Agenda item

This Council regrets the additional funding identified by the cross-party Local Government Association as essential to help councils maintain services just at 2019/20 levels wasn’t in the Chancellor’s budget. Council is very concerned by the effect this will have on services for the people of Leeds and calls on the Government to rethink.

It was moved by Councillor Coupar, seconded by Councillor Lewis that this Council regrets the additional funding identified by the cross-party Local Government Association as essential to help councils maintain services just at 2019/20 levels wasn’t in the Chancellor’s budget. Council is very concerned by the effect this will have on services for the people of Leeds and calls on the Government to rethink.

An amendment was moved by Councillor Andrew Carter, seconded by Councillor Flynn

Delete all after “This Council” and replace with:

“welcomes the new government grant funding of £4.8bn for councils over the next three years to support vital local services, and the £2.6 billion for school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

“Council also welcomes other funding announcements in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement that will benefit Leeds and the wider region, as part of the government’s support for levelling up across the UK. This includes:

·  £20m from the Levelling Up Fund to deliver improved transport connections across West Leeds;

·  £830 million for West Yorkshire as part of the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement;

·  £16 million for the Northern Forest to support new woodland creation;

·  £77 million for the redevelopment of the British Library Boston Spa.

“Leeds will also benefit from its share of national programmes, including over £2.6 billion for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, focused on helping people into jobs, including giving adults the opportunity to develop their numeracy skills through the Adult Numeracy Programme ‘Multiply’.

“Council further notes the huge amount of Covid-related financial support provided by the government, amounting to £618.81m in grants to the Leeds City Region, helping to support the Council, external bodies, businesses, and other programmes, including:

·  £7.6m Council Tax Support hardship funding;

·  £79.5m in Business Rate grants;

·  £99.63m to support additional expenditure and loss of income incurred by the Council due to Covid;

·  £283.26m in grants for businesses.

The amendment in the name of Councillor Andrew Carter was declared lost and upon being put to the vote it was

RESOLVED – That this Council regrets the additional funding identified by the cross-party Local Government Association as essential to help councils maintain services just at 2019/20 levels wasn’t in the Chancellor’s budget. Council is very concerned by the effect this will have on services for the people of Leeds and calls on the Government to rethink.

On the requisition of Councillors Lennox and Coupar the voting on the motion in the name of Councillor Coupar was recorded as follows;

YES – 52

Akhtar, Arif, A Blackburn, D Blackburn, Brooks, Burke, Carlill, Charlwood, Coupar, Cunningham, Dowson, Dye, Flint, Forsaith, Gabriel, Garthwaite, Gibson, Goddard, P Grahame, Groves, C Gruen, Hamilton, Harland, Hayden, Heselwood, A Hussain, Z Hussain, Illingworth, Iqbal, Jenkins, Lennox, Lewis, Maqsood, Marshall-Katung, Martin, McKenna, Midgley, Mulherin, Nash, Pryor, Rafique, Ragan, Renshaw, Ritchie, Scopes, Shahzad, Sharpe, E Taylor, Truswell, Venner, Walshaw and Wray.

NO - 20

Alderson, B Anderson, C Anderson, Buckley, Amanda Carter, Andrew Carter, Cohen, Collins, Firth, Flynn, Harrington, Lamb, G Latty, Robinson, D Seary, S Seary, Smith, Stephenson, J Taylor and Wadsworth.

ABSTAIN - 7

Dobson, Field, Finnigan, Gettings, Kidger, McCormack and Senior.