Agenda item
Motion 1
To consider a notice of motion proposed by Councillor Keir Morrison and seconded by Councillor Lauren Mitchell, as follows:-
“On the 29th of April 2021 the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee published their investigation into the surplus sharing arrangements between the UK Government and the Mineworkers Pension Scheme.
Since privatisation of the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme in 1994, the Government has received 50% of surpluses in the Scheme’s value, in return for providing a guarantee that the value of pensions will not decrease. At the time it was expected that the Government would receive approximately £4bn from the arrangement in today’s money. However, to date, the Government has received £4.4bn, and is also due to receive at least another £1.9bn, on top of 50% off any future surpluses. The Government has not paid any funds into the Scheme in return. The Government failed to conduct due diligence during the 1994 negotiations and was negligent by not taking actuarial advice. There was no empirical analysis or evaluation to inform or support the 50:50 split, and it therefore remains arbitrary.
Tens of thousands of former mineworkers and their families reside within our district. Ashfield District Council support their calls for the Government to take seriously and act on the following findings of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee:
• The Government should relinquish its entitlement to the Investment Reserve and transfer the £1.2bn fund to the Mineworkers’ Pension Fund.
• The Governments should not be in the business of profiting from mineworkers’ pensions. We are therefore disappointed by the Government’s argument that the 1994 agreement is a success because the public purse has had strong returns from it. The Government is not a corporate entity driven by profit-motives and should not view the miners’ pensions as an opportunity to derive income.
• The Government’s entitlement to 50% of surpluses is not proportionate to the degree of financial risk it actually faces and therefore should not take any further surpluses out of the scheme until such a time that the Government has supported losses to the scheme equalling that that they have already taken out of the scheme.
• The Government has potentially accrued £6.3bn from the Mineworker’s Pension Scheme and should use this windfall to cover any future losses to the scheme. In supporting these findings Ashfield District Council will write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer asking him to act immediately to the findings of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee and implement their recommendations.”
Motion 2
To consider a notice of motion proposed by Councillor David Martin and seconded by Councillor Helen-Ann Smith, as follows:-
“Ashfield District Council notes that the Government is currently consulting on increasing the free prescription age to 66 and that of thousands of residents in Nottinghamshire aged 60-65 will be adversely impacted.
This Council further notes that residents aged between 60 and 65 receive free prescriptions when they turn 60 in England, whereas the State Pension Age is now 66.
This Council also notes the comments made by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) who said it was "deeply concerned" by the plan - and warned it could leave people without the important medications that they need.
This Council acknowledges that according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies - among older workers, 37% reported that their household income was now lower because of the impact of successive coronavirus lockdowns. These are the very residents who will be impacted if the age for free prescriptions is raised.
This Council therefore resolves to write a formal submission to the consultation opposing any plans to raise to free prescription age to 66. This Council further resolves to send a letter to Secretary of State for Health and Social Care - The Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP from the leaders of Ashfield District Council formally opposing these plans on behalf of all councillors.”
Motion 3
To consider a notice of motion proposed by Councillor Matthew Relf and seconded by Councillor Dave Shaw, as follows:-
“Ashfield District Council notes the Government’s White Paper ‘Planning for the Future: planning policy changes in England in 2020 and future reforms’
This Council believes that proposals made in this Planning Bill would make the biggest changes to the planning in decades, to increase the speed with which developers can start building on land but at the expense of valuable local scrutiny and would substantially repeal safeguards in the 1947 Town
and Country Planning Act.
The legislation was outlined at the Queen's Speech in May, with detailed plans expected to be published later this year.
Much of the rhetoric from the government surrounding these proposed changes has painted the current planning system as a blocker to progress. This council does not recognise this depiction of the planning system. This council believes that while improvements can always be found, the current planning system does well at balancing the requirement for new developments with the need for those new developments to not detrimentally impact existing residents.
This Council believes the outlined proposals set out in the White Paper would:
· Curtail the ability of Ashfield residents to comment on individual applications.
