Motion by Councillor Roz Smith
This Government has consistently failed to address the cost of living crisis.
Oxfordshire households face spiralling costs with fuel and energy costs, especially affecting front line workers, logistics, farming and food production.
Energy & fuel risesimpact on all this council's services and there is concern about budgeted schemes due to inflation, and availability of personnel and resources.
1 in 3 households reported their cost of living had risen, citing affordability of food and medicines as a major concern. Many households face a decision between “heat or eat”
This Council therefore declares a ‘Cost of Living Emergency’ and calls on the Government to:
Subsidisebuses and trains, to ensure that people can travel for essential education and work.
Urgently review the energy cap to provide much greater protection to consumers, including a cap for off grid homes.
Immediately change taxation on fuel to transfer the risk of price changes to the Government pegged at long-term average prices.
Immediately reduce VAT to 17.5%
Restore the £20 Universal Credit supplement, previously cancelled by the Government.
Recognise Oxfordshire will need urgent additional funds to support homelessness, school transport, social care services, waste disposal, and a plethora of other council functions and programme deliveries affected by the increase in prices and inflation.
Council recommends to the Cabinet that this Council holds an urgent Cost-of-Living Summit to work towards a holistic and adaptive response to the emergency in Oxfordshire.
Decision:
With the consent of Council, the Amendment by Councillor Roz Smith was accepted
The amendment by Councillor Eddie Reeves was lost by 30 votes to 12
The substantive motion as amended was carried by 30 votes to 12
RESOLVED:-
This Council notes that:
This Government
has consistently failed to address prepare for the
cost-of-living crisis.
Oxfordshire households face spiraling costs with fuel and energy costs, especially affecting front line workers, logistics, farming and food production.
Energy & fuel rises impact on all this council's services and there is concern about budgeted schemes due to inflation, and availability of personnel and resources.
1 in 3 households reported their cost of living had risen, citing affordability of food and medicines as a major concern. Many households face a decision between “heat or eat”
This Council therefore declares a ‘Cost of Living Emergency’ and calls on the Government to:
Subsidize buses and trains, to ensure that people can travel for essential education and work.
Urgently
review the energy cap to provide much greater protection to
consumers, including a cap for off grid homes. Invest in decarbonising energy in the UK to prepare for
further energy shortages and sustainability.
Immediately change taxation on fuel to transfer the risk of price changes to the Government pegged at long-term average prices.
Immediately reduce VAT to 17.5%
Restore the £20 Universal Credit supplement, previously cancelled by the Government.
Recognise Oxfordshire will need urgent additional funds to support homelessness, school transport, social care services, waste disposal, and a plethora of other council functions and programme deliveries affected by the increase in prices and inflation.
Council recommends to the Cabinet that this Council holds an urgent Cost-of-Living Summit to work towards a holistic and adaptive response to the emergency in Oxfordshire.
Minutes:
With the consent of Council, Councillor Roz Smith moved and Councillor Ian Middleton seconded the following motion amended by the suggestion of Councillor Roz Smith below
This Council notes that:
This Government
has consistently failed to address prepare for the
cost-of-living crisis.
Oxfordshire households face spiraling costs with fuel and energy costs, especially affecting front line workers, logistics, farming and food production.
Energy & fuel rises impact on all this council's services and there is concern about budgeted schemes due to inflation, and availability of personnel and resources.
1 in 3 households reported their cost of living had risen, citing affordability of food and medicines as a major concern. Many households face a decision between “heat or eat”
This Council therefore declares a ‘Cost of Living Emergency’ and calls on the Government to:
Subsidize buses and trains, to ensure that people can travel for essential education and work.
Urgently
review the energy cap to provide much greater protection to
consumers, including a cap for off grid homes. Invest in decarbonising energy in the UK to prepare for
further energy shortages and sustainability.
Immediately change taxation on fuel to transfer the risk of price changes to the Government pegged at long-term average prices.
Immediately reduce VAT to 17.5%
Restore the £20 Universal Credit supplement, previously cancelled by the Government.
Recognise Oxfordshire will need urgent additional funds to support homelessness, school transport, social care services, waste disposal, and a plethora of other council functions and programme deliveries affected by the increase in prices and inflation.
