“This Council, mindful of the fact that Oxfordshire has already cut £127m and has in place plans to cut a further £74m from its budget, asks the Leader of the Council to write to the Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government asking them to:
(a) Consider the impact on services of a further cut of £60m given that the additional cut will have to be made on services which are not statutory and will hit the rising number of vulnerable elderly people and children in all communities.
(b) Mitigate the damage which these further reductions in expenditure will have on communities across Oxfordshire through the Autumn Statement and the Local Government Finance Settlement by a combination of giving greater local determination to elected councillors in relation to the Council Tax and providing a less onerous settlement to local government.
(c) Consider In the longer term a new approach to securing the financial stability and sustainability of local government.”
Minutes:
Councillor Brighouse moved and Councillor Hards seconded the following motion:
“This Council, mindful of the fact that Oxfordshire has already cut £127m and has in place plans to cut a further £74m from its budget, asks the Leader of the Council to write to the Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government asking them to:
(a) Consider the impact on services of a further cut of £60m given that the additional cut will have to be made on services which are not statutory and will hit the rising number of vulnerable elderly people and children in all communities.
(b) Mitigate the damage which these further reductions in expenditure will have on communities across Oxfordshire through the Autumn Statement and the Local Government Finance Settlement by a combination of giving greater local determination to elected councillors in relation to the Council Tax and providing a less onerous settlement to local government.
(c) Consider In the longer term a new approach to securing the financial stability and sustainability of local government.”
Councillor Williams moved and Councillor Godden seconded the following amendment shown in bold italic:
“This Council, mindful of the fact that Oxfordshire has already cut £127m and has in place plans to cut a further £74m from its budget, asks the Leader of the Council to write to the Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government asking them to:
(a) Consider the impact on services of a further cut of £60m given that the additional cut will have to be made on services which are not statutory and will hit the rising number of vulnerable elderly people and children in all communities.
(b) Mitigate the damage which these further reductions in expenditure will have on communities across Oxfordshire through the Autumn Statement and the Local Government Finance Settlement by a combination of giving greater local determination to elected councillors in relation to the Council Tax and providing a less onerous settlement to local government.
(c) Consider in the longer term a new approach to securing the financial stability and sustainability of local government.”
(d) The Leader of the Council to lead all party delegation to meet the Secretary of State for local Government to illustrate the impact the proposed settlement would have on services, to question the criteria for this settlement RSG and to appeal that extra resources are required in whatever form to diminish the impact of the cuts.'
The amendment proposed by Councillor David Williams was put to the vote and was lost by 47 votes to 11.
Following debate, the substantive motion was put to the vote and was carried nem con.
RESOLVED: (nem con)
This Council, mindful of the fact that Oxfordshire has already cut £127m and has in place plans to cut a further £74m from its budget, asks the Leader of the Council to write to the Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government asking them to:
(a) Consider the impact on services of a further cut of £60m given that the additional cut will have to be made on services which are not statutory and will hit the rising number of vulnerable elderly people and children in all communities.
(b) Mitigate the damage which these further reductions in expenditure will have on communities across Oxfordshire through the Autumn Statement and the Local Government Finance Settlement by a combination of giving greater local determination to elected councillors in relation to the Council Tax and providing a less onerous settlement to local government.
(c) Consider in the longer term a new approach to securing the financial stability and sustainability of local government.