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Good evening. I would like to welcome the mayor, all members and our guests to the Old Town Hall Start for the council meeting. I would like to welcome the members of the public press who are physically attending and all watching on the YouTube. I wish to extend a special welcome to our newly elected councilors. Melanie Onova, Maryland Wood, Liz Corning, Forestgate Wood, Blossom Young, Becton Wood, and Aktharull Alam, Little Elk Wood, welcome. [ Applause ] Thank you. The meeting has been filmed for broadcast on the YouTube. Please note that the cameras are focused on everyone within the meeting. I would like to take this opportunity to remind the public that to enable the council to conduct its business if there are any interruptions at today's meeting, I will ask the individual or individuals to stop and give a warning. If this continues, I will give a second and final warning. Should the disruption continue, I will ask security to remove the person or group from the council chamber and will adjourn the meeting. Members of the council, please can I ask that you indicate when you wish to speak by raising your physical hand. I would like to advise members in order to comply with the allocated time for speakers. If you go beyond your allocated time, you will be automatically muted. Please can I ask members and officers to introduce themselves when speaking. I would like to ask that everyone turns their mobile phones to the silent mode. We are not expecting the fire drills this evening, so if the alarm sounds, please remain calm and follow the instruction of the town hall staff. The fire assembly point is accessed by Westham Lane. Apologies in absence. I'm now moving to item one, apologies for absence. I have received apologies for absence for this evening. Meeting from Councillors Rohit Dasgupta, Sabia Kamali, Terry Paul, Charlene Maclean, John Morris and James Beckle. Is there any other apologies or absence to be noted? Sorry, Councillor Gibert. Councillor Busha. Councillor Schaffrin. Is there any other... Madam Chair, I've got apologies here. Councillor Terry Paul, Councillor Caroline Corbin, Councillor Tony Wilson, Councillor Saeed Basher, Councillor Pushpa-McRanah and Councillor Charlene Maclean. Thank you. Thank you, Jennifer. I'm now moving to item two, Declaration of Interest. Are there any members wishing to declare any Disclosable Opportunity Interest or any other interest they may have in any matter which is to be considered at this meeting? I'm now moving to item three, Minutes of the Last Meeting. I move the minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the Council meeting held on the 23rd of May, 2024. Do I have a seconder, please? Thank you. Thank you. All those in favour, raise your hand. Thank you. All those against, please raise your hands. Any abstentions? Agree the minutes. I'm now moving to item four, Adaptation. I can inform the Chamber that there will be no adaptations under Rule 13 of part four of the Constitution, so I will be moved on to the next item. I'm now moving to item five, Petitions. Are there any petitions by any members? Councillor Chaudry, please present your petition. I'm pleased to present a petition on behalf of the residents of Avery Close who wish to extend their resident parking permit hours from 8am to 6.30pm to change the parking bays on their road and to give consideration to installing CCTV on their road. And it's signed by 80% of their residents. Thank you. Councillor Imam Chaudry, please present your petition. Sorry, Imam Al Huq. Please present your petition. I thank you, Councillor Imam Huq, from East Ham Ward. I'm submitting this petition on behalf of My Safer Newham to improve the conditions on the High Street. Thank you. As stated in our petition, the petition will be referred to the relevant corporate directors for their attention and response, and responses acknowledging the petition and setting out the matter will be sent to the Councillors within 10 working days. Thank you. I'm now moving to item six, question by the public. There are four questions from members of the public accepted under rule 15 of part four of the constitution. In accordance with the constitution rules 15.2, the questions along with the responses are attached on the order paper published earlier today. Thank you. That concludes this item. I'll now move to the next item. I'm now moving to item seven, announcement by the chair. Public engagement. I would like to inform the council that I have attended around 20 public engagement in my role as a first citizen inside, first citizen of the borough, inside of and outside of the borough. I would like to inform the council that I have attended around 20 public engagement in my role as a first citizen in my role as a first citizen. Members will be aware that Shatish Mistry has been undertaking the role of monitoring officer since January, 2023. Shatish will be leaving the council at the end of August. I would like to express my thanks for the advice and support he has provided me throughout his tenure. I found him very supportive and welcoming alongside his team. He has overcome a number of challenging we have faced in order to run our council businesses. I wish him all the best for the future. Shatish, you have a lovely time with your family. Thank you so much. I appreciate it. (audience applauding) Condolences, along with members of the council, I was saddened to learn of the deaths earlier this month of former Councilor and Deputy Civic Ambassador of Council, Paul Sathasen. Paul Sathasen, who devoted 20 years of dedicated public service to residents in former Easton-North Ward between 1998 to 2018. I had the privilege to attend Paul Sathasen's funeral alongside fellow Councilors Lakhuni Shah, Lester Hudson, Charlene McLean, and Joy Laguda. I also paid tribute to him during the service. There will be two tributes made today. May I? Fiance, in her announcement, will be paying the tribute to former Councilor Paul Sathasen. Councilor Nicholson will be making tribute to former Councilor Graham Lane. After both tributes, we will hold a minute silence for both former Councilors. South Asian Heritage Month. This month of July until 17th of August, NEHAM is again celebrating South Asian Heritage Month, celebrating the rich history and diversity of South Asian people who have made NEHAM their home. Please look at our website and join us if you can, one of the many vibrant events. King's Birthday Honors. On behalf of Council, I offer our congratulations to the staff and local residents who were recognized in King's Birthday Honors list, nobility, or be to Shirley Bio in recognition of her enduring dedication to supporting the world's vibrant community across three decades. I'm now moving to item eight, announcement by the Mayor of San Affairs. I would like to invite Mayor of San Affairs to address the Council to make any announcement. You have up to 10 minutes. Thank you.

• Thank you very much, Chair and colleagues. Welcome to this meeting of full Council following a extended period of not convening because of the general election, which has ushered in a brand new government after 14 years, a Labour government, should I say, and declare very proudly, which will be bringing the change our country needs. Before I jump into the detail, there are a few specific things that I wish to convey in my announcement this evening. Firstly, I wanted to add my own personal welcome to our new Councillors, Cronyn, Onova, Young, and Allam, who I know will make a fantastic contribution to this Council and will be fantastic champions for their local communities. I'm sure in addition to the excellent contributions in this chamber and to the service of the people of this borough, they will be contributing a significant valued amount in the months and years ahead. And as we welcome new colleagues, we also fondly remember former colleagues. In a few minutes, Councillor Wilson will lead the tribute to former Councillor Graham Lane, who represented what was then known as Hudson Ward and Plasto South, and who very sadly died in March of this year. Colleagues will, I am sure, also be thinking tonight of former Councillor Paul Saffernason, the former Deputy Chair of Council who represented Eastham North Ward and whose funeral took place last week. Paul was a passionate community champion who will be remembered for his commitment to equality and to social justice, as well as his warmth and kindness. He will be missed by many. I do also want to add, in addition to this point, my condolences to Councillor Toni Wilson, who lost her dearest mother recently. I attended the funeral on Friday afternoon, and it was very evident that Toni's mother was much loved and will be much missed. I'm sure all colleagues here will join me in conveying our personal and heartfelt condolences to Toni as she mourns the loss of her mother. And I am also wanting to convey my heartfelt condolences to the family who recently in Eastham, because of a house fire, lost three children from a family of four kids. The family remaining are being supported by council officers, both housing services and children's services. And as I have stated already, no one can imagine the unbearable and unimaginable loss to any parent or carer, but particularly having three children pass is more and beyond a tragedy. Moving on to my reference to the recent general election, I'm delighted that Newham now has three fantastic Labour MPs speaking up for Newham residents in Westminster, including our former colleague, the former statutory deputy mayor of Newham, James Asser, who is now an MP for West Ham and Becton. Also, my welcome formally in this chamber to our Labour MP for the new constituency of Stratford and Bow, Uma Kamorran. And I look forward to working with her, particularly on the council Stratford division and making the case together for expanding our much, much used Stratford station. Obviously, I'm sure many of us in this chamber will have been delighted to see the return of Sir Stephen Timm's MP, not just to parliament, but also to government. I know his knowledge, experience, and commitment to social justice will make a huge contribution at the department for work and pensions. The new government heralds huge change and national renewal and the hope of fairness and opportunity for all. The King's speech last week set out an ambitious legislative programme and put tackling Britain's housing crisis centre stage. Building the affordable homes that this country and this borough needs is one of my key priorities, as with and as has been set out in the building of their renewal manifesto. We are on track to deliver 1,500 genuinely affordable new homes, building on the 1,000 genuinely affordable new homes that we promised in my first term. This morning, I was delighted to visit the Greenhill Centre development in Manor Park, which includes new homes being built to high environmental passive house standards, reflecting our commitment to building homes and tackling the climate emergency as iterated in our Just Transition Plan. And on Friday, I visited with colleagues, including our new MP for West Ham and Becton, the 12 Trees development in West Ham Ward. That alone will deliver some 3,800 new homes, a new sixth form college, new footbridges to the station, including a new entrance to West Ham station. It's an excellent example of how this administration isn't just building homes, but through play shaping, creating a new part of London, transforming communities and transforming people's lives. We are already in contact with the new government about how we can unlock Newham's potential to play a role in delivering the government's housing ambitions and about our ideas for improving the energy efficiency of our existing council stock. But as colleagues will know, Newham faces the brunt of the country's temporary accommodation crisis. Over five and a half thousand homelessness applications so far this year and nearly six and a half thousand households in temporary accommodation, including many with children. It's amongst the highest numbers in this country. Councillor Mohammed will say more about this when moving labour groups motion on temporary accommodation later in this evening's proceedings. I also spoke to local government leaders and experts last week about the funding crisis facing local authorities across the country. And colleagues will know that work is underway in developing our transformation plans and a new operating model for the council as part of how we as an authority best respond to the continuing challenge for local government. I set out the exceptional challenge we face in dealing with temporary accommodation, the crisis that has befallen many, many local authorities but acutely felt here in Newham and the financial impact of this and highlighted some of the things I hope the new government will consider, such as prioritising a new strategy to end homelessness, lifting the cap on temporary accommodation housing benefits subsidy, suspending the right to buy for a period and updating local housing allowance rates with a review every year. So chair and colleagues, I look forward to working with new ministers on delivering their exciting agenda that will help deliver ours, delivering the decent affordable homes that Newham needs and working with them constructively on tackling the crisis in homelessness and temporary accommodation. And of course, as part of doing that, building a fair Newham where everyone can live happy, healthy and well. On a final note, as part of my announcement, I wanted to advise members this evening that the appointment that I made at the annual council meeting in May, where I had appointed Councillor Rohit Dasgupta as the Newham council representative to the Stratford theatre, I will be changing and I will be inviting and appointing Councillor Madeleine Sahlin-Pontin to represent Newham on that board. Thank you very much.
