Committee Information

Glasgow City Council Agenda - 03 April 2025, 11:00

A meeting to be held at City Chambers, Glasgow at 11:00 on 03 April 2025.

Number	Item
1	Minutes of Council meeting on 20th February 2025 (Print 7, pages 1-20). View Papers
2	Committees' minutes - Consideration of paragraphs marked "C", the remaining paragraphs being submitted for information and approval as a correct record only (page 21 onwards).
3	Local Government By-Elections - Election of Councillors for Electoral Wards Southside Central (Ward 8) and North East (Ward 21) - Report by Returning Officer. View Papers
4	Changes to committees etc.
(a)	Contracts and Property Committee - Appoint Davena Rankin;
(b)	Education, Skills and Early Years City Policy Committee - Remove Elaine Gallagher and appoint Seonad Hoy; and
(c)	Operational Performance and Delivery Scrutiny Committee - Remove Elaine Gallagher and appoint Dan Hutchison.
5	Representation on outside bodies.
(a)	Safe Glasgow Partnership - Remove Ann Jenkins and Robert Mooney and appoint Jill Pidgeon and Davena Rankin.
6	Correspondence.
7	Questions. View Papers
8	Notice of motions.
(a)	Motion by Councillor Richard Bell:- "Council notes the transformative work that Glasgow City Council is undertaking to help tackle poverty in the city. Council welcomes the data and insight-driven 'Demonstrators of Change' programme and the workstream of the Child Poverty Programme in ten 'booster wards' across the city which have the highest numbers of children living in relative poverty; and notes that these are piloting and testing different early intervention and prevention approaches, finding out what works for communities, with their input, and scaling up the successes in reducing poverty across the city. Council agrees with the Resolution Foundation that anti-poverty initiatives like these along with measures like the Scottish Child Payment and universal free school meals are effective ways of lifting people out of poor health and poverty and contribute to the shared aim of the SNP administration in Glasgow and the Scottish Government to work towards eradicating child poverty across the city. Council is therefore hugely alarmed by the announcements of the UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves and the Work & Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall of cuts to the public sector and the benefits system and believes that these will totally undermine our efforts. Council believes that the Chancellor's Spring Statement is just the latest example of the Labour Government taking an axe to public services, and will mark the beginning of yet another cycle of cuts, harming an increased number of people and leading to higher demand. The announcement of the imposition of further billions of pounds of austerity cuts breaks yet another election promise by both Keir Starmer and Anas Sarwar. Council notes the UK Government's Spring Statement has done nothing to fix the foundations of the UK economy after the previous Autumn Budget imposed Winter Fuel Payment cuts, increased employers' National Insurance, maintained the cruel Two-Child Benefit Cap, and ignored the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman report which recommended WASPI women should be compensated. Council further notes that the Spring Statement was preceded by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Liz Kendall's Green Paper on health-related benefit reforms which heralded £6 billion a year cuts, and which the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and New Economics Foundation have exposed as the biggest cut to disability benefits since the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) was created in 2010. Council also recognises that this is the largest social security cut since the summer of 2015, when a series of cuts and freezes to the system were implemented that have left the UK with one of the weakest social safety nets in the OECD, according to a NIESR report UK Living Standards Review 2025 published early March. Council agrees with Scope that , "These plans should shame the government to its core". Council also agrees with the Child Poverty Action Group Scotland "that the Children in a household where someone has a disability already have a higher risk of poverty and further cuts would only make life harder for many of these families. The UK government's forthcoming child poverty strategy must prioritise investing in the social security system, including by scrapping the two-child limit at source." Council further recognises that a number of Trade Unions have urged an immediate re-think of the proposed welfare reforms, warning they would disproportionately harm the most vulnerable in society and deepen existing inequalities. Sharon Graham, general secretary of the Unite, has stated that the government is in danger of making the wrong choices and Council agrees with her statement that "We must be protecting the most vulnerable in society and not pitting the poorest against the poorest." Council rejects the callous treatment of disabled and sick people and confirms its belief that there is no moral case for propelling even more people into poverty by cutting benefit levels or denying access to financial support to those who have no alternative, and that people with disabilities should not a scapegoat for a failing economy and are a community that deserves improved opportunities. Council believes that the effects of the UK government's proposals will be to make more people sicker, further undermine everyone's right to a decent quality of life and further entrench the barriers to access, employment, and social inclusion that many disabled people face. Council calls again on the Labour UK Government to scrap the cruel two-child limit and notes that this was one of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) series of recommendations to tackle poverty in the UK. Council believes that it is unacceptable that the people of Glasgow continue to pay for their economic incompetence and indifference to poverty of successive UK governments, and instructs the Chief Executive to write to Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar and the UK Labour Prime Minister to highlight the data available in Glasgow that confirms that the choices of the UK government will have the effect of punching down on the poorest and undermining the innovative anti-poverty work of Glasgow City Council."
