Agenda and minutes

Mark Lloyd (Chief Executive) welcomed representatives to the meeting in his inaugural General Assembly meeting as LGA Chief Executive.  In doing so, he thanked the membership for their support, emphasised the role of the LGA in supporting councils in their community leadership role and highlighted the role of the General Assembly in electing the political leadership team that would drive the LGA agenda on behalf of all local government over the next 12 months.

Address by the President of the LGA

Mark Lloyd invited nominations for the positon of President of the Association for 2016/17.

Lord Gary Porter (South Holland District Council) moved, seconded by Cllr Nick Forbes (Newcastle City Council), that Lord Bob Kerslake be elected President of the Association until the next Annual Meeting.

Decision

It was moved, seconded and agreed by the General Assembly that Lord Kerslake be elected President of the Association until the next Annual Meeting.

Lord Kerslake delivered his second address to the General Assembly as President of the LGA in which he commented on the honour of being re-elected to the role and remarked on his first-hand experience over the past 12 months of the LGA keeping the voice of local government at the forefront of Parliamentary debates.  He reflected on the challenges of the past year, as well as those to come, focusing on the role of the LGA in supporting local authorities with those issues of importance to local communities.  

Address by the Chairman of the LGA

The President invited nominations for the position of Chairman of the Association for 2016/17.

Cllr David Hodge CBE (Surrey County Council) moved, seconded by Cllr Nick Forbes (Newcastle City Council), that Lord Gary Porter (South Holland District Council) be elected Chairman of the Association until the next Annual Meeting.

Decision

It was moved, seconded and agreed by the General Assembly that Lord Porter (South Holland District Council) be elected Chairman of the Association until the next Annual Meeting.

The Chairman thanked Lord Kerslake and took the Chair for the remainder of the meeting.

Lord Porter (Chairman) thanked the General Assembly for his re-election and commented on the successes and challenges of the previous year. He paid tribute to Lord Kerslake for his support and contribution to the work of the Association as its President, as well as commending the work of LGA Vice Presidents in championing local government issues across both Houses of Parliament.  He paid particular thanks to the LGA Political Group Leaders and LGA Chief Executive for their support and contribution over the last 12 months.

The Chairman invited nominations and seconders for four Vice-Chairs of the Association for 2016/17.

The following nominations were moved and seconded as detailed on the overhead screen:

·         Cllr Nick Forbes, Newcastle City Council, (Labour)

·         Cllr David Hodge CBE, Surrey County Council, (Conservative)

·         Cllr Marianne Overton MBE, Lincolnshire CC (Independent)

·         Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson CBE, Portsmouth City, (Liberal Democrat)

Decision

It was moved, seconded and agreed by the General Assembly that Councillors Forbes, Hodge, Overton and Vernon-Jackson were elected as Vice-Chairs of the Association until the next Annual Meeting.

The Chairman invited nominations for eleven Deputy-Charis for 2016/17.

The following nominations were moved and seconded as set out on the overhead screen:

Conservative

·         Cllr David Simmonds CBE (Hillingdon London Borough)

·         Cllr Philippa Roe (City of Westminster)

·         Cllr Peter Fleming OBE (Sevenoaks District Council)

·         Cllr Sean Anstee (Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council)

Labour

·         Cllr Sharon Taylor OBE (Stevenage Borough Council)

·         Mayor Sir Steve Bullock (Lewisham London Borough)

·         Cllr Sue Murphy CBE (Manchester City Council)

·         Cllr Anne Western CBE (Derbyshire County Council)

·         Cllr Peter Box CBE (Wakefield Metropolitan District Council)

Independent

·         Peter Reeve (Cambridgeshire County Council)

Liberal Democrat

·         Mayor Dorothy Thornhill MBE (Watford Borough Council)

Decision

It was moved, seconded and agreed by the General Assembly that Councillors Simmonds, Roe, Fleming, Anstee, Taylor, Murphy, Western, Box and Reeve, and Mayors Bullock and Thornhill, were elected as Deputy Chairs of the Association until the next Annual Meeting.

The General Assembly were invited to note the appointment of Vice-Presidents for 2016/17, under Article 7.2 of the Constitution.