· Lead to a planning ‘free for all’ with developers able to prioritise profit above all other concerns.
· Remove the power of local councillors to make planning decisions on behalf of the residents who elected them.
· Abandon section 106 and community infrastructure levy payments and replace them with a national levy that will favour affluent areas of the UK and leave places like Ashfield further behind.
· Remove the statutory requirement for local authorities to publish planning notices in local newspapers – thus eroding transparency.
· Offers nothing to deal with the affordable housing crisis.
· Would increase the housing targets for Nottinghamshire by 48%.”
Motion 4
To consider a notice of motion proposed by Councillor Samantha Deakin and seconded by Councillor Jason Zadrozny, as follows:-
“This Council notes the catastrophic problems caused by Severn Trent Water for residents in Kirkby-in-Ashfield and Sutton-in-Ashfield. Thousands of residents were left without water on Sunday 18 July, Monday 19 July and Tuesday 20 July this year. These were the hottest days of the year with temperatures reaching 91.4 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of Kirkby and Sutton.
This Council recognises that this is the second time in just 15 months that thousands of residents in the Ashfield District have been left without water.
This Council believes that lives were put in danger by the failures of Severn Trent Water and thanks residents including councillors for helping with the relief effort – delivering water to the elderly, young families, those isolating and other vulnerable residents.
This Council further notes the monopoly that Severn Trent have on providing water services to domestic households in the Ashfield District and calls on the Government to review this.
This Council therefore agrees to write to the Chief Executive of Severn Trent Water asking for a full investigation that is published online, for an assurance that Severn Trent Water will take all appropriate action to ensure that this never happens again, for a review of emergency processes for residents whose water supply fails and invites her to the next State of Ashfield debate to answer questions from members and local residents about the continual failure of Severn Trent Ltd.”
Minutes:
The Council received a notice of motion moved by Councillor Keir Morrison and seconded by Councillor Lauren Mitchell as follows:-
“On the 29th of April 2021 the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee published their investigation into the surplus sharing arrangements between the UK Government and the Mineworkers Pension Scheme.
Since privatisation of the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme in 1994, the Government has received 50% of surpluses in the Scheme’s value, in
return for providing a guarantee that the value of pensions will not decrease. At the time it was expected that the Government would receive approximately £4bn from the arrangement in today’s money. However, to date, the Government has received £4.4bn, and is also due to receive at least another £1.9bn, on top of 50% off any future surpluses. The Government has not paid any funds into the Scheme in return. The Government failed to conduct due diligence during the 1994 negotiations and was negligent by not taking actuarial advice. There was no empirical analysis or evaluation to inform or support the 50:50 split, and it therefore remains arbitrary.
Tens of thousands of former mineworkers and their families reside within our district. Ashfield District Council support their calls for the Government to take seriously and act on the following findings of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee:
• The Government should relinquish its entitlement to the Investment Reserve and transfer the £1.2bn fund to the Mineworkers’ Pension Fund.
• The Governments should not be in the business of profiting from mineworkers’ pensions. We are therefore disappointed by the Government’s argument that the 1994 agreement is a success because the public purse has had strong returns from it. The Government is not a corporate entity driven by profit-motives and should not view the miners’ pensions as an opportunity to derive income.
• The Government’s entitlement to 50% of surpluses is not proportionate to the degree of financial risk it actually faces and therefore should not take any further surpluses out of the scheme until such a time that the Government has supported losses to the scheme equalling that that they have already taken out of the scheme.
• The Government has potentially accrued £6.3bn from the Mineworker’s Pension Scheme and should use this windfall to cover any future losses to the scheme. In supporting these findings Ashfield District Council will write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer asking him to act immediately to the findings of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee and implement their recommendations.”
Councillor David Hennigan moved an amendment to the motion (shown in italics), seconded by Councillor John Baird as follows:-
”Ashfield District Council notes the historical contribution that mining has played across Ashfield.