(b)	Motion by Bailie Soryia Siddique:- "Council recognises that women's safety is a fundamental right and that no woman or girl in Glasgow should feel unsafe in public spaces, workplaces, or on public transport. However, evidence continues to show that many women do not feel safe, particularly at night. Council acknowledges that International Women's Day 2025, themed #AccelerateAction, provided an opportunity to celebrate women's achievements while also recognising the urgent need to improve women's safety. Across Glasgow, various organisations marked the occasion, including the Glasgow University Students' Representative Council's Brewing Connections event, Smart Works Scotland's collaboration with Hobbs Glasgow to support women in employment, and the Mitchell Library's Spectacular Scottish Women creative writing workshop. While these initiatives are welcomed, Council recognises that symbolic events alone are not enough to address the deep-rooted issues affecting women's safety. Council notes with deep concern that Police Scotland has lost approximately 575 officers since 2020, including around 63 officers in Glasgow, significantly reducing visible policing in communities. At the same time, budget cuts at Glasgow City Council mean that while CCTV continues to operate 24/7, it is no longer monitored around the clock, resulting in slower response times and increased vulnerability in critical situations. These cuts have heightened safety concerns, particularly for women, and threaten to undermine efforts to address harassment, anti-social behaviour, and violence. Council also notes the findings from the Safe Glasgow Partnership, which show that domestic violence against women in Glasgow has increased by 41.2% when compared to the PYTD, and by 47.7% compared to the five-year mean. Rape has increased by 40.6% compared to PYTD and by 50.6% from the five-year mean. Sexual assault has increased by 28.1% PYTD and by 25.1% compared to the five-year mean. These alarming trends reinforce the need for urgent and sustained action. Council is deeply alarmed by global statistics that highlight the scale of violence against women. The 2023 UN Femicides Report revealed that 85,000 women were intentionally killed by men, with 60% of these cases involving perpetrators who were partners or family members-demonstrating that much of this violence occurs within the home. Council believes that addressing women's safety must be a city-wide priority and that urgent action is needed to restore confidence in public spaces. It is unacceptable that women are being forced to modify their behaviour-changing routes, avoiding certain areas, or feeling unable to travel alone-because of inadequate public safety measures. Council recognises that women's safety is directly linked to the primary prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), which requires tackling the root cause of gender inequality. Furthermore, it is vital to recognise the intersectionality of women's experiences. Women of colour, disabled women, LGBTQ+ women, and other marginalised groups often face compounded discrimination and additional barriers to safety and support. Their voices must be included in the development of policies and services to ensure an inclusive and equitable response. Therefore, Council resolves to: - Develop a Glasgow Women's Safety Action Plan, bringing together key partners - including the Council, Police Scotland, public transport providers, businesses and community organisations - to identify and implement practical safety improvements. - Conduct a city-wide consultation to gather direct input from women and local groups on key safety concerns and potential solutions, ensuring inclusive outreach to women of colour and other marginalised groups. - Work with Police Scotland to protect frontline policing levels in Glasgow. - Consider how support services for women can be strengthened to ensure that they are accessible and inclusive. - Promote bystander intervention and workplace safety initiatives, encouraging businesses, hospitality venues, and public spaces to adopt measures such as the Ask for Angela scheme. - Explore the introduction of a Glasgow Women's Safety Charter, setting clear commitments for organisations across the city to create safer environments for women. - Agree that Glasgow City Council and Police Scotland should organise an emergency summit on violence against women and girls to coordinate immediate and long-term actions. - Call on the Scottish Government to provide targeted additional support to areas experiencing high levels of violence against women and girls. - Call for the establishment of specialist units dedicated to the reduction of violence against women and girls, and that this initiative be incorporated into the next Police Plan for Glasgow."
