Agenda item

To consider a reportwhich provides the Board with an update on the preparations being made by the Local Authority regarding the UK’s exit from the European Union.

(Report to follow)

Further to minute 179 of the meeting held 20^th March 2019, the Chief Executive submitted a report on the preparations that Leeds City Council, working with partners, has been making to prepare for the UK’s exit from the European Union scheduled to take place on 31^st October 2019.

The report included the following documents:

Appendix A – Leeds Strategic Response Plan

Appendix B – Leeds Brexit Impact Assessment Report May 2019

In presenting the report, the Leader of Council highlighted the continued work of the cross party working group and noted an increase nationally in preparatory work, following the new Government administration in July 2019.

The Chief Executive reported on work undertaken at a regional and national level; and the collaborative approach being taken with partner organisations across a range of sectors; taking the opportunity to highlight the breadth of issues and range of eventualities to be addressed. Specifically, Members discussed the recent work undertaken focussing on the EU Settlement Scheme and within the agricultural and health and social care sectors where the impact on the EU workforce had been identified as a common risk.

In response to a comment regarding the timing of the presentation of the item, the Board noted the report provided as comprehensive response as possible to the findings of the Hatch Regeneris Impact Assessment across a range of issues and possible scenarios, with Leeds’ approach being endorsed both locally and nationally. Members also considered the recommendation to refer this matter to the full Council meeting on 11^th September 2019, with Members highlighting the need to consider such a significant issue at that meeting as a stand-alone item of business, in response to a concern which had been raised.

With the agreement of the Chair, the submitted report had been circulated to Board Members as a late item of business prior to the meeting for the reasons as set out in section 4.5.2 of the submitted report, and as detailed in Minute No. 54. 

RESOLVED

a)  That the work ongoing to prepare the council and the city for the UK’s exit from the European Union be noted;

b)  That the contents of the strategic response plan, as attached at Appendix A to the report, be noted;

c)  That the strategic response plan (as attached at Appendix A to the report) be agreed and that agreement be given for the approach outlined in the report to continue, including that further updates be provided to Executive Board, Scrutiny Board and Members as appropriate.

d)  That the ongoing work by the council and partners to support EU citizens based in Leeds to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme be noted;

e)  That the findings of the Brexit Economic Impact Assessment (attached at Appendix B to the report) which will be used to inform the city’s inclusive growth ambitions as highlighted in the Leeds Inclusive Growth Strategy be noted;

f)  That Executive Board agree that Full Council be invited to debate the above resolutions a) to e) above at its next meeting on the 11th September 2019;

g)  That it be agreed that the recommendations in this report are exempt from call-in for the reason outlined in section 4.5.4 of the submitted report.

(The Council’s Executive and Decision Making Procedure Rules state that a decision may be declared as being exempt from the Call In process by the decision take if it is considered that any delay would seriously prejudice the Council’s, or the public’s interests. In line with this, the resolutions contained within this minute were exempted from the Call In process, as per resolution (g) above, and for the reasons as detailed within sections 4.5.4 of the submitted report)

(Under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 16.5, Councillor Golton required it to be recorded that he abstained from voting on the decisions referred to within this minute).