Agenda

(a)  Councillor Pope to move:-

Energy Bill Revolution - Reducing Fuel Bills through Energy Efficiency

Southampton City Council notes:

(i)  Already 1 in 4 households in the UK are in fuel poverty, meaning they need to spend more than 10% of their income on keeping their homes warm. The problem is likely to get worse, with 1 in 3 households projected to be in fuel poverty by 2016.

(ii)  The main reasons for this crisis are that gas, oil and coal prices are high, and the UK’s homes are some of the most energy inefficient in Europe – leaking heat from their doors, walls and windows.

(iii)  Cold homes are damaging the health of vulnerable members of society, including children, older people and people with disabilities. Diseases such as asthma are made worse, and people are more likely to have strokes and heart attacks. Illnesses caused by cold homes cost the NHS nearly one billion pounds each year.

(iv)  Over the next 15 years the Government will raise an average of £4 billion every year in carbon taxes through the European Emissions Trading Scheme and the Carbon Floor Price. Recycling this revenue back into households could bring 9 out of 10 homes out of fuel poverty, lower people’s bills, cut carbon emissions and create jobs.

Southampton City Council therefore resolves to:

(i)  Support the Energy Bill Revolution campaign calling for the Government to recycle revenues from carbon taxes into improving the energy efficiency of UK homes.

(ii)  Notify local Members of Parliament of its support for the campaign and urge them to sign Early Day Motion 47 – “Reducing Fuel Bills through Energy Efficiency”

(b)  Councillor Pope to move:-

Motion against Blacklisting

“A number of construction companies have been challenged about supporting the existence of and subscribing to construction industry ‘blacklists’, which detail covertly gathered information on construction trade unionism, militant tendencies, poor timekeeping, trouble making, etc.  Blacklisting is an unacceptable practice and cannot be condoned.  The GMB union is leading a national campaign aimed at forcing those who have been involved in blacklisting to apologise to those who have been affected by it.

 It is understood that the construction industry blacklist was collated by the Consulting Association (a private consultancy) and was then provided at a cost to construction companies as they sought to recruit/avoid new workers.  The Information Commissioner has investigated and taken action against the Consulting Association for this practice.  Furthermore, the Information Commissioner has taken enforcement action against a number of construction companies based on the evidence recovered from the Consulting Association.

Owing to the concentration of construction activity in and around large cities, many of those alleged to have been discriminated against live in the country’s major cities, and undoubtedly this practice has disadvantaged residents of Southampton.

Given the known impact on residents of the Southampton area reflected in the Deputation made to the Council, this Council deplores the use of blacklisting. The Council resolves to support the GMB campaign, and will seek  ...  view the full agenda text for item 6.