(c)	Motion by Councillor Jon Molyneux:- "Council notes that the Glasgow City Council Integration Joint Board (IJB) passed its budget for 2025/26 on 19th March 2025 and that this included £42m of savings, including cuts to supported living for people with complex needs, community mental health teams, counselling to survivors of sexual violence based at the Sandyford clinic, employability support, and health improvement teams. Council believes that many of these cuts will lead to increased pressure on other parts of the system, such as acute care and care home beds, and are therefore a false economy. Council notes the IJB's medium term strategy considers the funding gap could rise to £250m over next three years. This is heavily linked to the significant uncontrolled and unfunded pressures on homelessness services. Council also noted that the medium term forecast does not currently take cognisance of £5bn planned UK Government cuts to social security, which will actively harm disabled people and those with complex needs and increase demand on many of the very services which are simultaneously being cut. Council agrees this is not sustainable, that there is a crisis in funding for health and social care, and that this requires a step change in the levels of funding available and the way that funding is administered. Council therefore agrees to write to both UK and Scottish Governments and to COSLA making it clear that current funding for health and social care is inadequate, that IJBs are being forced to make decisions which will actively harm some of the most vulnerable, that there needs to be a substantial increase in the funding of community health and social care services, and calls on all levels of Government to work together to address this growing crisis."
(d)	Motion by Councillor Alex Kerr:- "Council firmly believes that a strong democracy is the foundation stone on which the most prosperous and free societies that have existed throughout history have been built. Council further believes that ensuring the largest proportion of citizens possible are able to take part in the democratic process, known as "democratic well-being" is crucial to ensuring the long-term strength of any democratic system. Council understands the additional barriers that those from more deprived backgrounds face in engaging with the democratic process with the Fraser of Allander institute finding a significant gap in participation between individuals that considered themselves in good health and those that considered themselves in bad health. Council deplores the introduction of voter ID legislation by the UK Government which requires those taking part in Westminster elections to show photographic identification to vote in a polling station. Council notes the Electoral Commissions report into the May 2023 Local Elections in England which took place under the voter ID rules which found hundreds of thousands of people could be excluded from voting in a UK general election because of new rules. Council further notes the reports finding that this would have a disproportionate impact on poorer people, those with disabilities and from minority ethnic backgrounds. Council notes that the Scottish Government passed amendments to the Scottish Elections (Representation and Reform) Act at the Scottish Parliament following consultation to enable the possibility of similar automatic voter registration pilots being pursued at a local authority level with a view to widening participation at Scottish and Local levels. Council considers this would meet the aims of increasing democratic well-being by widening the pool of those eligible to vote and removing unnecessary barriers from participation in the democratic process to some of the most deprived communities. Council further believes the success of such pilots would highlight the benefits of taking an approach which opens up democracy, as opposed to inadvertently closing routes into participation through implementation of unnecessary voter ID legislation which creates barriers to participation. Council notes Glasgow City Council's success in the area of using data to increase participation - particularly with Glasgow's pilot canvass which was cited by the Electoral Commission as best practice with findings being used to inform UK wide changes to the canvass. Council believes that given this track-record of success that Glasgow City Council should volunteer as a lead pilot location for an automatic voter registration pilot with the Scottish Government. Council further notes the low turnout at recent by-elections and reflects that more visible methods to raise awareness of elections for citizens could have assisted in improving turnout. Council recognises that there has been a blanket ban on election advertising for some time but believes a partial repeal of this ban could be explored with the aim to increase democratic engagement. Council therefore requests that Officers put forward the Glasgow as a location for an automatic voter registration pilot with the Scottish Government; and agrees to bring a paper to the Wellbeing, Equalities, Communities, Culture and Engagement City Policy Committee within the next two cycles before summer recess 2025 to explore the possibility of this and report back on other ways including the use of data that the Council could use to increase democratic participation and wellbeing."