Council recommends to the Cabinet that this Council holds an urgent Cost-of-Living Summit to work towards a holistic and adaptive response to the emergency in Oxfordshire.
Councillor Eddie Reeves moved and Councillor David Bartholomew seconded the following amendment to the Motion as shown in bold italics and strikethrough below:-
This Council notes that:
This
Governments
internationally has consistently failed to address are
grappling with the cost of living
crisis induced by Russian aggression in Ukraine and exacerbated
by the pandemic.
Oxfordshire
households face spiralling costs with fuel and energy costs,
rising Council Tax and other outgoings especially
affecting front line workers, hardworking families and
businesses in the logistics, hospitality, farming and food production
sectors.
Energy
& fuel rises impact on all this council's services and
there is concern about budgetsed schemes due to
inflation, and the availability of personnel and
resources.
1 in
31/3
households reported that their cost of living hasd risen, citing affordability of
food and medicines as a major concern.
Many households face a decision between “heat or
eat”.
This
Council therefore declares a ‘Cost of Living
Emergency’ and will actively consider applying reasonable
levels of unspent reserves, including its underspent Budget
Priority Reserve, to protecting those most in need from the worst
effects of this emergency.
This Council further calls on the Government to:
Subsidise
buses and trains, to ensure thatHelp
the Council to provide affordable public transport so that
...
view the full minutes text for item 73
Motion by Councillor Roz Smith
This Government has consistently failed to address the cost of living crisis.
Oxfordshire households face spiralling costs with fuel and energy costs, especially affecting front line workers, logistics, farming and food production.
Energy & fuel risesimpact on all this council's services and there is concern about budgeted schemes due to inflation, and availability of personnel and resources.
1 in 3 households reported their cost of living had risen, citing affordability of food and medicines as a major concern. Many households face a decision between “heat or eat”
This Council therefore declares a ‘Cost of Living Emergency’ and calls on the Government to:
Subsidisebuses and trains, to ensure that people can travel for essential education and work.
Urgently review the energy cap to provide much greater protection to consumers, including a cap for off grid homes.
Immediately change taxation on fuel to transfer the risk of price changes to the Government pegged at long-term average prices.
Immediately reduce VAT to 17.5%
Restore the £20 Universal Credit supplement, previously cancelled by the Government.
Recognise Oxfordshire will need urgent additional funds to support homelessness, school transport, social care services, waste disposal, and a plethora of other council functions and programme deliveries affected by the increase in prices and inflation.
Council recommends to the Cabinet that this Council holds an urgent Cost-of-Living Summit to work towards a holistic and adaptive response to the emergency in Oxfordshire.
Motion by Councillor Sally Povolotsky
This Council notes that:
This
government has consistently failed to address the imminent cost of
living crisis.
April 2022, Ofgem increased the energy price cap by
54%. There is no cap on solid fuel, bottled gas or heating
oil.
Oxfordshire households face spiralling costs, with a
large percentage not on mains gas, homes reliant on oil and bottled
gas face huge costs with no price cap or
grants.
Forecourt’s at £2 per litre, affecting front line workers, logistics, farming and food production.
Energy & fuel rises impact on council's services from school catering to adult and social care. There’s concern about budgeted schemes due to inflation, and availability of personnel and resources.
9 in 10 (88%) adults reported their cost of living had risen over the past month, citing affordability of food and medicines as a major concern.
This Council therefore declares a ‘Cost of
Living Emergency’ and calls on the Government
to:
Urgently subsidise bus and train travel, to ensure that people can travel for essential education and work.
Urgently review the energy cap regime in order to provide much greater protection to consumers, as other European countries have done.
Provide immediate financial support for consumers of heating oil / bottled gas and solid fuels / prepayment meters.
Immediately reduce VAT to 17.5%
Recognise that Oxfordshire will need urgent additional funds to support homelessness, school transport, social care services, waste disposal, and a plethora of other council functions affected by the increase in prices and inflation.
Decision:
The time being 3.25 pm, this Motion was considered dropped in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 13.5.8
Minutes:
The time being 3.25 pm, this Motion was considered dropped in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 13.5.8