• Thank you, Mayor Fiers. (audience applauding) Can I also mention that Councillor Harin Vardy was at the Paul Satteson funeral service along with us. Now, can I move to item nine, announcement by the chief executive. I invite Abby Bago, chief executive, to make any announcements.
• Thank you, chair. Delivering elections is never easy and over the last 12 weeks, we have delivered four by-elections, a general election and the GLA mayoral election. This is no easy feat and it takes incredible tenacity and commitment to make it happen. I want to firstly thank Akhtar Ali, our head of elections and the elections team, a small but mighty team that has kept us compliant and ensured we delivered successful elections each and every time. I want to also thank all council teams and officers who were part of ensuring what is a whole organisational operation. I also want to thank all candidates and agents for ensuring our residents had adequate and quality choice during the election. Thank you to the electorate for coming out and having your say and ensuring that the beauty of democracy was upheld. I would like to take this opportunity to announce the results of the UK parliamentary general elections and the Forest Gate North and Maryland ward elections that took place on Thursday, the 4th of July. The turnout for each contest was as follows. The East Ham constituency was a 48% turnout. Sir Stephen Timms was duly elected as a member of parliament. (audience applauding) Stratford and Bow constituency was a 54% turnout. Uma Kumaran was duly elected as a member of parliament. (audience applauding) West Ham and Becton, 46% turnout. James Asser was duly elected as a member of parliament. (audience applauding) The results for Forest Gate North and Maryland wards were as follows. Forest Gate North, a turnout of 53%. Liz Cronin was duly elected as a Councillor for Forest Gate and North ward. (audience applauding) Maryland, a turnout of 41%. Melanie Onovo was duly elected as a Councillor of Maryland ward. (audience applauding) In addition, a further two by-elections were held on Thursday, the 18th of July for Becton and Little Ilford ward. The results were as follows. Becton, a turnout of 13%. Blossom Young was duly elected as a Councillor for Becton ward. (audience applauding) Little Ilford, a turnout of 18%. Atul Alam was duly elected a Councillor for Little Ilford ward. (audience applauding) I would like to extend a special welcome to all of our newly elected members and we look forward to working with you. Finally, I now turn to those on this bench. At our next full council, our top table will look quite different. As many of you are aware now, if you've looked at the agenda and heard the announcement earlier, I wanted to personally, and on behalf of all of the officers of this council, thank you, Satish Mistry, for your service and your commitment as interim monitoring officer for Newham Council. Satish, you have been a valued member of the leadership team and you will be missed. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors. Thank you. (audience applauding)
• Thank you, Abi Baga. Now, I would like to invite cabinet members to speak. (audience applauding)
• Hello. Good evening, council. Thank you, chair of council. I'd like to make the following statement. I want to firstly congratulate our new councillors for Becton, Little Orford, Maryland, and Forest Gate North. And we all look forward to working with you. I want to provide the following update to council members and residents on the subject of live facial recognition. We have held regular discussions with the police for raising our concerns of the use of facial recognition, but a police operation decision was made to use this technology. On the 16th of July, live facial recognition was carried out when the high street of East Ham. Whilst I note the use, I'm committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all our residents. It's equally important that we uphold the fundamental rights to privacy and freedom. That's why, again, my voice and my concerns in opposition and the use of facial recognition software by the police in Newham. Facial recognition technology, whilst innovative, raises significant concerns regarding privacy, civil liberties, and the potential for misuse. The deployment of this technology in public spaces infringes upon the privacy of our residents, subjecting them to surveillance without their consent. This level of intrusion erodes the trust between the community and the law enforcement agencies tasked with protecting it. Studies have also demonstrated that facial recognition software is prone to bias and inaccuracies, disproportionately affecting those from minor to ethnic backgrounds. The implications of these biases are profound and unacceptable, as they can lead to wrongful identifications, false accusations, and undue harassment of innocent citizens. We cannot afford to endorse technology that disproportionately harms marginalized groups. In Newham, we must prioritize solutions that promote public safety while representing the rights and dignity of all residents. I urge the police and relevant authorities to reconsider the continued deployment of facial recognition technology and to carry out wider engagement with the community in developing alternative methods that ensure both security and the protection of our fundamental freedoms. Many other councils have actually come out and not in support of live facial recognition. I've also wrote to the new home secretary today, and I've also wrote to the deputy mayor for police and crime. I'll continue to raise this with police and wider partners. Thank you very much. (audience applauding)
• Thank you, Councillor Marabardi. Is there any other cabinet member wish to speak? Councillor Neill-Wilson.
• Colleagues, if I may take the seating position from here. It's important that one of us from the executive and I hope on behalf of all the council talks about the vandalism to public buildings, to public signage, to the various acts over the last few months. Obviously, in the most recent past, the vandalism of the pride flags in Forest Gate over the last month, most recently between Thursday and Friday of last week, which I would consider, and so would the majority group, and I'm sure all groups here, as both homophobic and transphobic hate crime. That the Forest Gate flags were democratically voted for by a community as part of the people-powered places. So I'm talking on behalf of my colleague, Councillor McLean, who is in charge of resident experience or has a covenant responsibility. All of us have resident experience, but a covenant responsibility. We feel there's no justification for this kind of vandalism. I'm sad that the sexual orientation listed as a protected characteristic in the Equality Act 2010. So 14 years later, we're having the same battle sometimes. The Stonewall report into 2023 found that hate crimes on the basis of sexual orientation had risen by 112% over a five-year period. On top of that, we've had some literature published by political parties in both the recent general election campaign, and people will probably remember when this council was first elected a few years ago. And that is often based upon some homophobic campaigning material. We have had, within our own ranks here in recent times, a first openly non-binary council being subject to hideous abuse on the basis of gender identity. So if we are concerned, and I speak as somebody who's got health and adult social care at leisure in my responsibility, but I think we should all be elected as representatives of a tolerant borough that rejects hatred on the basis of sexuality. I'm also dismayed that a hoarding in my very ward at the end of my road was defaced to picture a new city road of the only Asian woman with a hijab. And I think this activity has got to be condemned by all groups within this room. People should be treated with respect, regardless of sexuality and all the other protected characteristics, not least, of course, gender and their racial and cultural and religious identities as well. Political candidates should not be discriminated or attacked. We should not be in a borough where we continue to actually fight against the hatred that is most recently, and it's obviously subject to police investigation, those who follow Twitter, the X now. Obviously, people are asking for information on that. And my colleague, Councillor Verdi, is just, that's why we're sitting together to show it's a one-council approach. We currently have, I'll say it slowly, hate crime survey on our OneCreate platform, and we value and encourage all residents to input their views in helping to shape and tackle the issues of any hate crime, whatever it's for, within Newham. And the pride flags, anyone with information, there's obviously contact to the police, and there's a reference that we can give you. But it's a wide dimension, this. It is something that there is a need for a repeat of respect, for ignorance wherever it happens to be challenged, but it to be challenged in the right way. Certainly not by defacing-- - You have 20 seconds.