(e)	Motion by Bailie Rashid Hussain:- "Council reaffirms its support for grassroots football and recognises its vital role in promoting health, wellbeing, teamwork, and opportunities for young people across Glasgow. Council is concerned that national football bodies, including the Scottish FA and the SPFL, continue to implement changes affecting youth football without adequately engaging with young people, their families, local authorities, or community clubs. Council further notes with disappointment that many key recommendations from the 2020 Improving Youth Football in Scotland report - particularly those related to the protection and rights of young players - remain unimplemented. Council is alarmed that, as recently as December 2024, children's rights organisations, including the Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland and the advocacy group RealGrassroots, lodged formal complaints with the UK Competition and Markets Authority against the Scottish FA and SPFL. These complaints highlighted serious concerns, including: - unilateral registration extensions that tie young players to clubs without their consent; - excessively high transfer fees that limit players' mobility; - recruitment caps that prevent clubs from offering opportunities to more youth players; and - restrictions preventing players and their families from seeking opportunities with other clubs. These practices were described as anti-competitive and potentially exploitative, contributing to a power imbalance that restricts young players' rights and freedoms. Council also notes the Commissioner's view that these conditions breach the human rights of children and young people in football, and acknowledges that the Scottish FA has since recognised the need for reform. As of February 2025, they have announced new initiatives aimed at enhancing youth player development. Council believes that the failure to implement long-overdue reforms places the welfare of young people at risk and undermines public trust in youth football systems. Council further notes that, on 21st March 2025, the UK Government allocated £8.6 million to upgrade and invest in sporting facilities across Scotland. This funding demonstrates a commitment to improving the physical infrastructure for sport. However, Council believes that meaningful reforms in youth football systems must be implemented alongside such investments, ensuring the welfare and rights of young players are protected and prioritised. Council also acknowledges the importance of investing in women's football, recognising the growing number of young girls and women participating in the sport. It is essential that the same level of attention and reform be applied to women's youth football, ensuring that their rights and opportunities are equally safeguarded, and their development is supported in a fair and inclusive environment. Council believes that the failure to implement long-overdue reforms places the welfare of young people at risk and undermines public trust in youth football systems. Council acknowledges the exceptional work of grassroots clubs such as Finnart FC, Ashfield Juniors, Athena Women's, Glasgow ANSAR, Pollok United, and Glasgow Athletic Football Club, along with the volunteers across Glasgow who support and develop young people, often without adequate support or recognition from national governing bodies Council resolves to write to the Scottish FA and SPFL to express its concern about the lack of progress since 2020 and to call for: - a clear, time-bound plan to implement all outstanding recommendations from the Improving Youth Football in Scotland report; and - full consultation with local authorities, clubs, and young people themselves in shaping the future of the game."
(f)	Motion by Bailie Seonad Hoy:- "Council congratulates Glasgow Community Food Network and Glasgow Food Policy Partnership on their successful Full of Beans campaign, which ran from January to September 2024. The city-wide campaign aimed to promote greater consumption of beans and pulses as part of a healthy, planet-friendly diet in Glasgow, by: - sharing information on the environmental and health benefits of growing and eating beans; - creating Glasgow-specific information on how to grow and cook beans; - encouraging caterers to include more bean-based dishes on their menus; - creating opportunities for different sectors and the general public to participate; - involving various growers across the city and encouraging people to grow and save seeds of interesting bean varieties. Successes from the campaign included partnership working with the Council's catering team and Soil Association Food for Life to develop new bean filled dishes. These include a bean wrap, and butterbean macaroni cheese with cowboy beans, which launched in secondary schools in August and will be available in primary schools and early years establishments from April 2025. These dishes are nutritious, tasty, and will help to increase consumption of fibre and reduce consumption of meat in schools, in line with Sustainable Development Goals Advocacy Hub2. The campaign team also ran workshops for more than 100 primary school pupils who learned about the health/environmental benefits of beans through planting bean seeds, making badges and playing games. The catering team's work has since been recognised with a special award at the Scottish School Food Awards 2024 which took place in February 2025. Glasgow-based wholesaler Green City Wholefoods also got involved by providing special offers for their customers, and restaurants like Sprigg put 'beans on the menu' in the month of March supporting the global 'Beans is How' campaign. Community workshops and events supported Glaswegians to grow their own beans and to cook bean-based recipes. Council notes that this campaign links with Scotland's aims to be a good food nation, particularly in relation to reducing climate change and preventing negative impacts on the natural environment. Furthermore, Council notes how the campaign contributes to the aims of the Glasgow City Food Plan, enabling collaborative progress on sustainability, food security and increasing access to good quality nutritious food. Council congratulates the catering team for their work to increase awareness of the health benefits of beans and to increase the volume of beans consumed in Glasgow schools, which has been recognised at the Scottish School Food Awards. Council commits to promoting the environmental, health and animal welfare benefits of plant-based food, including beans, through schools, community venues and by promoting public awareness campaigns such as Meatless Mondays and Veganuary. Council requests that each Council family catering facility provides at least one vegan main meal option each week."
