Issue - meetings

“That this Council acknowledges the severe negative impact the cost of living crisis is having already on the everyday life of Carmarthenshire residents and in this instance on families sending their children to school and paying for items such as uniforms, stationery, food, as well as coping with the lack of transport to school.

Also, that this Council respectfully requests the Council’s Cabinet to reinstate the School Transport Advisory Panel made up of a political balanced membership as well as the appropriate Cabinet Member and supported by all relevant personnel to investigate all options that could help these families.”

Council considered the following Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor John James:-

“That this Council acknowledges the severe negative impact the cost of living crisis is having already on the everyday life of Carmarthenshire residents and in this instance on families sending their children to school and paying for items such as uniforms, stationery, food, as well as coping with the lack of transport to school.

Also, that this Council respectfully requests the Council’s Cabinet to reinstate the School Transport Advisory Panel made up of a political balanced membership as well as the appropriate Cabinet Member and supported by all relevant personnel to investigate all options that could help these families.”

The motion was duly seconded.

The proposer and seconder of the Motion were afforded the opportunity of speaking in support thereof and outlined the reasons for its submission, as set out in the Motion.

The following amendment to the motion was proposed by Councillor Edward Thomas and was duly seconded:

“This Council acknowledges the severe negative impact the cost-of-living crisis is having already on the everyday life of Carmarthenshire residents and in this instance on families sending their children to school and paying for items such as uniforms, stationery, and food.

This Council requests the cross-party Tackling Poverty Advisory Panel, made up of a political balanced membership as well as the appropriate Cabinet Member and supported by all relevant personnel, considers school transport costs as part of its Forward Work Plan.

Council recognises that the WG are undertaking a review of the Learner Travel Measure and its resulting costs, and that Cabinet write to WG seeking clarity as to when the final review will be published.

Council notes that the Cabinet’s Vision Statement has already called on the Tackling Poverty Advisory Panel to review their terms of reference to ensure that they have the necessary scope to undertake a review of the work required in relation to tackling poverty and has already requested that the panel immediately begins an additional strand of work in relation to the current cost of living crisis.”

The Proposer and Seconder of the Amendment were afforded the opportunity of speaking in support thereof and outlined the reasons for its submission, as set out in the Amendment.

A number of statements were made in support of both the motion and the amendment.

Council was advised that if the Amendment was carried it would become the substantive motion.

Following votes it was 

RESOLVED that the Motion, as amended, be supported.

“That this Council acknowledges the severe negative impact the cost of living crisis is having already on the everyday life of Carmarthenshire residents and in this instance on families sending their children to school and paying for items such as uniforms, stationery, food, as well as coping with the lack of transport to school.

Also, that this Council respectfully requests the Council’s Cabinet to reinstate the School Transport Advisory Panel made up of a political balanced membership as well as the appropriate Cabinet Member and supported by all relevant personnel to investigate all options that could help these families.”