• 20 seconds, thank you. Certainly not by defacing either public buildings or public works, particularly those where we are still fighting injustices, and so long that we continue to need to fight those battles. Thanks for listening. (audience applauding)
• Thank you, Councillor Neil Olsen. Is there any other cabinet member wish to speak? No? Thank you. I'm now moving to item 10, tribute of former Councillor Graham Lane, who passed away in May this year. I call on Councillor Neil Olsen to lead the tribute. Councillor, I would like to... Look towards.
• So thank you very much. So I'm speaking now not as a cabinet member for health and adult social care, but as somebody who's known, the former Councillor Graham Lane, who died on the 30th, Thursday the 25th of March, and his widow, Isabel, is hearing me, together with Ellen Kemp, who's a representative from the Church of England and works with me, and worked very closely with Graham over the years about governors, and I'll make reference to all that, as much as I can within the short time. This has already been indicated, I think, by the mayor, that Graham Lane served as a Newham Councillor for 24 years, from '86 to 2010, and he was elected as a Labour Councillor for the former Hodson's Ward between 1986. He probably didn't realise that in 1994, he'd be joined by somebody like me on that same ticket. But now, of course, that then transmogrified. I love using that phrase, and I'm sure Graham would like me to use it as well. He was an English teacher, after all, and he taught somebody in the room, who I won't name, because it might embarrass him. But Graham was an English teacher, and we then moved into something we didn't move, but we were changed into Plasto South Ward. And obviously, he served there for the last eight years, of 2002 to 2010. Now, he served as a member of Social Housing Committee, is it there, Miles? The chair of the Education Committee of the Council, sometimes coming from great distances. I think some people in the room might learn something from Graham coming on trains from Newcastle Central on what is now NNER into King's Cross and still getting in time to chair committee meetings. He was a stalwart of our Education Committee. I was privileged to be one of the many vice chairs we had at that time. And then I became the deputy chair of the Education Committee. But in Graham's context, he is nationally known because he was the Labour chair of the Education Committee of the Local Government Association, where he also led the statutory national employers for teachers body. He was, like me, a teacher, but like me, got out while the going was good and moved into policy work. And more importantly, in Graham's case, he lived and breathed education. Dedicated Labour Council, resolutely committed to improving opportunities and outcomes for all new residents, particularly children and young people. It was a passion for education and youth services. I've been on committees with him, talking to national people. And I'm glad we've got a Labour government 'cause I can remember talking with Labour secretaries of state when we were last in power. And Graham Lane was always in the room, whether it was pre-conference or compensating or making certain that the resolution would be there on education. Education and youth services. And he was an inspiration and we continue his legacy through our enduring commitment to make Newham the best place for children and young people to realise ambitions and realise and achieve their potential. He started his career as an inspiring teacher at Little Ilford Secondary School. During his time, he was instrumental in establishing Newham's sixth form college in Plasto. His focused commitment to improve outcomes and life chances for all children and young people extended to a passionate advocacy at national level. Instrumental in the introduction of something called the Educational Maintenance Allowance, which was particularly targeted to include those from non-privileged, non-traditional working class backgrounds so that they could access further and higher education. It's not surprising that somebody called Gove scrapped it. I think Gove has scrapped himself from being a member of the Shadow Cabinet as well, but their Tory opposition to the policies was always there and was a great fight. He was honest, honourable, ethical public service. And I hope that we can actually pay real tribute to that in his memory. He cherished by all who were so privileged. He had a really good understanding of how the trade unions operated. He was, like me, a passionate trade unionist. He also had something called the Tripartite Talks where the trade unions, governors, and the schools all came together. And he had this wonderful phrase about being behind the chair negotiations. I always thought he was crouching behind the chair, literally, in the chamber. But it was actually hard work making certain those three partners in education were really listened to. I personally think the greatest privilege and the greatest legacy we could have to give Graham is to serve on public duty in governing bodies where the real power now rests. And he would argue the same. I was privileged to work alongside him for 40 years. There was some time when our group said that I should fall out with him in public. I said, We don't need to do that. We have arguments in my front room." It is important that the challenge to whether it's me or anybody like Graham is continuous 'cause it's only by being challenged that we refine our ideas, that we make certain that our aim of commitment to young people, and in his case, both in his borough and nationally, both in education and youth services, and it's sad that we still haven't got those on the statutory footing, but that was a great thing that Graham wanted. He was alongside others on the National Youth Agency, for instance. And during that time, he played a major role in development of community and inclusive education. We've now got a commitment to wraparound services. Let's make it a reality that schools are not just buildings that are there for school children, but that the use of the buildings in the community and to support them outside of the teaching hours. I've already mentioned school governors. He was a member of the Newham Music Trust. He was the one who encouraged me to go to the Barbican and listen to my, actually, one of my relatives play in the London Symphony Orchestra. His name, I think, is still on the program, Isabel, as a friend of the London Symphony Orchestra, and his great ability to actually promote that in music enrichment services for children and young people. He brought it across the schools and nationally, and he was a member of the Plasto Community Forum, advocating strongly in the interests, somewhat Brian Collier and I would say he was quite an advocate, strongly, and that was another way of the robust discussion. A board member, as I say, of the National Youth Agency, the Open University Council, another tribute to a Labour administration to widen access by Jenny Lee all those years ago. The National Institute for Adult Education, the European Lifelong Learning Commission. He didn't just limit himself to the UK. He was with me on various international bodies, and we always said the British delegations were the only one who paid, but we still joined in linking arms across international borders to make certain that there was things across Europe that were actually being developed. He was on the Institute for Education Business Excellence, the Partnership for Young London, the Young People Now Foundation, and the National Learning and Work Institute and Youth Access, and it's important. We obviously pay tribute on the website. We had a funeral back in April but I think it's really important that we actually, when we have a figure in our own ranks from whatever party, from whatever background, who is actually make certain that Newham is on the map for the right reasons, that we pay tribute. So, with hand on heart, goodbye, Graham, but not forgotten. Rest in peace. Thank you. (audience applauding) (audience applauding)
• Thank you very much, Councillor Nielsen. Now, I would like to hold a minute of silence for both former Councillor Graham Lane and Councillor Paul Sutterson. Thank you. (audience applauding) (gavel banging) (gavel banging) (gavel banging) (gavel banging) (gavel banging) (audience chattering) (audience chattering) (audience chattering) (audience chattering) (audience chattering)
• Thank you very much, I'm seated. I'm now moving to item 11, Overview and Scrutiny Program and Future Commissions. Councillor Mecklenburg's update is outlined on the order paper. Councillor Mecklenburg, you have up to five minutes to present your report with another five minutes allocated in total of posing and answering questions.
• As Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Committee, as I was in a Regeneration Scrutiny Commission, I rise to give Council a brief summary of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Scrutiny Commission's Work Program proposal for this municipal year. Newham's residents are the North Star of our scrutiny work. Our guiding principle this year is assurance of good service delivery for our residents. As we know, Newham's finances are under considerable pressures. Therefore, scrutiny will then show value for money and robust decision-making. Through constructive challenge and delivery of essential services to our residents. Madam Chair, while I may be optimistic about all outcomes following the January election on 4th of July, I'm a Labour government, which I wholeheartedly welcome. I'm pragmatic about the time and resource needed before any change to local government finance may be made or indeed be felt. Scrutiny planned to embark on its work program planning workshops before, just after the Council annual meeting. But we had to reschedule until after the 4th of July. To date, we concluded four commissions workshop, with the remaining workshops concluding before the summit recess. Establishing our scrutiny work program is a collaborative effort involving scrutiny members, executive members, and Council officers. We do this through an informal approach to encourage a collaborative tone to the workshops, as we seek to collectively deliver for the people of Newham. We have an ambitious work program, as will be made clear during the coming weeks, subject to ratification on the 6th of August. I shall outline a few topics suggested for scrutiny lens so far. This year, our Scrutiny Commissions will be evaluating the Newham Safety Partnership, scrutinizing our safeguarding our vulnerable residents, both adults and children, examining how we address antisocial behavior, ensuring compliance with the Environmental Act, scrutinizing Newham Council's budget for 2025-26, reviewing corporate resource and corporate policies, exploring community wealth building, and reviewing temporary accommodation and homelessness prevention. Scrutiny work program include monitoring the Council finances via overview committee and the Scrutiny Budget Commission. I met with the Director of Resource and the Chief Executive to discuss scrutiny approach to Council finances in the face of Newham financial challenges, and more generally, to discuss how to improve information sharing with scrutiny commissions. At its meeting on 6th of August, Overview and Scrutiny Committee will additionally establish a more agile and smaller budget task and finish group to meet on a monthly basis to focus on year budget performance. We have already commenced our scrutiny meetings. Later this week, we shall be holding an Overview and Scrutiny Committee called Indecision concerning the Royal Victoria Dock Bridge, and the Eld Scrutiny meeting on the 30th of July, where there will be scrutiny on how we met Newham's future elders needs in light of projected population growth, in addition to a review of legi services in Newham, and strategy development against the historic context of our borough Olympic legacy. Madam Chair, as last year, whatever our current optimism, there will be our decisions ahead. The King's speech last week introduced some 26 bills-- You have 22nd. The King's speech last week introduced some 26 bills with implication for local government. We in Scrutiny would be working tirelessly this year to ensure that we do deliver for the people of Newham, especially in the light of all the challenges local government is facing, of which Newham is no exception. Thank you. (audience applauding)
• Thank you, Councillor McAlmond. Are there any questions? Councillor Louise Gottfried.
