Glasgow City Council Agenda - 31 October 2019, 13:00 
A meeting to be held at City Chambers, Glasgow at 13:00 on 31 October 2019.
| Number | Item |
|---|---|
| 1 | Minutes of Council meeting of 12th September 2019 (Print 4, pages 263 to 277). View Papers |
| 2 | Print 4 - Committees' minutes - Submitted for information and approval as a correct record only (page 278 onwards). View Papers |
| 3 | Changes to committee etc - Review of Public Processions Working Group - Appoint Annette Christie (Chair), Archie Graham, Thomas Kerr and Jon Molyneux. View Papers |
| 4 | Representation on outside bodies - Culture and Sport Glasgow (Glasgow Life) - Re-appoint Sir Angus Grossart, Mr Benny Higgins, Mr John McCormick and Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli as Independent Directors. View Papers |
| 5 | Correspondence - Letter from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in respect of Mesh Implants. View Papers |
| 6 | Questions. View Papers |
| 7 | Notices of motions:- |
| (a) | By Councillor Allan Gow:- "Council understands that men feel unable to talk, or admit when they have a problem increases the risk of experiencing mental health issues. Council recognises that by challenging a culture that prevents men seeking help when they need it is fundamental in helping to address the high suicide rate among men in Scotland. Council also recognises that there are a number of examples of good practice seeking to promote men's health whether they aim to stimulate peer interaction, promote engagement with health services, de-stigmatise mental health or operationalise a gender based approach to health and that all share a similar aim: improving mental health outcomes for men. Council believes that Glasgow must lead by example and show that the promotion of mental health support has direct positive outcomes for both our staff and citizens. Council instructs the CEO to build on the work with 'See Me' in the Workplace incorporating the role of work as an important influence on mental health and the workplace as a setting for providing support and establish a short term cross party working group looking at mental health and related support services through a 'male lens'. Council further instructs that this working group report to the Wellbeing, Empowerment, Community and Citizen Engagement City Policy Committee by February 2020." View Papers |
| (b) | By Councillor Aileen McKenzie:- "Council notes that: Scotland's drugs crisis claimed 1,187 lives last year, including a 45% increase in drug related deaths in Glasgow; that there has been a £47m real terms cut to Alcohol and Drug Partnerships between 2014/15 and 2018/19; that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde saw over 318 hospital stays per 100,000 of the population in 2017/18 for drug related treatment; and that there is an epidemic in the spread of HIV, which is linked to the increases in injecting drugs. Council believes that each and every drug related death is a tragedy, and this public health crisis requires concerted effort from all levels of government and other partners; further believes that playing a blame game on drugs deaths is a wholly inadequate response. Council notes its long standing support for Safer Drug Consumption Facility as one way to address the crisis, but believes that a much broader range of support and co-ordination is needed. Council resolves to pay tribute to those whose have lost loved ones in the face of this crisis, and to declare that the increasing number of drug-related deaths is a public health emergency." View Papers |
| (c) | By Councillor Euan Blockley:- "Council recognises World Mental Health Day 2019 which occurred on Tuesday 10th October. Council welcomes the opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to championing the right of Glaswegians to high quality mental healthcare and tackling the stigma surrounding mental health issues. Council welcomes action taken by the Scottish Government to increase investment in mental health, including supporting the mental health of young people in schools through investment in school counselling services and trialling improvements to the NHS 24 Breathing Space service. Council further welcomes the UK Government initiative launched in recent weeks by the NHS and Public Health England - Every Mind Matters - which seeks to help people take simple steps to look after their mental health, improve their mental wellbeing and support others. Council acknowledges however that far more needs to be done. The number of children and young people in need of mental health care waiting longer than the Scottish Government's target for specialist appointments rose from 1,650 in 2017 to 5,227 in 2018. Just 72% of young people seeking treatment were seen within 18 weeks, down from 77.5% the previous year and well below the Scottish Government's target of 90%. Council notes the work of Audit Scotland whose report on Children and Young People's Mental Health revealed the scale of the challenge with the number of referrals to specialist services having risen by 22% in the last five years and one in ten children aged 5-16 having a 'clinically diagnosable mental illness'. Council further notes that, tragically, suicide is the highest cause of death among men under the age of 45 in the United Kingdom and that male suicide in Scotland has continued to rise as overall rates of suicide have fallen. Council recognises the expertise of the Suicidal Behaviour Research Lab of the University of Glasgow in this area in their assertion that we do not know enough about the "complex set of social, clinical and cultural factors and psychological factors that increase that risk" for men. Council therefore commits to working on a cross party basis on the issue of mental health, engaging with domestic and international examples of best practice, and supporting continued research in the field as a critical component of our determination to reduce the prevalence of suicide in Scotland and across the United Kingdom". View Papers |
| (d) | By Councillor Tanya Wisely:- "Council notes Living Rent's call for a "winter break" to reduce the additional risks associated with evictions happening during the coldest months of the year. Council understands there are a variety of ways that this policy intent could be achieved, ranging from an eviction ban similar to that which already exists in France, a requirement to rehouse, stronger pre-action requirements which take into consideration people's situation or a stronger emergency housing safety net. Council supports this as part of a wider package of action to reduce evictions, and to better support tenants who are facing eviction, recognising that the main route into homelessness is still through a loss of tenancy. Council therefore resolves to write to the Housing Minister asking him to consider ways to reduce evictions, especially during the coldest winter months, and how they could be implemented in Scotland." View Papers |