Agenda item

The details of two petitions submitted in accordance with the Council’s Petition Scheme are attached. The petitions request the Council to:

1)       reverse the decision taken by the Council on 27 January 2011, to stop the funding of the seven Local Authority Youth Centres; reconsider the cessation of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme, and make no further cuts to Tier 2 funding of youth services

2)       reduce and/or defer the budget saving of £3m required from the Sefton New Directions budget to allow further and proper meaningful discussions to take place around service provision and terms and conditions

A representative of each deputation will be permitted to speak for up to five minutes in support of their petition

(The details of any further Petitions submitted by members of the public will be circulated at the meeting)

1)         The Mayor reported that a petition with 21,557 signatures had been submitted objecting to the decision taken by the Council on 27 January 2011 to stop the funding of seven Local Authority Youth Clubs, cease the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and reduce funding for Tier 2 Youth Services.  A copy of the supporting statement submitted with the petition had been included in the agenda for the meeting.

            In accordance with the Council's Petition Scheme, Mr J. Wilson of Southport, the lead petitioner, made a statement in support of the petition.

Councillor Robertson referred to the decision taken by Cabinet earlier that day (Cabinet Minute No. 240 refers) relating to Youth Services which would be subject to further discussion under Minute 88 below, and a debate took place on the content of the petition.

It was then moved by Councillor Robertson, seconded by Councillor Brodie-Browne and

RESOLVED:

That the petition be noted.

2)         The Mayor reported that another petition with 2,965 signatures had been submitted requesting the Council to reduce and/or defer the amount required from Sefton New Directions, to allow further and proper meaningful discussions to take place around service provision and terms and conditions.  A copy of the supporting statement submitted with the petition had been included in the agenda for the meeting.

In accordance with the Council's Petition Scheme, Mr. G. Williams, the Branch Secretary of Unison, the lead petitioner, made a statement in support of the petition.

Following debate on the content of the petition, it was then moved by Councillor Robertson, seconded by Councillor Brodie-Browne and

RESOLVED:            That

(1)            the petition be noted; and

(2)         independent officers submit a report on the implications of taking the action requested in the petition to the Cabinet for consideration.

3)         The Mayor reported that a member of the public had submitted a question to the Leader of the Council in accordance with the provisions in the Council and Committee Procedure Rules.

            Mr T. Dawson of Southport put the following question to the Leader of the Council, Councillor Robertson:

            "There are presently 22 local government wards within the local government area administered by Sefton MBC, with an average electorate of just under 10,000.  However, several wards have electorates which are nearer to 9,000 and one or two are closer to 8,000.  Has Sefton MBC any plans to ask the Electoral Commission to initiative a Review of the local government representation in the District to consider a reduction in the number of wards to 21?"

Councillor Robertson gave the following response:

“May I thank Mr. Dawson for raising this important matter. My view is that as far as reasonably possible the electorate of each Sefton ward should be closely matched.  Recent boundary reviews have shown that whilst some wards increase in electorate/population others decrease, so in short periods of time (just a few years in fact) the electorate of some wards can become unbalanced from the average size of ward.  I am more than happy to pursue this matter further with the Boundary Commission.”

Mr. Dawson put a supplementary question enquiring if and when any representations would be made to the Boundary Commission.  Councillor Robertson indicated that the current statutory provisions do not permit a reduction of Councillors from 3 to 2 in each Ward within the areas of Metropolitan Councils and the next time that the Council could submit a request to the Boundary Commission for an electoral review would be in 2012/13.