• Councillor McAlmond, thank you very much for your talk. It was really, really illuminating. What do you think the best way that we, as members of Scrutiny, what do you think the best things we can do to make sure that our residents' voices are heard within the scrutiny process?
• Thank you.
• Thank you, Councillor Gottfried, for your question. One of the approaches that we do intend to take this year is to publicize our meetings and invite residents to participate. One of the things I want to do is to take Scrutiny to our people outside. Far too long, we have had Scrutiny in the concert chamber and is focused in the concert. Us staying in the concert chamber, listening to officers, now is going to be a different approach. We will be going out to our residents. We will be speaking with our residents and translating whatever we are told by officers and members will be testing it out with our residents. And I think that would be a start in terms of encouraging residential participation.
• Thank you, are there any other questions for members? That's great, thank you so much, Councillor McClellan. I'm now moving to item 12, members' questions. Under Rule 16 of part four of the constitution, I can inform the chamber that there is just one question received and accepted by the chief executive. The question with published response can be seen in the water paper published earlier today. The question is from Councillor Nate Higgins, who has indicated he wishes to ask his questions in person. Can I call upon Councillor Nate Higgins to ask his questions?
• Thank you, chair, my question is to the mayor. Do you agree with me that the two-child benefit cap is incredibly cruel and is unnecessarily trapping hundreds of thousands of children across the country in poverty and contributing to 50% of children in Newham living in poverty?
• Thank you, I call upon Mayor Fiers to respond the questions or confirm as published. Thank you.
• Thank you, Councillor Nate Higgins. I actually could have opted for refer to the answer as published, but I'm not going to, and the reason I'm not going to is because I want to state really clearly in this public forum, that this administration is anchored by our absolute resolute focus on tackling poverty, including child poverty. That's what we've been doing since May 2018. We've already challenged previous governments on attacks in undermining the benefits that are so desperately needed by so many of our residents in this borough. It goes without saying, as set out in the response that is published, that my administration is committed to tackling poverty in our borough through our approach to building an inclusive growth economy, promoting community wealth building, and tackling all those issues, including systemic issues and structural inequality and racism that holds people back and keeps them in poverty. I'm really sorry, Chair. There's something wrong with the sound, and it's becoming disturbing.
• Can I ask the technician to set the sound to be cleared, that members can hear clearly?
• I'm hearing as if it's cutting out.
• It's echoing. I can hear echoing. And it's really distracting.
• Could we just close all the other mics except the mayors for a moment, please?
• From down the floor.
• Okay, I'm gonna try again. As I was saying, the administration that I have been leading since May 2018 remains committed to tackling poverty. It's the very fiber of what we've been doing through the pursuit of our inclusive economy, community wealth building, tackling systemic and structural inequality, including racism that impacts so many of our residents living here. You know that we are investing six million pounds in our Eat for Free scheme, and that saves families 500 pounds a year per child. We have already made a commitment in the context of where we can as part of our examination of the scale and breadth of poverty and inequality in this borough, including how it impacts children, looking at the way in which we can assure food security for all young people. We've already challenged previous governments in relation to their assault and their attack on benefits, and we have made a stand on attempts to diminish the important access that families, low-income families, particularly women, as a consequence of two child benefit proposals, and we'll continue to campaign on that front.
• Thank you.
• Thank you, Mayor Piers. Can I ask the technical people to see, the mic can be reset, please. Thank you very much. Councillor Hergens, do you have any supplementary questions to ask?
• I do, thank you, Chair. Thank you to the Mayor for confirming that the administration is prepared to push the government to remove the two child benefit cap, which is causing misery for so many residents in Newham and across the country. In the response, the Mayor has rightly outlined the contribution that the six million pounds currently invested in the Eat for Free scheme is making to tackling child poverty in Newham. Would the Mayor commit, now that the Mayor of London is funding this programme as a manifesto commitment permanently, will you commit to ensuring that that six million remains invested in efforts to tackle child poverty, perhaps through, as the Green Group has suggested, universal free school meals for secondary school students, but perhaps you may have other ideas, but will you commit to ensuring that that six million pounds remains invested in tackling child poverty now that the Eat for Free scheme is being funded by the Mayor of London?
• Thank you very much, colleague, for raising your supplementary question. I understand that there's a detailed motion that the Green Minority Group presented, and I know that colleagues like myself will want to engage with that, and I will say this as part of our ongoing effort to tackle poverty, inequality, the impact that that has on children and on people in this borough, let's not forget. This is the administration that introduced a youth empowerment fund that provides each young child the opportunity to access much needed funds. It's part of our intention. I'm really sorry, I just can't work with this. I know the colleague over there, Chair, has said for me to move this, but it's still having the same process.
• Sorry, Pauline, are you able to help bring one of the roving mics, if that's okay, from the table? Apologies. I think it'll be much faster.
• Hello. - There we go.
• Thank you very much. So, as I was saying, this is the administration that's been driving on a whole number of fronts, a whole series of measures in order to address the impact of poverty on young children and our young people. We will continue to do that, and I know the members here in this chamber are looking forward to the debate on the motion that you and your colleagues have put forward. We are exploring all options in relation to our aspiration and ambition to ensure that every child, young person, are able to access nutritious food through our 50 Steps to a Healthier Newham, through encouraging more families to sign up for the statutory free school meals provision that's already in place. And we know that here in Newham, we have some real challenges in de-stigmatizing that provision already in schools. We work with schools, we will continue to work with schools, and we will continue to advance our anti-poverty drive in this borough. Thanks. (audience applauding)
• Thank you, Mayor Fiers. I'm now moving to item 12. Sorry. I'm now moving to item 13, Speeches for Members. In accordance with part four, rules and procedures of the Council's constitution, paragraph 17, a speech has been accepted for Councillor Eric Chaudry. Councillor Eric Chaudry, you have up to five minutes. And I remind Council there will be no debate after the speech, you have five minutes.
• Council, I would like to make a statement on my recent decision to leave the Labour Party and to join the Greens. Firstly, I would like to thank you, Chair, for allowing me to do this, as I know there will have been pressure to stop this speech from happening at all. I would also like to thank those of my former Labour colleagues who have been kind, understanding, mature and professional in their engagement with me since my decision. I'm very grateful and will remember this. However, I would also like to express my disappointment in the reaction of some of my other former Labour colleagues who have reacted in what can only be described as a disgraceful manner. I'm aware of what some of them have been saying and they have achieved nothing by engaging this behaviour other than outing themselves as deeply unpleasant individuals. I hope one day they have an opportunity to reflect on how they have behaved and on how they speak about others. Now, having been a dedicated member of the Labour Party for over a decade, 13 years, leaving was not a decision I took lightly, but it was in many ways a straightforward one. Put simply, I got involved in politics as a 16-year-old because I wanted to make a difference, a positive difference to society and to contribute to a world in which people are not penalised for the circumstances of their birth, a world which is more equal, less racist and less violent. When I joined the Labour Party as a student, I believed them to be a party that aligns with this mission, a democratic, socialist, internationalist political movement which believes in standing up for human rights. Sadly, in recent years, the Labour Party has become a changed Labour Party and one which, in my view, has lost its way and positioned itself on the wrong side of history. This has happened on many issues, some of which I've written about in my online statement, but due to time constraints, I want to focus on the issue I listed as number one, the genocide in Gaza. I am a Muslim, not necessarily the best Muslim, but I am one who believes in the basic tenets of Islam. One such tenet is that the Quran says, is what the Quran says on the taking of life. It says, Whoever takes a life, it will be as if they had killed all of humanity. Whoever takes a life, it will be as if they had killed all of humanity. We all know what has happened in Gaza. We can all see it. We can see the videos on our phones of dead children being pulled out of the rubble. How many children had to be killed before the Labour Party could say,Cease fire now? How many times had the entirety of humanity been killed before Labour could say,Stop the killing"? The answer is 10,000. More than 10,000 children had been killed before the party, my party, could state a basic moral position. Worse than this, there was not just silence, but even endorsement for these actions. And where there was silence, there was complicity. In government, I am sure we will hear some positive signals, but you cannot provide humanitarian aid to the dead, and washing the blood off your hands can never absolve you of a crime. Put simply, the weekend before the general election, when deciding who to vote for, I could not back a party which was complicit in the genocide. I could not campaign for them. I could not give money to them. I could not vote for them, and I could not represent them. And this is just one reason there are others, too. For example, I no longer consider the Labour Party to be an anti-racist party, something which became increasingly evident during the election campaign. These feelings are felt by many other people, and its complicity in the genocide will hang like a cloud over the party for many years to come. It will be a long time before people like me consider rejoining. But what I could not find in Labour, I found in the Greens, a pro-peace and pro-immigration political party which is focused on what I believe to be the correct challenges facing humanity. This was a personal decision which had nothing to do with my views on the performance of Neum Council, nor the performance of Neum's Labour councillors. To the people of Canning Town North, I say to you that I'm still the same person you voted for two years ago. I have not changed, although the party I once represented has. Be it on issues related to facial recognition surveillance, disabled parking spaces, striking workers, pernicious fines, or the council's finances, I have done my best to be a vocal, competent, and robust representative for your interests. My aim is to continue to do this, and I look forward to continuing to represent you. Thank you. (audience applauds)
• Thank you, Councillor Eichner. I will now move to item 14, delegation of powers from the local Legacy Development Corporation to the London Borough of Newham. The report is outlined on pages 29 to 40 on the published agenda. I now ask my affairs to move this report. Sorry, Councillor Rachel Tripp.
