{Disestablished Committee} - Social Strategy Overview and Scrutiny Committee

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Present:

• Councillor Karney - In the Chair 
• Councillors Evans, Isherwood, N. Murphy, Barbara O'Neil, Royle, Watson and Williams 

Also Present:

• Councillor Battle, Deputy Leader of the Council 
• Councillor Swannick, Executive Member for Planning and Environment 

SS/06/53 Minutes

Decision

The minutes of the meeting held on 18 October 2006 were approved as a correct record.

SS/06/54 One Parent Families

The Committee received a presentation from a representative of the organisation One Parent Families which provides a range of support services to the 1 in 4 four families in the UK which are headed by lone parents. The Committee noted the ground breaking work done by the organisation in terms of brokering innovative working practices with a number of major employers that best suited the needs of lone parents and their responsibilities for the care of children, and as a major lobbying agent with Government to influence Government policy on many social care fronts. The organisation was establishing a regional base in Ancoats that would be operational by December.

Officers reminded the Committee that the Council's Parenting Strategy focused the Council's approach to supporting all parents and provided a framework for close working with partner organisations and voluntary bodies towards the delivery of the five outcomes in 'Every Child Matters'. The outcome relating to health and w ell-being was seen as including support for parents seeking to return to employment or full-time education, an area that appeared to be central to the work of One Parent Families, and it was envisaged that there was considerable scope for close collaborative working with the organisation on this front.

During a wide-ranging discussion Members sought information about how local ward councillors could best engage in the strategic parenting process on behalf of their constituents. It was agreed that the parenting Strategy document would be circulated to all members in advance of a Member Briefing in January 2006. Officers confirmed that Manchester exhibited a higher number (19,000) lone parents than many other cities and that the Parenting Strategy had direct linkages with Sure Start and other key intervention strategies targeting the 0-5 age range. Members highlighted the importance of reliable advice to lone parents about the financial implications of returning to work in terms of benefits and childcare costs, and the reservations that many lone parents felt regarding the past difficulties associated with the system of tax credits. Greater tolerance and understanding of the needs of lone parents was also needed by employers and work colleagues and there was a key role for the Council in terms of raising the profile of the needs of larger employers in the city to the needs of lone parents within the workplace.

Decision

To note the important work being done by this long-standing organisation; to welcome the establishment of a local centre of operations to support the many lone parents in the city and to note the potential contribution which this will make in terms of partnership working and collaboration towards the delivery of key strategies of the Council.

SS/06/55 Safer Neighbourhoods

The Committee received a presentation by Superintendent John Brinnard and Lydsay Daly, Head of Crime and Disorder on the proposed delivery of a range of policies and interventions to make neighbourhoods safer, and how this would be achieved with full involvement from local communities. The Committee noted that the core approach was that of identifying local people's priorities, developing sustainable solutions, and providing regular feedback to local people to demonstrate the improvements that were being achieved and to check that the priorities being pursued remained unchanged.

A major part of the thrust towards safer communities revolved around the use of existing police structures augmented by police community support officers (PCSOs), of which there would be 191 across the city be 2007. The Local Action Partnership (LAP) would continue to be the key vehicle for effective local monitoring of the impact of both policing and the actions of partners towards the achievement of common goals, and the move to having one LAP to serve each ward of the city would enhance this process.

The Deputy Leader indicated that good practice already developed now needed to be refined with a specific focus on action at local level tailored to match local issues and local concerns, and this was a crucial message to be got across in the consultations to be undertaken early in the New Year, before these proposals were fully implemented in June 2007.

Members questioned the disparity between the proposed deployed of PCSOs between the north and south areas of the city. Officers indicated that this was reflective of the number of existing recorded crimes but there would be flexibility to deploy resources to respond to specific hotspots identified by high crime statistics, or to provide a high level visible presence in response to specific local concerns. Some concerns were expressed about the distinctions drawn between high level and low level crime, as whatever the level of crime involved there was still an effect on local communities in terms of residents' perceptions of personal safety. Concerns were also registered about the response times to reported incidents and Superintendent. Brinnard outlined the graded system of responses to calls but indicated that the overall levels of calls currently made on emergency numbers should decline as more things could be resolved locally once the PCSOs were fully deployed.

Members emphasised the important role that it was envisaged PCSOs would play in engendering social cohesion within communities, but it was accepted that this would only be realised when they were fully established and had been allowed proper opportunity to gain the trust of those communities.

Decision

To thank Superintendent Brinnard and Lydsay Daly for their presentation and to welcome the direction in which the proposals are being developed and the shift in priorities focused on local problems and local solutions.

SS/06/56 New Licensing Regime - one year on

The Committee received a report on the implementation of the new licensing regime and on issues in relation to control and enforcement since November 2005.

The Executive Member for Planning and Environment indicated that the licensing process had delivered significantly more robust control over premises than previously existed through the readily enforceable conditions attached to each licence. These conditions were policed with pro-active action being initiated where breaches were identified. Work was in hand to review the needs of areas demonstrating cumulative impact of grouped licensed premises, such as in the Village and Peter Street.

The Chair indicated his view that there was still a deal of progress to be made in relation to off-licenses where there remained concerns about the propensity for under-age sales, he suggested that the licensing process for off-licenses would benefit from local police input at the applications stage rather than a remote headquarters view.

A member challenged the assertion in the report that the relaxations in licensing had not lead to an increase in binge drinking, and suggested that complaints and incidents were not the best measures to gauge if there had been an increase in overall levels of alcohol consumption.

Decision

To note the position and the many positive outcomes; to thank those members, officers and the Council's partners who's combined work had made this achievable

SS/06/57 Bonfire Night 2006 - update

The Committee received an overview report on the bonfire and firework season 2006.

Members noted that there had been a marked increase in rubbish fires which had placed a significant strain on resources and that due to resource constraints and policy changes, from next year the Fire Service would only respond to fires that were actually burning. The significant success in seizing and destroying an increased volume of dangerous fireworks and preventing them getting onto the streets of Manchester was particularly welcomed, as was the increased focus on organised displays in parks which were attended by over 62,000, an increase in 10,000 on the previous year. Members considered that there was already a perceived shift in public self-prohibition as demonstrated by the increased numbers attending organised events, and that to some extent this was driven by the exorbitant cost of fireworks.

Whilst members generally accepted that the firework season had been shorter and quieter than in previous years, there remained concerns that fireworks were still being sold and that some retailers were conducting special sales promotions to sell off unsold stock. Members were also concerned about the licensing of temporary outlets by the Fire Service and it was suggested that the council could exercise greater control over this if it was itself the licensing authority. The sale of fireworks beyond 5 November was identified as an issue that the Council should take up with government, whilst some members favoured a total ban on the sale of fireworks to the general public it was accepted that this could force the market underground ultimately making it more difficult to 'police', and that further regulation and control was therefore a more effective approach.

Decision

1. To thank the officers for their report and to congratulate all concerned for the concerted efforts to control the bonfire and firework season so successfully this year.

2. Whilst acknowledging that the combined efforts of the Council and its partners has already achieved significant improvements, the Committee accepts that there is more that needs to be done, and therefore recommends to the Executive Member that he gives consideration to (a) making representations to Government urging the restriction of firework sales beyond 5 November each year (b) suggesting to government the imposition of a sales tax on fireworks to further dissuade sales, and (c) exploring the opportunities to transfer responsibility for the licensing of firework sales from the Fire Service to local authorities.

SS/06/58 Royal Exchange Theatre

Prior to the meeting members toured the Royal Exchange Theatre complex.