To consider motions from councillors in accordance with Council procedure rule 38.
(1) Motion to be proposed by Councillor Alexandrine Kantor, seconded by Councillor Sam Casey-Rerhaye:
Council notes the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of Antisemitism is the most widely accepted and recognized definition of anti-Jewish racism. It states that: Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of Antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.
Council notes the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims (APPG) definition of Islamophobia: Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.
Council notes that, by using these definitions, it helps to understand, identify, and tackle Antisemitism and Islamophobia.
Council holds the right to freedom of speech and freedom of religion as fundamentals but freedom of speech is not an unlimited right, and should not be used to advocate racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence.
Council resolves to:
? condemn all hate crimes and deplore the rise in hate crimes against members of the Jewish and Muslim communities in Britain.
? condemn all inflammatory rhetoric in political discourse: including antisemitic and islamophobic tropes used by politicians and public servants.
? adopt the IHRA definition of Antisemitism in full and without amendment.
? adopt the APPG definition of Islamophobia in full and without amendment.
? ask officers to update this council’s equality policies to this effect.
(2) Motion to be proposed by Councillor Anne-Marie Simpson, seconded by Councillor Victoria Haval:
Council notes the risks associated with modern life are significantly different from those of 1847 when the Town Police Clauses Act was passed, and even from those of the 1970s when the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 came into force. Clearly, the legislation has not kept pace with developments, in particular with the way we use technology, apps, and mobile phones. It is difficult to facilitate a regulatory system when the legislation is based on the use of horse-drawn carriages and landline phones.
There is also a lack of consistency across the legislation. For example, the law requires a person who takes bookings for private hire vehicles to be licensed but there is no similar requirement for someone who does the same for hackney carriages. This lack, apart from the potential for sensitive personal information to fall into the wrong hands, can make it very difficult to investigate allegations of improper conduct by drivers of hackney carriages. This could undermine public confidence in the licensing regime. In addition, it provides a mechanism for private hire operators who have lost their licence to continue in business. They simply move to only “operating” hackney carriages, and no controls can be placed on them at all.
Examples of recent local issues include hackney carriage ‘operators’ who have pressured drivers to work excessively long hours with no proper breaks, and those who do not maintain their vehicles properly and continually present vehicles to testing stations which fail the test. The overriding aim of any licensing authority when carrying out its functions relating to the licensing of hackney or private hire drivers, vehicle proprietors, and operators is the protection of the public.
The Oxfordshire district councils and the county council share information under a Joint Operating Framework, and there is a national register of revoked and refused licences operated by the National Anti-Fraud Network. However, this does not address situations where drivers have allowed their licence to lapse pending enforcement action at one local authority and apply to another authority without declaring that enforcement action or the previous licences held. Local authority prosecutions are not currently detailed on enhanced DBS disclosures and there are recent local examples of the councils only finding out about such prosecutions by chance and after the licence has been granted.
Council therefore requests that the Leader of the council write to the district’s two Members of Parliament and to the Minister for Transport to request that the following action be taken:
1. The Government should move forward without delay on the three key measures recommended to achieve a safe service for passengers in the Taxi and PHV Licensing Task and Finish Group report, namely:
· The introduction of a national taxi licensing database;
· Some form of cross border enforcement for local authorities;
· National minimum standards for licences.
2. The Government should provide an update in respect of how they propose to deal with cross-border working;
3. The Government should legislate to require any person taking bookings for more than one vehicle to be licensed as an operator, with national standards for the information recorded by licensed operators in respect of bookings.
(3) Motion to be proposed by Councillor Kate Gregory, seconded by Councillor Ken Arlett:
Council notes the views of the Local Government Association and the Royal Town Planning Institute, who recognise that problems have been caused by the 2013 deregulation of the Planning System which allows offices to be converted into homes without planning permission. Currently, developers do not have to contribute towards affordable Social Housing or local infrastructure and there is no ability to consider whether the development provides suitable levels of internal or external amenity space, privacy, sunlight, daylight or outlook.
Council asks the leader of the council to write to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to call for a review of the wide-ranging impacts of permitted development rights which allow change of use into residential homes.
Minutes:
Council agreed to defer consideration of the motions to the Council meeting on 20 February 2020.