Agenda item - Member Involvement

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Agenda item

Member Involvement

To consider the following matters raised by Members:

 

(a)          Petitions: To receive any petitions referred from Full Council or submitted directly to the Committee;

 

(b)          Written Questions: To consider any written questions;

 

(c)          Letters: To consider any letters;

 

(d)          Notices of Motion: to consider any Notices of Motion referred from Full Council or submitted directly to the Committee.

 

(i)            Animals in Circuses

 

(ii)          Swift Boxes and Bee Bricks

Minutes:

(D)     NOTICES OF MOTION

 

(i)           Animals in Circuses

 

72.1      The Committee considered a Notice of Motion requesting that the Committee instruct the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State calling for a ban on the use of all animals in circuses and requesting the Chief Executive write to the city’s three MP’s seeking their endorsement for a ban and asking them to take other Parliamentary action to make the requisite change in legislation.

 

72.2      Introducing the Motion on behalf of the Labour & Co-operative Group, Councillor Platts stated that the Motion arose from the petition recently presented to Full Council and related to a specific objection to circus animals and dog and horse racing and to support the requests for a ban made by residents. Councillor Platts welcomed the proposed Green Group amendment that added to the original Motion.

 

72.3      The Chair formally seconded the Motion.

 

72.4      On behalf of the Green Group, Councillor Druitt move a motion to add a recommendation 3) as shown in bold italics below:

 

3)      That the Council seeks to update the outdoor events charter to clarify that event organisers must comply with the Council’s Animal Welfare Charter and so that it is clear that the Council’s hope and expectation is that event organisers will avoid the use of performing animals at events on Council-owned land.

 

72.5      Introducing the amendment, Councillor Druitt explained that he welcomed the Labour Group position and the Notice of Motion and the amendment sought to facilitate the options to make change at a local level in the context of case law and legislation.

 

72.6      Councillor Mac Cafferty formally seconded the Motion and stated that whilst a future ruling that from government might be more helpful in terms of a ban, the Motion and amendment expressed the Council’s desire as landowners to discourage the use of animals for entertainment purposes and encourage best practice.

 

72.7      Councillor Miller stated that whilst he would be supporting the Motion and amendment however, he expressed doubt that the Chief Executive writing to the Secretary of State and three MP’s was the correct use of time as the individual political groups could approach each of their MP’s.

 

72.8      The Chair stated that the issue was part of the Conservative Party manifesto in 2010 and the Committee would be reminding the Secretary of State of that.

 

72.9      The Chair then put the Green Group motion to the vote that passed.

 

72.10   The Chair then put the Notice of Motion, as amended to the vote that passed.

 

72.11   RESOLVED-

 

1)      That the Committee instructs the Chief Executive of the Council to write on behalf of the Council to the Secretary of State calling for a ban on the use of all animals, including domestic animals, in circuses

 

2)      That the Committee request the Chief Executive to write to the city’s three MP’s to seek their endorsement and ask them to take any other Parliamentary action they feel appropriate to make the requisite change in legislation

 

3)      That the Council seeks to update the outdoor events charter to clarify that event organisers must comply with the Council’s Animal Welfare Charter and so that it is clear that the Council’s hope and expectation is that event organisers will avoid the use of performing animals at events on Council-owned land.

 

Supporting documents:

 


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