• Thank you, Chair. May I declare an interest in this item, please? Apologies for not raising it earlier. In accordance with advice from the monitoring officer, I'm declaring an interest as I'm appointed on the LLDC Planning Decisions Committee. That's in relation to this item 14.
• Sure, thank you, Councillor Rachel Tripp. May I ask Mayor Fiers to move this report? You have five minutes.
• Can everyone hear me? Yep? All right, hopefully it doesn't cancel out. Okay, similarly, I also apologise to members and Chair, especially. I omitted to announce declaration in relation to this item 14. I want to advise the Chair, members and officers that I am both a board member representing Newham Council and its people on the London Legacy Development Corporation and presently sit as a substitute member of the LLDC Planning Decisions Committee, though have not needed to attend that committee over the past six years. So colleagues, if I may just set out the paper and the significance of this paper. You'll all be aware, and if you're not, please do go back time travel to a period pre-2018 when the Mayoral Development Corporation, known presently as the London Legacy Development Corporation was formed, planning powers of the neighbouring and principal local authorities where the Olympic Park and associated neighbourhoods, including Stratford Olympic Park were built. We, as part of the government national determination to create and build a park of national significance, which is to this day being enjoyed more and more each day, each month, each year by our people. Our planning authorities were transferred to this entity. We have been campaigning and it was a manifesto commitment back in May 2018 that we would campaign to retrieve our planning powers as part of our good governance and good democracy agenda here at the council, because presently our planning powers are held within the LLDC. What that has meant in the context of the London Legacy Development Corporation, LLDC, is the head of this present mayor who was elected as the mayor of London in 2016. Previous London mayors were not as favourable to that all important issue of genuinely affordable homes that people can afford and that has particularly afflicted that part of Newham. We've been campaigning since May 2018 to have our planning powers brought back to us to the sovereign unitary authority that is the London borough of Newham. And this paper sets out the details behind this and also sets out the background in relation to the history, how we've been pursuing a return of our planning powers and where we're presently at. In summary, we will be as a consequence of effective negotiation and advocacy on behalf of our borough, its people and our local planning authority over the past six years and having achieved that in October 2022, under the auspices of a memorandum of understanding with the mayor of London, the GLA, alongside the other growth boroughs as known presently, that's the London borough of Waltham Forest, the London borough of Hackney and the London borough of Tower Hamlets along with Newham. We arrived at consensus that our planning powers will be brought back by the end of 2024. Officers at Newham Council and across those other unitary authorities are working very hard and at pace with officers at the LLDC in order to ensure a smooth transition. This paper sets out the all being well, those planning powers will come back to us by the end of this year, December. It will require timetabling in the legislative timetable in parliament and this paper also sets out a plan B in case there are problems and challenges with getting the required legislation on the parliamentary timetable and this has been fully interrogated by officers. We've received council opinion and as set out in this report there are recommendations that I am asking members to support and subject to approval we will finally be able to exercise as part of democratic accountability. Our planning powers in a way that will help shape the vision of place that we want for our borough and our people. I commend this report to full council.
• Thank you. (audience applauding) Do I have a seconder please? Thank you councilor Mayors Patel. We now move to the debate. Does any members wish to speak? Councilor Neidt-Huggins.
• Thank you. Thank you chair. It's right that the London Legacy Development Corporation's hold of a planning powers in Newham will end this year. Greens will be supporting this. The LLDC was set up to safeguard the legacy of London's 2012 Olympics. It's right there in the name. The London Legacy Development Corporation. So let's consider the corporation's legacy. The LLDC's obsession with accepting the damaging and hated MSG sphere instead of following planning policy and rejecting the application has led to a prime site next to Stratford Station remaining empty and unused providing no value to our community. All elected members of the LLDC committee rightly opposed the application but unelected appointees on the committee attempted to push the application through. It is only through the tireless work of the Stop the MSG Sphere campaign and their supporters that the dreadful development was stopped. Five years was wasted attempting to steamroll local people. We could have planned and built new social housing on this site in this time and Greens will continue to fight to ensure this site contributes to addressing the challenges Newham residents face. The LLDC have left behind a neighborhood starved of religious space. In my ward of Stratford Olympic Park, there are zero mosques. There are no churches, no permanent place of worship. That would be a failure anywhere. But in a borough as diverse, as connected to faith as Newham, that is a disaster. It must be a priority of Newham as it takes over the stewardship of this area to fix this mistake. But it's not just religious space. The LLDC has allowed the current owner of our Olympics athletes village, Get Living, to get away with providing no permanent community space. Newham owns no land in my ward. There's no library, no warm haven, no housing hub, no youth zone. I'd like to invite the mayor to meet with myself and Councillor Keeling as ward councillors to discuss opportunities for the council to reverse these failures. The LLDC will continue to oversee the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and charging residents through the roof simply for living near the park. This is not a small amount. This is a second council tax with no services provided in return. It is making it simply unaffordable for residents to live there. This has got to stop. I was thankful to Green candidate for mayor of London, Zoe Garbett, who promised to take action on the fixed estate charge. Sadiq Khan has a track record of taking on board Green policy proposals. That's a good thing. I hope he will do so again. This village is expensive enough to live in without the harm of the district heating network, East London Energy. The LLDC are the ultimate overseers of this contract and they are failing residents.
• You have 20 seconds.
• And the LLDC must take stronger action on making people feel safe. Left to the LLDC, the legacy of the Olympics is frankly one where residents feel unsafe, ignored and pushed out. These powers should never have been taken away from residents, but with their return, we can get to work on making the Olympic legacy one fit for all. Thank you. (audience applauding)
• Thank you. Are there any members wish to speak? Thank you. You have, may I please, you have right to reply should you wish to say anything further.
• Thank you very much, Chair. Colleagues, I wanted to use this opportunity in terms of my right to reply to just clarify some of the statements we've just heard. Let me just be clear. Since 2018, we have been absolute resolute and determined and focused in our defense of the interests of new residents in that part of our borough. We have advocated as we've worked through the renewal of our private landlord licensing scheme to make the case that that part of the borough is also included. At that time, we haven't had a government that would be willing to listen, but we have a labor government now that will listen. I have been at the forefront of challenging, as have Newham residents on the fixed estate charge, the vexed issue of the fixed estate charge. There is a document that Newham Council published. We have been on the forefront and we have been advancing the case of our residents in that part of the borough since May, 2018. It hasn't just happened since two individuals joined the council. We have been advocating for the provision of more genuinely affordable housing. It's the reason why we submitted a motion to this chamber, which was approved unanimously in relation to converting that site, which we've been opposed to since 2018, designated from the MSG sphere to become a housing and employment inclusion zone. It is there in black and white. We have been working with local residents, the Chobham Manor Residents Association, in order to advocate for more community use provision in that part of our borough. You don't segregate Newham because you are a member of a different party. I am a labor mayor. I am proud to be a labor mayor. I advocate for all of our residents. I work with all of our ward councillors. As the councillors in Stratford Olympic Park can attest, they're invited to regular meetings of the resident forum, which I set up in order to do precisely that all important thing of creating and providing platforms so residents' views and concerns can be aired at the highest levels with the LLDC. We have delivered and continue to deliver and will continue to advocate for all of our residents' interests. Thank you.
• Thank you, Mayor Pierce. (audience applauding)
• Chair, point of personal explanation.
• So.
• Chair, just point of personal explanation. The mayor seemed to suggest that as a member of the Green Party, I was segregating Newham. I think she said we don't segregate Newham just as you're a member of a different political party or something along those lines. I'm not really sure what the mayor was referring to, but I find those comments unacceptable. That's not what I was doing. That is never what I have done. And I invite the mayor to retract those comments. Thank you.
• Can I just? Do you wish to respond this?
• No, no response.
