Agenda item

Motion One – Assisted Dying

Councillor S Spencer proposed a motion that was duly seconded, in the following terms:

Background

Ahead of the next General Election, Dame Prue Leith is to write an open letter asking party leaders to listen to the strength of support for choice at the end of life and bring forward a debate on assisted dying in the next Parliament.

It is noted in the letter on The Campaign for Dying with Dignity(CfDWD) website that for every day that passes until the law is reformed, 17 people will suffer as they die. According to the CfDWD the British public overwhelmingly supports assisted dying, yet terminally ill people are still being forced to choose between suffering, suicide and Switzerland.

The motion proposed was:

“To raise awareness of this letter this motion asks that this Council engages in a sensible debate on this matter and where its elected members, staff and the public of Derbyshire support the content, they should be encouraged to add their signatures to it to ask that the government bring forward a debate on assisted dying in the next Parliament.”

Following debate, the motion was duly voted on and declared to be WON. It was therefore:

RESOLVED

That this Council engages in  a sensible debate on this matter and where its elected members, staff and the public of Derbyshire support the content, they should be encouraged to add their signature to it to ask that the government bring forward a debate on assisted dying in the next Parliament.

Motion Two – Diverse Council Declaration

Councillor L Ramsey proposed a motion that was duly seconded, in the following terms:

“That this Council commits to being a Diverse Council. That we agree to:

1)   Provide a clear public commitment to improving diversity in democracy and benchmark our current position in line with established good practice;

2)   Demonstrate an open and welcoming culture to all, promoting the highest standards of behaviour and conduct;

3)   Set out a local Diverse Council Action Plan ahead of the next local elections. Including:

·        Appoint Diversity Ambassadors for each political group on the council to work with each other and local party associations to encourage recruitment of candidates from under-represented groups;

·        Encourage and enable people from under-represented groups to stand for office through the provision of activities such as mentoring and shadowing programmes and information and learning events for people interested in standing as official candidates;

·        Proactive engagement and involvement with local community groups and partner organisations supporting and representing under-represented groups;

·        Ensure that all members and candidates complete a candidates’ and Councillors’ survey distributed at election time;

·        Set ambitious targets for candidates from under-represented groups at the next local elections.

4)   Work towards the standards for member support and development as set out in the LGA Councillor Development Charter and/or Charter Plus;

5)   Demonstrate a commitment to a duty of care for Councillors by:

·        providing access to counselling services for all Councillors having regard for the safety and wellbeing of Councillors whenever they are performing their role as Councillors;

·        taking a zero-tolerance approach to bullying and harassment of members including through social networks.

6)   Provide flexibility in council business by:

·        regularly reviewing and staggering meeting times;

·        encouraging and supporting remote attendance at meetings;

·        agreeing recess periods to support Councillors with caring or work commitments.

7)   Ensure that all members take up the allowances and salaries to which they are entitled, particularly any reimbursement for costs of care, so that all members receive fair remuneration for their work and that the role of member is not limited to those who can afford it;

8)   Ensure that the council adopts a parental leave policy setting out members’ entitlement to maternity, paternity, shared parental and adoption leave and relevant allowances;

9)   Ensure that Councillors from under-represented groups are represented whenever possible in high profile, high influence roles.

An amendment to the motion was proposed by Councillor C Hart,

duly seconded, in the following terms:

That “the wide-ranging matters covered in this motion be dealt with by a cross-party Working Group with a detailed report to Cabinet.”

The proposition as amended was put to a named vote and declared to be WON

RESOLVED

That in accordance with Standing Order 15.11, Council agrees that the wide-ranging matters covered in the motion be dealt with by a cross-party Working Group with a detailed report to Cabinet.