Agenda

From Audit and Procurement Committee, 22 July 2024

From Cabinet, 27 August 2024

Report of the Director of Law and Governance

Report of the Director of Law and Governance

(a)  Written Question – Booklet 1

(b)  Oral Questions to Chairs of Scrutiny Boards/Chair of Scrutiny

Co-ordination Committee

(c)  Oral Questions to Chairs of other meetings

(d)  Oral Questions to Representatives on Outside Bodies

(e)  Oral Questions to Cabinet Members and Deputy Cabinet Members on any matter

To be moved by Councillor P Seaman and seconded by Councillor CE Thomas

"Coventry City Council resolves to treat care experience as if it were a Protected Characteristic and formally call upon all other bodies it partners or contracts with to treat care experience as a Protected Characteristic until such time as it may be introduced by legislation."

To be moved by Councillor G Ridley and seconded by Councillor R Bailey

"This Council regrets the decision by the Labour Government to end universal winter fuel payments which could push up to 45,000 people in the city into fuel poverty. 

We call on the Leader of the Council to write to the Chancellor urging a review of the decision to restrict eligibility to those in receipt of pension credits and other benefits.

This is to ensure vulnerable pensioners, particularly those that do not claim pension credits, are protected from financial hardship. 

Council notes that many pensioners eligible for credits do not apply for them and will lose winter fuel payments as a result. Therefore, we resolve to undertake an awareness campaign to encourage residents in Coventry to check their eligibility. This includes the use of social media, promotion in the local press and Citivision."

To be moved by Councillor S Gray and seconded by Councillor E Reeves

“Council notes that the Cost-of-Living crisis is not over.

Between April 2022 and April 2024 the cost of a basic weekly food basket has increased by 25%.

The Ofgem price cap is expected to rise again by around 10% in October, meaning bills stay 50-60% above pre-crisis levels. We further note that bills could have already been lowered through an adequate programme of home insulation in line with net zero commitments.

Rents in the private housing sector, where many of the most vulnerable households live, have continued to increase at a rate above headline inflation.

Council calls on the new Government to:

• Extend and increase the Household Support Fund as an interim measure, enabling councils to help those in the most need this coming winter.
• Give the power to local authorities to control rents if the local rental market is overheated.
• Bring forward a simple and accessible system for homeowners to access property-linked finance to pay for the work needed to decarbonise heating and reduce energy costs.
• Expand available funding for the social housing decarbonisation fund and so all local authorities and social housing providers can maximise their work to shift to cleaner and cheaper energy in homes.
• Integrate these, and schemes to encourage private landlords to insulate their properties to minimise the overall cost by, for example, insulating an entire street at the same time.”