• What I'm going to do now, I'm going to move to the recommendation, which are outlined on pages 30 and 31 of the published agenda. All those in favor, please raise your hand. All those against, please raise your hands. Any abstentions? The report has been approved. Thank you. I'm now moving to item 15, review of the constitution code of conduct complaints procedures. The report is outlined on the supplementary agenda.
• Thank you. As the chair, I move this report. Do I have a seconder, please? Thank you all. We now move to the debate. Does any members wish to speak? No, thank you. Can we, all those in favor, we'll move to the vote. All those in favor, please raise your hand. All those against, please raise your hands. Any abstentions? Thank you. The report has been approved. I'm now moving to item 16, appointment of monitoring officer. The report is outlined on pages 41 to 48 on the published agenda. I'll now ask Mayor Fiers to move this report. Mayor Fiers, you have five minutes.
• Thank you very much, chair. Colleagues, as referenced in the chief executive's announcement this evening, our current interim monitoring officer and director of legal and governance will be concluding their period of service here at Newham Council. And this report sets out the culmination of a recruitment process, primarily the appointment of Rachel McCoy as the council's permanent monitoring officer and her commencement once she comes to Newham, subject to approval this evening, as our director of legal and governance on the 2nd of September. The report sets out the background to the recruitment and also as appended sets out the job purpose and specific responsibilities. And I just really wish to conclude prior to commending this report. Obviously it's something that we are required to do and to have. We are required to have a statutory monitoring officer. It's even more important in this present period of full council where so much is being contested and made contestable where a culture of engaged and vibrant and yes, at times challenging debate seems to be challenged itself in a chamber that's meant to be about freedom of speech and democracy. But I accept that freedom of speech has to have some limits. We can't have a situation where members either in this chamber or outside of this chamber believe or feel that they can act any which way. We need to have statutory officers that can hold the moral compass as our standard that all members need to subscribe to alongside the ethical framework that needs to drive our commitment to public service. I must say I'm looking forward to a female and a female of color occupying this role. And I trust that will help engender a better and improved council for some women who have experienced unfortunate environments in this chamber and in the council. And on that note, I commend this paper to members. (audience applauding)
• Thank you. Do I have a seconder please? Thank you. We now move to debate. Does any members wish to speak? Thank you. Now I'll move to vote. All those in favor, please raise your hand. Thank you. All those against, please raise your hands. Thank you. Any abstentions? The report has been approved. I'm now moving to item 17, appointment of political and mayoral assistance. The report is outlined on pages 49 to 52 on the published agenda. I call upon Chief Wip to move the report. Councilor Islami, you have up to five minutes.
• Chair, can I formally move item 17?
• We now move to debate. Does any members of seconders, sorrys.
• I formally second this item.
• Thank you, Jennifer. Now we move to debate. Does any members wish to speak? That's great. We move to the votes. All those in favor, please raise your hand. All those against, please raise your hands. Any abstentions? Thank you. Can you now move to the urgent item, which is set out the supplementary agenda back to item two. Can I have a proposal, please?
• We've got multiple supplementary agendas.
• So we're doing SRA one.
• Which one?
• SRA.
• Which one?
• Pack two, the SRA.
• Yeah, pack two. Pack two, item two. Set out on supplementary agenda. I'll give you some time to read through if you can't find the pack two. There's three supplementary agenda items. So in the pack number two on the yellow page, there's three you have received. So one is pack two we're talking about. Pack number two, page seven.
• Sorry, appointment of political and merit assistance. It's page seven to 10.
• Chair, there's an additional urgent item which has been accepted by the chair, which is listed in pack two. Page seven, it's entitled opposition groups provisions related to SRA and political assistance post.
• So we don't get that, we don't have that.
• Chair, when I moved the paper earlier on, I thought that we was moving the supplementary alongside with that. If I have not done that, can I also move that particular paper? I can't remember how it's referenced. Has that been noted, chair? And do we need a seconder as well? That's fine, you can move the supplementary urgent one. Can I just, sorry, Councilor Islam, can I just ask you to clarify which of the options in paragraph 2.3 A to C you wish to pursue?
• Chair, my understanding was there's a consensus between the two party, if...
• Yes, so you're moving C, is that right?
• Yes, that's what I thought, because I thought there was a consensus.
• That's fine.
• Unless you wanna put it to the group, because my understanding was that there was a consensus on this item and that's what we was moving on.
• That's fine, can we have that seconded?
• I formally second that.
• Thank you, we now move to the debate. Does any members wish to speak? Now I move to the vote. All those in favor, please raise your hand. All those against, please raise your hands. Any abstentions? The report has been approved. Thank you. I'm now moving to item 18. Appointment by council independent members on committee and other co-opties. The report is outlined on the water paper. Members, please note that there is an amendment to recommendation 2.1.1 and 2.1.2 to confirm the item for Fiona Marsh in independent chair of audit committee and Colson Seth as an independent member for the period of one year. Can I ask the chair to move this report, please? Please. Thank you. Thank you. Is there any seconder, please?
• Chair, did we not just move the item earlier on?
• No.
• Could you just clarify which item you're referring to? Okay, chair, this is item number 18. We've just dealt with item number 17 and the urgent item in relation to item 17. Item 18 is entitled appointment by council of independent members of committees and other co-opties. It's set at page seven of the supplementary package.
• Okay, I found it. Chair, can I move item 18 formally and any associated materials that is associated to the item?
• Thank you. Do you have a seconder, please?
• And I formally second that.
• Thank you. We now move to... Yes, councilor Jennifer Kelly.
• Yeah. Yeah, that's been accepted by the chair.
• We now move to debate. Does any members wish to speak? No, I will move to the vote. Members, all those in favor, please raise your hand. All those against, please raise your hands. Any abstentions? The report has been approved, thank you. I'm now moving to item 19, motions. There are four listed to consideration of this meeting, mainly response to commitment, response to commitment made by the Labour Party, leadership, fight child poverty in Newham, Newham dental crisis motion, temporary accommodation. I will remind members of the council procedures rules, 20.1, points of order. This relates to an alleged breach of the council rules of procedures of the law. Personal explanation, this is applied if member consider they have been misquoted or misunderstood. In order to facilitate the meeting where an amendment has been made by the proposer, I suggest it to be moved as a part of the motion. Motion one, I call upon councilor Sofia Nutby to propose her motion, which is outlined on the page 54 to 55 on the published agenda. Councilor Nutby, you have five minutes. (keyboard clicking) Thank you. Councilor Sofia Nutby, Plaster North. First of all, I'm quickly saying my condolences to the children of Napier Road who have passed away and to the council and the firefighters who've done an amazing job. Okay. But why us? This is one of the questions many residents of my ward and elsewhere are asking. I'm sure some of you might have been asked this too. Keir Starmer, the labor leader and now the prime minister, recently made remarks about his intentions to increase fundings to the home office returns unit within the first few weeks of his governance. He further signaled out individuals from Bangladesh in his communities on his comments. These remarks were compounded by similar statements from John Ashworth, which have hurt and disgusted many people in our communities. We in Newham are a proud borough, a diverse borough, where people from different communities live happily alongside each other. According to the 2021 census, residents of the Bangladeshi background make up about 15.9% of our population. Like others, they have contributed significantly to the economy, culture, and social fabric on Newham. So the comments made by the labor leader not only unsettled the Bangladeshi community, but other communities too. Many are asking, who's next? This comment is fundamentally wrong and goes against the principles and respect that we represent and stand for. No community should be feeling this way. And as council representatives, we should be supporting the people of Newham, especially our brothers and sisters from the Bangladeshi community. We in Newham should stand united against any hate and show our firm solidarity with the Bangladeshi community in Newham and across the UK. We demand an apology and request Mayor Uksana Fiaz to write to KSDama demanding an apology on behalf of the Bangladeshi residents of Newham for the hurt caused by the comments. Not an explanation on Bangla channel, but an apology since they're sorry. We need to reaffirm Newham's commitment to being an inclusive, welcoming, and diverse community. We should continue to celebrate and support the contributions of all ethnic groups within Newham, ensuring all residents feel valued and respected. So I formally present my motion. Thank you. (audience applauding)
• Thank you, is there a seconder for this motion, please?