Decision

The General Assembly noted the appointments of the following MPs, MEPs and Peers as LGA Vice-Presidents for 2016/17:

Conservative 

Margot James MP (Stourbridge)

Charles Walker MP (Broxbourne)

Heather Wheeler MP (South Derbyshire)

Stewart Jackson MP (Peterborough)

Andrea Jenkyns MP (Morley and Outwood)

Sarah Wollaston MP (Totnes)

Bob Blackman MP (Harrow East)

Baroness Eaton

Lord True

Lord Whitby of Harborne

Julie Girling MEP

Andrew Lewer MEP

Labour

Clive Betts MP (Sheffield South East)

Catherine McKinnell (Newcastle North)

Steve Reed MP (Croydon North)

Catherine West MP (Hornsey and Wood Green)

Wes Streeting MP (Ilford North)

Lord Beecham

Baroness Smith of Basildon

Lord Smith of Leigh

Lord Whitty

Lord Kennedy of Southwark

Richard Howitt MEP (East of England)

Derek Vaughan MEP (Wales)

Liberal Democrats

John Pugh MP (Southport)

Tim Farron MP (Westmorland and Lonsdale)

Norman Lamb MP (Norfolk North)

Baroness Barker

Lord Greaves

Baroness Maddock

Lord Shipley

Lord Tope

Baroness Bakewell

Baroness Pinnock

Baroness Scott of Needham Market

Catherine Bearder MEP

Independent

Douglas Carswell (Clacton, UKIP)

Baroness Greengross

Lord Bichard

Baroness Howarth

Lord Lisvane

Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru)

Lord Adebowale

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green)

Earl of Lytton

Baroness Grey-Thompson

Earl of Listowel

Keith Taylor MEP (South East England, Green)

The General Assembly received for agreement a report commending a series of amendments to the LGA Constitution for the purpose of clarification.

Decision

The General Assembly agreed the amendments to the LGA Constitution as set out.

The General Assembly received the annual report commending the LGA’s consolidated financial statements for 2015/16.

Decision

The General Assembly received the LGA’s Consolidated Financial Statements for the year to 31 March 2016.

The General Assembly received an overview of areas reviewed and work undertaken by the Audit Committee in 2015/16.

Decision

The General Assembly noted the 2015/16 annual report of the Audit Committee.

Decision

The minutes of the Annual Meeting of the General Assembly on 30 June 2015 were agreed as correct record.

Proposer: Cllr David Jenkins, Cambridgeshire County Council

Seconder: Cllr Colette Wyatt-Lowe, Hertfordshire County Council

LGA Responder: Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Chair, LGA Community Wellbeing Board

Councillor David Jenkins (Cambridgeshire County Council) proposed the following motion on Public Health:

Proposes that:

“This Association recognises the beneficial impact that Public Health and other ‘prevention’ activities have on long term outcomes including: reduced health and social care costs, improved individual quality of life and increased workforce productivity. We also recognise the work of Health and Wellbeing Boards and their importance in embedding Public Health measures.

Whilst we recognise the excellent work being done at present to maintain and improve such outcomes this association has expressed concern that reductions to the public health budget for 2016/17 and 2017/18 will have a significant impact on the essential prevention and health protection services provided by councils.

There is a case to be made that public health spend has historically been too low to achieve a significant and sustained positive impact on health outcomes and on health inequalities. Looking forward it will be important to ensure that the total resources available for public health are sufficient to meet needs. Councils in some areas have serious and well-founded concerns that the future public health investment in their communities could fall well behind likely need.

We recognise that providing additional financial support is exceptionally challenging, especially given the financial pressures across the public sector. However, the alternative is that without resources specifically for primary and secondary prevention, there is a risk that we won’t see the radical step change required to reduce impacts on the NHS and adult social care.

The LGA in its paper ‘Prevention: A Shared Commitment’ has identified key pieces of evidence that highlight the cost effectiveness of prevention. Through a number of case studies it illustrates how £1 billion could be spent to generate benefits of £7.19 billion over a five year period.

This association therefore:

-       Encourages councils to bring forward coherent projects as investments to enable such radical step changes.

-       Calls upon Her Majesty's Government to make available substantial grant funding to finance such projects.”

Councillor Colette Wyatt-Lowe (Hertfordshire County Council) seconded the motion.

The Chairman opened the debate to the floor, in which a number of speakers contributed. 

Cllr Izzi Seccombe (Warwickshire County Council and Chairman of the LGA’s Community and Wellbeing Board) responded to the Motion and debate on behalf of the LGA.

Councillor Jenkins (Cambridgeshire County Council) responded to the discussion, thanked delegates for their contributions and closed the debate.

Decision

The General Assembly agreed the motion on Public Health as set out above.

The next Annual Meeting of the General Assembly would be held on Tuesday, 4 July 2017 in Birmingham.