadsworth, Walshaw, Wenham and Wray.

 

ABSTAIN – 5

 

A Blackburn, D Blackburn, Dobson, Forsaith and McCormack.

 

Amendment in the name of Councillor Bentley

 

YES – 7

 

Bentley, Campbell, Chapman, Downes Golton, Hall and Lay.

 

NO – 73

 

B Anderson, C Anderson, Akhtar, Almas, Arif, Bithell, Blake, Brooks, Buckley, Carlill, Charlwood, Cohen, Collins, Coupar, Cunningham, Dawson, Dowson, Drinkwater, Dye, Firth, Gabriel, Garner, Garthwaite, Goddard, P Grahame, R Grahame, Groves, C Gruen, P Gruen, Hamilton, Harland, Harrington, M Harrison, Hayden, Heselwood, Hussain, Illingworth, Iqbal, Jenkins, Khan, Knight, Lamb, G Latty, P Latty, Lennox, J Lewis, Maqsood, Marshall Katung, McKenna, Midgley, Mulherin,  Nash, Pryor, Rafique, Ragan, Renshaw, Ritchie, Scopes, Seary, Shahzad, Sharpe, Shemilt ,Smart, Smith, Stephenson, Taylor, Truswell, Tunnicliffe, Venner, Wadsworth, Walshaw, Wenham and Wray.

 

ABSTAIN – 9

 

A Blackburn, D Blackburn, Dobson, Elliott, Finnigan, Forsaith, Hutchison, Kidger & McCormack.

Amendment in the name of Councillor C Anderson

 

 YES – 17

 

B Anderson, C Anderson, Buckley, Cohen, Collins, Firth, Harrington, M Harrison, Lamb, G Latty, P Latty, Seary, Shemilt, Smith, Stephenson, Taylor & Wadsworth.

 

NO – 66

 

Akhtar, Almas, Arif, Bentley, Bithell, A Blackburn, D Blackburn, Blake, Brooks, Campbell, Carlill, Chapman, Charlwood, Coupar, Cunningham, Dawson, Downes, Dowson, Drinkwater, Dye, Forsaith, Gabriel, Garner, Garthwaite, Goddard, Golton, P Grahame, R Grahame, Groves, C Gruen, P Gruen, Hall, Hamilton, Harland, Hayden, Heselwood, Hussain, Illingworth, Iqbal, Jenkins, Khan, Knight, Lay, Lennox, J Lewis, Maqsood, Marshall Katung, McKenna, Midgley, Mulherin,  Nash, Pryor, Rafique, Ragan, Renshaw, Ritchie, Scopes, Shahzad, Sharpe, Smart, Truswell, Tunnicliffe, Venner, Walshaw, Wenham and Wray.

 

ABSTAIN – 6

 

Dobson, Elliott, Finnigan, Hutchison, Kidger & McCormack.

 

 

Motion in the name of Councillor Charlwood

 

YES – 68

 

Akhtar, Almas, Arif, Bentley, Bithell, A Blackburn, D Blackburn, Blake, Brooks, Campbell, Carlill, Chapman, Charlwood, Coupar, Cunningham, Dawson, Dobson, Downes, Dowson, Drinkwater, Dye, Forsaith, Gabriel, Garner, Garthwaite, Goddard, Golton, P Grahame, R Grahame, Groves, C Gruen, P Gruen, Hall, Hamilton, Harland, Hayden, Heselwood, Hussain, Illingworth, Iqbal, Jenkins, Khan, Knight, Lay, Lennox, J Lewis, Maqsood, Marshall Katung, McCormack, McKenna, Midgley, Mulherin, Nash, Pryor, Rafique, Ragan, Renshaw, Ritchie, Scopes, Shahzad, Sharpe, Smart, Truswell, Tunnicliffe, Venner, Walshaw, Wenham and Wray.

 

NO – 17

 

B Anderson, C Anderson, Buckley, Cohen, Collins, Firth, Harrington, M Harrison, Lamb, G Latty, P Latty, Seary, Shemilt, Smith, Stephenson, Taylor & Wadsworth.

 

ABSTAIN – 4

 

Elliott, Finnigan, Hutchison & Kidger