• Thank you, Chair. Today I stand before you to address an issue of profound importance to our community and to defend the dignity and contributions to our Bangladeshi heritage residents. The council notes with deep concerns the recent comment made by KSDama, the leader of the Labour Party, regarding his intention to increase funding to the home office returns unit. Particularly troubling in signaling out the individuals from Bangladeshi community. These remarks, along with comments made by Jonathan Ashworth, has caused significant hurts discussed among many members of our community. Let us to be clear, British Bangladeshi community is an integral part of Newham, representing a significant and vibrant portion of our community. Their contribution to the economy, culture, and social fabric of Newham and the UK is immense and invaluable. The council believes these comments from the Labour Party leadership are not just offensive, but fundamentally wrong. They undermine the very principle of inclusivity and respect that we as a community stand for. Newham is a place that stands united against haste, divisive rhetoric. We must reaffirm our commitment to being an inclusive and welcoming and diverse community, where every resident feel valued and respected. Therefore, the council resolve to publicly express our dismay at the comments made by Sir Keir Starmer and John Ashworth. We stand in solidarity with British Bangladeshi community in Newham and across the UK. We call on our mayor, Rukhsana Fiaz, to write to Keir Starmer and demanding an apology on the behalf of Bangladeshi resident of Newham for the hurt caused by his comments. In closing, I urge Keir Starmer to recognize the impact of his words and take the responsibility of them. The resident of Bangladeshi heritage in Newham deserve an apology. They deserve respect. They deserve to be acknowledged for their contribution, not singled out for discriminatory rhetoric. Sir Keir Starmer, it's time to apologize. I formally second this motion. (audience applauding)
• Please note, we have received two amendments to this motion, both outlined on the water paper. In order to facilitate consideration of the amendment, we'll call the debate for both amendments, but we'll vote on each amendment separately. Firstly, I call on Councillor Chaudry, please present your amendments. You have up to three minutes. Thank you.
• Thank you. I've amended the motion to remove mentions of the Labour Party. I don't think we can expect Labour councillors to vote to condemn their own leader, although I'm sure many will want to agree with the crux of the motion, which is to show solidarity with the Bangladesh community after being, as you rightly argue, unfairly singled out in comments to The Sun newspaper about the deportation of migrants. So I've removed in my amendment all mentions of the Labour Party and Labour representatives, so it's focused purely on the comments and purely with showing solidarity with the community. I think the Labour amendment actually negates the motion entirely, because the motion is about the condemnation of the remarks. It's not about celebrating the Bangladeshi community, so I therefore think my amendment is the only legitimate amendment, and I think is one that does not condemn, does not force Labour councillors to condemn their own leader. Thank you.
• Is there any seconder for this motion? Thank you. I call on Mayor Fiers. Please present your amendment. You have up to three minutes.
• Colleagues, the amendment that I've put forward and been seconded by Councillor Anam Islam is pretty self-explanatory. I'm not gonna go and repeat the sentences and the words, but I will say this. I am a proud member of the Labour Party. I am someone who has been inspired and stands on the shoulder of giants in the defence of our diaspora immigrant communities to this country. I am a child of immigrants to this country. I have stood and defended the rights of black kids to be able to live and to walk unfettered on the streets of this great capital. I supported the Stephen Lawrence campaign. I have been on protests in the face of the most vicious racist attacks against people of colour, including individuals from our Bangladeshi community. At every point of my administration that I lead since May, 2018, we have celebrated the inclusive nature of this beautiful, diverse borough. And I make no apologies for that. I think the substantive motion is dangerous. It's insightful. It's deliberate. And the member may sit there, chuckling. At those words. But hear this, you are playing a really dangerous game. Every single person in this room knows exactly what is being attempted by the main motion and it is a disgrace. And that's the reason why I've submitted my amendment to motion one, because I will do everything that I can and I will do everything I can as someone who's grown up in this borough, as someone who loves its diversity, to defend all of our residents, celebrate the wonderful diversity of our Diaspora community, including our Bangladeshi community. And that's the reason why I wanted to submit this amendment to celebrate our Bangladeshi community, but also to make clear the misrepresentations that have been echoed in this chamber about what was purported to have been said and failing to mention the words thereafter of the Prime Minister during the election campaign and other politicians. I would rather have members in this chamber calling out the likes of Farage, the election of Reform MPs, the threat that they pose to our country and our borough. Thank you. - I have 20 seconds. Thank you. (audience applauding) (speaking faintly) Thank you. Is there a seconder for this motion?
• Thank you, Chair, esteemed colleagues. I stand before you today in strong support of amendment two proposed by Mayor Oksana-Fayaz. This amendment is more than just a policy change. It is a vital declaration of our commitment to inclusivity, fairness, and respect for every member of our community. Recent comments made by Sir Keir Starmer regarding Bangladeshi migrants have clearly caused significant concerns and distress. While Sir Keir has since apologized on Bangladeshi media platforms and some mainstream press, it is clear that words alone are not enough. Action must follow, and that's where amendment two comes in. The Labour Friends of Bangladesh, represented robustly by figures such as MP Rushmara Ali, Councillor Syed Basher, myself, and others, have made our community's concerns heard loud and clear as it happened. Contrary to allegations and criticism by troublemakers that we did nothing to challenge this issue, whilst we have been at the forefront of demanding accountability and action. In a letter from Councillor Basher on behalf of the LFB executive, and its membership, several key demands were made to the Labour leadership, including a public apology, a commitment to rebuild trust, and assurance of concrete policies that support the Bangladesh community. These demands are crucial for mending the rift and moving forward. Mayor Fayyaz's amendment, our amendment two, is a comprehensive response to these demands. It includes initiatives that protect the rights and dignity of all residents, ensure fair treatment of migrants, and enhance social cohesion. This amendment isn't just a reaction, it's a proactive step towards fostering unity and respect within our community. Now, let's address amendment one by one of our former colleagues, Councillor Chaudry. Whilst Councillor Chaudry has echoed the sentiments of his original movers in calling for an apology, he suggests that our amendment two doesn't, well, effectively suggest our amendment doesn't go far enough unless I quote me if I'm wrong to that understanding. I must respectfully disagree. Our amendment provides a balanced and thoughtful approach that not only addresses the immediate need for an apology, but also lays the groundwork for long-term community cohesion and support. As the famous saying goes, The best is the enemy of the good. Amendment one, though well-meaning, doesn't fully align with the inclusive and forward-looking approach we need. It's like trying to fix a complex issue with a temporary solution.
• You have 20 seconds.
• It might not work for now, but it's sustainable. We also need to consider the original motion by Councillor McPhee, which highlights that the comments made by Labour Party leadership, while we acknowledge the validity of these concerns, it's essential to respond in a manner that builds a foundation for positive change and unity within our community. Supporting amendment two by Mayor Fayyaz is a powerful statement. It's an affirmation that we value contribution of the Bangladesh community and are committed to creating a society where everyone feels respected and included. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Our action here will resonate far beyond these chambers. Therefore, Chair, I urge my colleagues to support amendment two and oppose amendment one. Let's show that NEOM stands as a beacon of hope inclusivity and progress. - Thank you, Councillors.
• Thank you. (audience applauding) (audience applauding)
• We now move to the debate. Members, you have up to three minutes each. Does any members wish to speak? So I've got Councillor Momtaz Khan. Please, could the others keep your hands up?
• Thank you, Chair. Firstly, I'm a proud Bangladeshi. I'm a resident of NEOM. It's a privilege to represent our diverse communities. Chair, can I very quickly address the issue in Bangladesh at the moment? I'm just wondering if my colleagues on the left are actually aware. The suffering of some of the students at the moment. I don't think so, because it's not been mentioned here. I have family members in Bangladesh I've not been able to communicate with. And it's a very sensitive issue to be discussing here. And it's a shame that issues about the Bangladesh community is being played here to gain political success. I disagree with that. I share my disappointment with those who are taking opportunity to gaslight, create division in our community. (audience applauding) Chair, they are clearly taking advantage of the situation. So I ask my colleagues on the right, and some on the left, to support the amendment Bukhsana Fayyas, our mayor, has put forward. I accept the amendment, and I hope you all will. Thank you very much. (audience applauding) (speaking foreign language)
• I'm Councilor Mujibur Rahman, Green State Eastward. It is unfortunate what is happening in Bangladesh now. I am hoping the conflict will end soon, and I pay respect to those who have lost their life, and my deepest condolences and sympathy to the family who lost their loved one. Following the founding of Bangladesh in 1971, a large number of immigrants come to Britain, especially during the 1970s, and some were even 1940s onwards, particularly from Sylhet, and most recently, a larger number of non-Sylheti came into the UK from EU, especially in Newham. Our community, leading the establishment of British Bangladesh community. The new generation of the British Bangladeshi community are excellent in mainstream British sector, in business, technical profession, and local and political, national, and politics. The community has earned a respectable position in the mainstream British society, with many of them awarded the title, like MBOB, the organization of their contribution in their respective professional areas. The highest achievement of the community in the UK, United Kingdom, nationally, politics arena, there is four women of members in our community become MP from the Labour Party. No other party is supported, and no other party have any MPs from the Bangladeshi communities, and it is a proud moment for the British Bangladeshi community as Tirlip Siddiq MP and Roshanar Ali MP become a first minister of Bangladeshi origin in appointed. We are grateful to our prime ministers, our customers, for those appointments. We have also Benaras Palauddin, House of Lords, that shows the strong bonds between the Labour Party and the Bangladeshi community. The second largest Bangladeshi community living in Newham, and we are the first bara to raise the Bangladeshi flags for Bangladesh Independence Day, I think, is 2012. Since 2012, every time from council, we officially raising the Bangladeshi flags in Independence Day. Therefore, I'm proud to be the Labour Councillor in Newham. As our leader clear his position regarding this comments, I believe the original motion was not for support for Bangladeshi community, it is simply political motivated motion. That's why I strongly urge to support Mayor Rokshanafia's position, amendments. I hope all our colleagues will do so. Thank you very much. (audience applauds)
• Thank you, Councillor. Thank you, Councillor Shanthi-Firders.
