Agenda item
To receive and consider the recommendations of the Cabinet (Minute 581b) as an amendment to the following Notice of Motion submitted previously to the Council by Councillor Atkinson and referred thereto in accordance with Standing Order 8(2), namely
The strength of the UK and Devon economy and GDP depends in the major part on the recovery of the service sectors as we are principally a service led economy. Though we also have manufacturing and production industries nationally and in Devon. It is acknowledged that our economy has contracted as a result of the pandemic and the impending Exit from the EU.
The EU has set up a £750bn Euro coronavirus pandemic recovery fund and long-term spending plans to provide grants to kick start Europe’s recovery from the pandemic particularly investing in green industry and infrastructure and to target resources to recovery, resilience and transformation.
To date only £20 million of new funding to help small and medium sized businesses across England to get back on track after the pandemic has been announced by the government and this means access only to grants of between £1,000 - £5,000 for new equipment and technology and specialist advice. No funding has been allocated to the Shared Prosperity Fund to replace the loss of EU Structural Funds after Brexit.
This Council will write to the government and request it:
· to ensure that there are no new austerity measures like those introduced in 2010 after the banking crisis;
· to set up a similar well-funded fund proportionate to the size of this country to provide grants to support Britain and Devon’s economic recovery resilience and transformation;
· to make grants available out of the fund to invest in and support: -
- Devon’s local food and drink production and suppliers, our farming and fishing industries in Devon, so as to protect jobs so that our food supplies are sustained throughout the pandemic and any shortages or delays experienced during the exit from the EU;
- Devon’s service sectors such as retail hospitality tourism education health human services information technology finance arts and culture;
- Devon’s shipbuilding and engineering and environmental science sectors
- Devon’s Green economy and sustainable energy production and transport systems and to support local industry to achieve net zero carbon climate change targets set by the Paris Agreement
- Devon’s blue economy - its marine environment which is aiming to become more sustainable; and,
- New infrastructure to support sustainable green and blue growth
Having had regard to the aforementioned, any factual briefing/position statement on the matter set out in Report (CSO/20/16) and other suggestions or alternatives considered at that meeting the Cabinet subsequently resolved:
(a) that Council be recommended to take no further action at this time, given that the concerns and issues have already been raised with Government by the Council working with Team Devon including a request for funding; and
(b) to note that the Council has also approved a £6m package of investment, for consideration as part of the 2021/22 budget setting process which would support the actions as set out in the notice of motion.
Minutes:
Pursuant to County Council Minute 314 of 1 October 2020 relating to the Notice of Motion set out below as previously submitted and formally moved and seconded by Councillor Atkinson that:
The strength of the UK and Devon economy and GDP depends in the major part on the recovery of the service sectors as we are principally a service led economy. Though we also have manufacturing and production industries nationally and in Devon. It is acknowledged that our economy has contracted as a result of the pandemic and the impending Exit from the EU.
The EU has set up a £750bn Euro coronavirus pandemic recovery fund and long-term spending plans to provide grants to kick start Europe’s recovery from the pandemic particularly investing in green industry and infrastructure and to target resources to recovery, resilience and transformation.
To date only £20 million of new funding to help small and medium sized businesses across England to get back on track after the pandemic has been announced by the government and this means access only to grants of between £1,000 - £5,000 for new equipment and technology and specialist advice. No funding has been allocated to the Shared Prosperity Fund to replace the loss of EU Structural Funds after Brexit.
This Council will write to the government and request it:
· to ensure that there are no new austerity measures like those introduced in 2010 after the banking crisis;
· to set up a similar well-funded fund proportionate to the size of this country to provide grants to support Britain and Devon’s economic recovery resilience and transformation;
· to make grants available out of the fund to invest in and support: -
- Devon’s local food and drink production and suppliers, our farming and fishing industries in Devon, so as to protect jobs so that our food supplies are sustained throughout the pandemic and any shortages or delays experienced during the exit from the EU;
- Devon’s service sectors such as retail hospitality tourism education health human services information technology finance arts and culture;
- Devon’s shipbuilding and engineering and environmental science sectors
- Devon’s Green economy and sustainable energy production and transport systems and to support local industry to achieve net zero carbon climate change targets set by the Paris Agreement
- Devon’s blue economy - its marine environment which is aiming to become more sustainable; and,
- New infrastructure to support sustainable green and blue growth
and having had regard to the advice of the Cabinet set out in Minute 581b of 11 November 2020:
(a) that Council be recommended to take no further action at this time, given that the concerns and issues have already been raised with Government by the Council working with Team Devon including a request for funding; and
(b) to note that the Council has also approved a £6m package of investment, for consideration as part of the 2021/22 budget setting process which would support the actions as set out in the notice of motion.
Councillor Hart MOVED and Councillor McInnes SECONDED that the Cabinet’s advice be accepted and that in light of the issues having already been raised with Government and the recent approval of a £6m package of investment, no further action be taken on the Notice of Motion.
The Leader made a commitment to report further to the Council on the Government’s response and in the new year update Members on the implementation of the Recovery Plan and any support Devon would get from the spending review or other Government funding to support its recovery.
The amendment in the name of Councillor Hart was then put to the vote and declared CARRIED and subsequently thereafter also CARRIED as the substantive motion.