Annesley, Bentinck, Bottom Pit, Hucknall, Top Pit Hucknall, Summit, Linby, Newstead, Sillverhill and Sutton and other local collieries played a pivotal part in shaping the Ashfield District.
Nottinghamshire was a major supplier of coal for industry and home consumption, particularly during the 19th and 20th century. At one time, Nottinghamshire, with 40,000 miners was one of the most successful coalfields in Europe.
On the 29th of April 2021 the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee published their investigation into the surplus sharing arrangements between the UK Government and the Mineworkers Pension Scheme.
Since privatisation of the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme in 1994, the Government has received 50% of surpluses in the Scheme’s value, in return for providing a guarantee that the value of pensions will not decrease. At the time it was expected that the Government would receive approximately £4bn from the arrangement in today’s money. However, to date, the Government has received £4.4bn, and is also due to receive at least another £1.9bn, on top of 50% off any future surpluses. The Government has not paid any funds into the Scheme in return. The Government failed to conduct due diligence during the 1994 negotiations and was negligent by not taking actuarial advice. There was no empirical analysis or evaluation to inform or support the 50:50 split, and it therefore remains arbitrary.
Tens of thousands of former mineworkers and their families reside within our district. Ashfield District Council support their calls for the Government to take seriously and act on the following findings of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee:
• The Government should relinquish its entitlement to the Investment Reserve and transfer the £1.2bn fund to the Mineworkers’ Pension Fund.
• The Governments should not be in the business of profiting from mineworkers’ pensions. We are therefore disappointed by the Government’s argument that the 1994 agreement is a success because the public purse has had strong returns from it. The Government is not a corporate entity driven by profit-motives and should not view the miners’ pensions as an opportunity to derive income.
• The Government’s entitlement to 50% of surpluses is not proportionate to the degree of financial risk it actually faces and therefore should not take any further surpluses out of the scheme until such a time that the Government has supported losses to the scheme equalling that that they have already taken out of the scheme.
• The Government has
potentially accrued £6.3bn from the Mineworker’s
Pension Scheme and should use this windfall to cover any future
losses to the scheme.
In supporting these findings
Ashfield District Council will write to the Chancellor of the
Exchequer asking him to act immediately to the findings of the
Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee and implement
their recommendations.”
We therefore ask for a letter to be sent from the 3 party leaders on Ashfield District Council on behalf of all councillors to all Nottinghamshire’s Members of Parliament and to the Chancellor of the Exchequer – The Rt. Hon. Rishi Sunak MP stating that Ashfield District Council believes that:
1. The Government should implement immediately the full findings and conclusions of the BEIS Select Committee’s investigation into the Mineworker’s Pension Scheme.
2. That Government should not be in the business of making money from the Mineworker’s Pension Scheme and should now hand back the £1.2 billion from the investment reserve fund to the miners and their families.
3. That Government should now seek to negotiate a fairer arrangement to benefit the miners and should not be seen to profiteering and should only take money from the scheme if it falls into deficit and then only at 50%.”
Councillors Keir Morrison and Lauren Mitchell (as the mover and seconder of the motion) having considered the amendment, duly agreed to its inclusion in the motion.
Having been fully considered, the amended motion was put to the vote and it was
RESOLVED
that a letter be sent from the 3 party leaders of Ashfield District Council, on behalf of all Councillors, to all Nottinghamshire’s Members of Parliament and to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, The Rt. Hon. Rishi Sunak MP stating that Ashfield District Council believes that:
a) the Government should implement immediately the full findings and conclusions of the BEIS Select Committee’s investigation into the Mineworker’s Pension Scheme.
b) that Government should not be in the business of making money from the Mineworker’s Pension Scheme and should now hand back the £1.2 billion from the investment reserve fund to the miners and their families.
c) that Government should now seek to negotiate a fairer arrangement to benefit the miners and should not be seen to profiteering and should only take money from the scheme if it falls into deficit and then only at 50%.