Agenda item

1.    Motion 605 (Cllr Martin Binks)

 

The following motion had been referred to the Planning, Environment and Sustainability Policy Development Group for consideration and report:

 

a)    Mid Devon District Council recognises and notes the huge contribution made by our farmers, growers and the drink industry to the local economy, environment, and rural economies.

 

b)    Mid Devon District Council commits to further enhancing our partnerships alongside our arable, livestock and dairy farmers to enhance our beautiful countryside.

 

c)    Mid Devon District Council also commits to supporting our local farmers and growers and the food and drink sector by, where possible, ensuring that all food and drinks provided at council organised events is sourced from local suppliers, to always include meat and dairy as well as plant-based produce.

 

d)    As part of tackling the environmental priorities for Mid Devon District Council; the Council will consider ways to encourage our residents, where possible, to shop locally, taking full advantage of home-grown. Affordable and nutritious produce, including meat, dairy and plant-based options, thus reducing food miles to our tables and boosting the economy.

 

The Planning, Environment and Sustainability Policy Development Group at its meeting on 26 November 2024 considered the Motion and following discussion, Councillor M Binks in accordance with Procedure Rule 13.7 agreed that the Motion be amended to read:

 

a) Mid Devon District Council recognises and notes the huge contribution made by our farmers, growers and the food and drink industry to the local economy and environment.

 

b) Mid Devon District Council commits to further developing our partnerships with key organisations alongside our arable, livestock and dairy farmers to enhance our beautiful countryside.

 

c) Mid Devon District Council also commits to supporting our local farmers, growers and the food and drink sector by, where possible, ensuring that all food and drink provided at Council organised events is sourced from local suppliers, to include meat and dairy as well as plant based produce. Efforts will also be made to promote locally sourced or produced organic items.

 

d) That the Council encourages and promotes local suppliers and locally produced products in other events hosted within Mid Devon.

 

e) As part of tackling the environmental priorities for Mid Devon District Council and fulfilling our biodiversity duty, the Council will consider ways to encourage our residents to shop locally, taking full advantage of home-grown, affordable and nutritious produce, including meat, dairy and plant based options, thus reducing food miles to our tables and boosting the local economy.

 

 

 

2.    Motion 606 (Cllr S Robinson)

 

The following motion had been referred to the Community, People and Equalities Policy Development Group for consideration and report:

 

Motion: Women against State Pension Inequality (WASPI)

 

Council is asked to note that:

 

In the 1995 Pensions Act, the Government increased State Pension age for women from 60 to 65, with a further increase to 66 in the 2011 Pensions Act. 

• The change was not properly communicated to 3.8m women born in the 1950s until 2012, giving some only one year’s notice of a six year increase in their anticipated retirement age. 14,350 of the affected women live in our own authority area.
• The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) has found the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to have committed maladministration through its failure to adequately communicate State Pension age increases to women born in the 1950s. 
• The PHSO has concluded the DWP should apologise to women affected and pay compensation as a result.
• The DWP has refused to accept the findings of the PHSO, which has now led the independent watchdog to lay its findings before Parliament, encouraging MPs to intervene to deliver a remedy to affected women.
• The All Party Parliamentary Group on State Pension Inequality for Women has concluded that “the impact of DWP maladministration on 1950s-born women has been as devastating as it is widespread.  The APPG believes that the case for category 6 injustice (£10,000) is overwhelming and clear. Women have had their emotional, physical, and mental circumstances totally obliterated by a lack of reasonable notice.”
• As of April 2024, more than 275,000 have died waiting for justice since the WASPI campaign began in 2015.

 

Council is asked to consider that this injustice has not only had a profound effect on the individuals involved, but on the wider community in Mid Devon and on local government, not least because:

 

·         Women who would have looked after older relatives or partners are unable to afford to do so, with a knock-on impact on local social care.

·         Women who would have retired and engaged in caring responsibilities for grandchildren are having to continue working, increasing the childcare burden on the state locally.

·         Women who have been left in poverty are struggling to meet their housing costs, with a knock-on impact on local housing stock.

·         There is a broader impact on voluntary services of all kinds locally, which are missing out on able, active volunteers who would otherwise have been able to retire from full-time work as planned.

·         Our local economy is negatively affected by the reduced spending power and disposable income that the uncommunicated State Pension Age changes have brought about among women born in the 1950s.

·         Local tourism has suffered as a result, with affected women unable to travel to the area for holidays.

 

Council is asked to support:

 

·         A swift resolution to this ongoing injustice before more and more women die waiting for compensation.

·         The conclusion of the All Party Parliamentary Group on State Pension Inequality that women born in the 1950s have suffered a gross injustice, affecting their emotional, physical and mental circumstances in addition to causing financial hardship.

·         The WASPI campaign and All Party Parliamentary Group’s calls for an immediate one-off compensation payment at category 6 injustice on the PHSO’s financial remedy scale (£10,000) to those affected.

·         The PHSO’s recommendation for the DWP to issue a formal apology to those affected and provide an opportunity for MPs to urgently debate the APPG’s recommendations, and any others, in Parliament.

 

We therefore ask:

 

The Leader of the Council to write to the 3 local Members of Parliament, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and the Leader of the House of Commons to outline the effects of the injustice on a significant number of women born in the 1950s in Mid Devon and to seek the following:

 

• Urgent delivery of proposals from the DWP, outlining how they will deliver compensation for affected women, to include the value of compensation and a timeline for the delivery of said compensation.

 

• For all MPs to be given an opportunity to debate and vote on these proposals.

 

The Community, People and Equalities Policy Development Group at its meeting on 3 December 2024 considered the Motion and following discussion, Councillor S Robinson in accordance with Procedure Rule 13.7 agreed that the Motion be amended to read:

 

In the 1995 Pensions Act, the Government increased State Pension age for women from 60 to 65, with a further increase to 66 in the 2011 Pensions Act.

 

It is believed that c11,800 woman were affected by this change within the area of Mid Devon of which c800 have since died.

 

Council believes:

This injustice has not only had a profound effect on the individuals involved but on the wider community in Mid Devon and on local government, not least because:

 

·         Some women who would have looked after older relatives or partners are unable to afford to do so, with a knock-on impact on local social care.

·         Some women who would have retired and chosen to engage in caring responsibilities for grandchildren, are having to continue working, increasing the childcare burden on the state locally.

·         Some women have been left in poverty, are struggling to meet their housing costs, with a knock-on impact on local housing stock.

·         The cut to the Winter Fuel Allowance will only amplify problems for many of these women.

·         There is a broader impact on voluntary services of all kinds locally, which are missing out on able, active volunteers who would otherwise have been able to retire from full-time work as planned.

·         Our local economy is negatively affected by the reduced spending power and disposable income the uncommunicated State Pension Age changes have brought about among women born in the 1950s.

 

Council supports:

 

·         A swift resolution to this ongoing injustice before more and more women die waiting for compensation.

·         The conclusion of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on State Pension Inequality that women born in the 1950s have suffered a gross injustice, affecting their emotional, physical and mental circumstances in addition to causing financial hardship.

·         The PHSO’s recommendation for the DWP to issue a formal apology to those affected and provide an opportunity for MPs to urgently debate the APPG’s recommendations, and any others, in Parliament.

 

Council asks the Leader of the Council to write to:

 

1.    Local Members of Parliament to raise awareness also referring to the ‘PHSO’ investigation and recommendations.

2.    The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to request urgent proposals from the DWP outlining how they will deliver compensation for affected women.

3.    The Leader of the House of Commons to outline the effects of the injustice on 1950s women in Mid Devon and to request that MPs be given an opportunity to debate and vote on these proposals.”