(g)	Motion by Councillor Ruairi Kelly:- "Council notes that this year marks a decade since the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill was passed by the Scottish Parliament in 2015 with the overarching aim to "help communities to do more for themselves and have more say in decisions that affect them". And that in addition to the participation of communities in local decision-making; the extent to which public bodies are working together; and the impact they are having on socio-economic inequalities are also key measures. Council reflects that since the Act was passed in addition to community councils and planning structures, Glasgow's citizens involvement has been successfully supported in Citizens Panels and Assemblies and other forms of participatory democracy, as exampled by international award winning initiatives like Girlls@COP26 - the Solutions are Feminist and the Open Government Partnership award-winning Citizen Voice initiative which focuses on devolving power at a neighbourhood level to enable citizen participation and control over issues affecting their lives. Council recognises that the Act provides community bodies with a right to Asset Transfer Requests and the innovative People Makes Glasgow's Communities programme which 2024, His Majesties Inspectors from Education Scotland commended as highly effective practice in 2024, alongside Glasgow Life's Family Learning programme. Council in turn commends the community groups like the Easterhouse Community Sports Hub Partnership, now known as Easterhouse Henosis, a partnership between basketball Scotland, Easterhouse Phoenix and Easterhouse Community Sports Hub are now running and managing a community sports facility, delivering positive change and affordable opportunities to participate in a range of other physical activities for the Easterhouse community. Council commits through PMGC to engaging with other groups across the city like Drumchapel United Football Club who also have aspirations to deliver directly for their local communities. Council believes that whilst communities across Scotland are benefitting from the various measures of the Act, their Empowerment and the positive impact on socio economic inequalities are being harmed by ongoing UK Government austerity and economic incompetence by Westminster under Conservative and Labour governments which have disproportionately impacted deprived communities, leading to increased poverty, homelessness, and inequalities, with cuts to essential services. Condemned in 2019 by the UN's Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights in 2019, Council concurs with the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights conclusion in March 2025 that the ongoing UK commitment to has created a devastating domino effect on communities and they must reverse such policies as the two-child limit, the benefit cap and the five-week delay for the first Universal Credit payment. Council nevertheless reconfirms its commitment to community empowerment as demonstrated by the current open Call for applications through the Glasgow Communities Fund which aims to aims to tackle poverty and inequality through: - Building the skills, capacity and resilience of individuals and communities. - Removing or minimising disadvantages experienced by people, in particular those with protected characteristics. - Supporting activities and services that will enable and empower communities to become involved in the social, economic and cultural life of the city. Council recognises the recent Celebration and Learning event which over 250 community representatives funded by the Glasgow Communities Fund and Glasgow's Holiday Programme participated in, one of the many opportunities involved the third sector and local groups in the co-design of funds and the City as provided by our Community Plan 2024-2034 and other strategic commitments. Council thanks communities, community workers and groups across Glasgow and looks forward to their everyday positive impact being celebrated as part of our 850th celebrations and our £200k City Stories Fund agreed in the 2024-25 budget, one of the many measures that empower them and amplify our communities' voices."