• Good evening. I support Mayor Rokshanafia's amendments and Mayor Rokshanafia showing how inclusive we are as the Labour Party does. This motion completed political attack. The attack is a bad tactics way, it isn't the right way to attack, and it is a fake, and it is not truth. Our party always stand for equality, our party believe in all heritage to celebrate together. So I would like to say what Kia Starmer said about this. Kia Starmer said that I certainly was not intending to cause and concern on offense to any Bangladeshi community. And I'm genuinely concerned that I have done so, not least because the relationship between Labour and Bangladeshi community is very, very strong so much so that my first visit was to Bangladesh to go to Dhaka and to go to Syllot as a Labour leader. My leader going to Bangladesh when he become first Labour leader. I'm so proud. I am British Bangladeshi, a Labour Counsellor, and like others, and my talent been recognized whether I have less or more by Labour Party. Kia Starmer accepted his remark about Bangladesh where clumsy after he was criticized for making a reference to the country when answering a question. And it was on BBC Four I Radio Live. And Bangladesh was only used as an example as there is already a vital agreement between two countries. And also Councillor Marja spoke about Jonathan, former MP, the MP said, I was making a point the asylum system is broken. People who came to the country to claim asylum and application are never processed. They are left into limbo. All the Tories say put people on a flight to Rwanda. We are going to scrub the Rwanda scheme. Sorry. Please. Kia Starmer also said, I am very concerned and upset I may have caused. That certainly was not my intention. I didn't mean to offend anyone or upset anyone. I'm genuinely concerned that I have done so. So please, colleague, I am British Bangladeshi. I know what is my leader doing and I believe my party doing the right things. And my party believe in equality, celebrating all heritage. Do not do bad political attack, please. (audience applauding)
• Thank you, Councillor Selim Peton.
• Thank you, Chair. Chair, the Bangladeshi community in Britain made a massive contribution to our economy, to our culture, especially in London, here in Newham and in my ward, Manor Park. Chair, one of the leading Bangladeshi mosque in my ward during the COVID time worked so hard and opened their doors to promote and run the vaccine program. The volunteers from that mosque supported so many vulnerable community by providing isolated people hot meal and their daily groceries. Chair, I'm really proud to work and represent so many Bangladeshi community in my ward. So colleagues, let's come together to show our gratitude to Bangladeshi community and say thank you very much. Thank you, Chair. (audience applauding)
• Thank you. Councillor Brosom-Young.
• Thank you. Thank you, Chair. I've been listening to the debate with real interest and it's my first time here, so there we are. (audience applauding) I'm hugely proud to be a resident of this borough and one which is inclusive and one which is safe and one where all communities are really valued, including my colleagues and friends in the Bangladeshi community. The motion, the substantive motion as presented just feels a bit lazy to me. I think it's very easy to blame and it's very easy to politically point score and it is very easy to point fingers outside of this chamber. It is much harder for us to look at ourselves and to look at what we are doing here. And that's my question, I suppose. I think we should be asking ourselves what are we doing in this chamber to bolster and to celebrate our inclusive society here in Newham? What are we doing in this chamber to really recognize and value the contributions of the Bangladeshi community, but also of other diaspora communities, of immigrant communities, of all our communities? And what will we do when we leave tonight and go back to our wards and go back and speak with our communities to foster that unity further and encourage all of us to be working together? And we should be reflecting on ourselves and we should be reflecting on what we are doing. The substantive motion, it's very clear, just seeks to divide and seeks to sow difference among our communities. And that is a tactic of the far right and has no place in this borough. (audience applauding) So colleagues, I would urge you that we need to reject the substantive motion and I would urge you to support Amendment Two with its focus very clearly on supporting our inclusive Newham. (audience applauding)
• Thank you. Imam Haq.
• Thank you, Chair. Councillor Imam Haq from East Ham. I would like to speak in favor of the motion from the Labour Mayor. Being a Bengali of Indian origin, I feel proud of the contribution made by the Bangladeshi community in the United Kingdom and in London Borough of Newham. The role of the Mayor of Newham has been an important part of our work and it has really been an important part of our work in the Centre of Newham. The contribution is many fold and time will not permit me to read the whole book of contribution made by the Bangladeshi community. One of the major contribution from the community is to spread love and brotherhood through arts and culture. I want to remember Rabindranath Tagore, Nobel Laureate in Literature and one of the beloved son of the land of Bengal. He said and I quote, The significance which is in unity is an eternal wonder. I would also like to remember another beloved son of the land of Bengal, Kazi Nasrul Islam. Bengali poet, writer, journalist and musician. He's the national poet of Bangladesh. He said and I quote,I know I'm a common man. My duty is to the common people. I'm one of them. So the message is very clear. The message is for love and unity. He said and I quote again,You will see that my voice will reach you faster than the lightning bolt. In this quote, Nasrul Islam portrays the speed and intensity of his message. Let our voice from this chamber spreads with the same speed and intensity to the whole world that we deeply and passionately celebrate the contribution of the Bangladeshi community. I urge my brothers and sisters in the Bangladeshi community not to be divided with elements that divides in me and you. There is lot which unites us and we together are a strong local community, a strong new home community. The independent motion mentions about the apology from the Prime Minister but they're late. And I don't blame them. They must be busy in the election campaign. But during that time, the Prime Minister-- (audience applauding) But during that time, the Prime Minister have already made statements in various platforms and I do not want to state what my previous colleagues have already mentioned but he has shared his deep relation with the Bangladeshi community. Also when my colleague from the Green, when respected member from the Green mentioned that we are not here to celebrate Bangladeshi community, we are here to condemn the statement from Keir Starmer. But I would like to state to him that we want to celebrate Bangladeshi community at every stage, at every point that we're given the opportunity. (audience applauding) So that is why we are here. I support the amendment from mayor of Roxana Fairs and I will be voting in favor of the amendment. I would urge all the members in this chamber, including the opposition, to vote for the motion because that unites us and we have to be united, not be divided. Thank you.
• Thank you. (audience applauding) Councilor Aktharul Alam. Sorry. (audience member speaking faintly) Councilor Chaudhuri, yes.
• Just to clarify, absolutely. As a member of the Bangladeshi community, by the way, many of these comments don't represent my views and obviously I celebrate the contribution of the Bangladeshi community. The point I was trying to make is that the labor amendment is a very substantially different motion to the one that's being proposed, which is a motion about condemnation. So you should either vote down their motion because what you're proposing is entirely different. And the reality, I can say two things. First of all, I'm very surprised to have heard nothing about Councilor Sabia Kamali, who as we know was, maybe you don't know, was subject to a violent hate crime outside this building. And we are talking here about the Bangladeshi community and no one has mentioned this yet. Secondly, the reality is the Bangladeshi community was slapped in the face and now we're kissing the feet of the people here.
• Can I have your, can I have your? (audience applauding) Only I was allowing to give you a point of order, not your statement. Can I ask the Councilor Akhtar Al-Alam to come and give your views please? (speaking in foreign language)
• As-salamu alaykum, namaskar, good evening. This is my first time, so you have to be a little patient. (audience applauding) UK was the first country to recognize Bangladesh as a separate entity. The friendship goes right back to 1971. Nothing has Bangladeshi or British community anything that separate us. We have so much in common. We have established curry business as the mainstream cuisine in Britain, however, we will always have opportunities and hypocrites everywhere, no matter where you go. We will always get them, but I have taken the undertaking that I'm going to make the cohesion, the social cohesion the social cohesion, nobody will have a better proof or better data than I do. I'm the recent Councilor contested in Littleilford Lane. I think the composition of the Bengali community will be higher than anywhere else. (audience applauding) I have spoken face to face. I have spoken in their lounge. I have spoken in their cafes. We are not stupid and we are not narrow-minded people. We'll never let this negative entities take over our community or divide us. The friendship between the Bangladeshis and all the other communities will always remain intact as long as good people will lead the way. Thank you very much. (audience applauding)
• Councilor Madeleine Charlie-Poch.
• Thank you.
• Councilor Madeleine Charlie-Poch in Forest Gate South. First of all, I'd like to call everybody to have their thoughts tonight with our colleague, Councilor Sabia Kamali, who experienced unfortunate devices actions earlier this year. The Labour Party was set up as a fellowship of working people, brothers and sisters in the struggle for equality and unity across all ethnicities and religions. That foundation of fellowship was first accepted by the British people where? In West Ham. Okay, downstairs we have the statue to prove it. With the election of Keir Hardy in 1892. Thank you, John. For over a century, the Bangladeshi community, our brothers and sisters, have enriched the life of our city, our party, and our country, continuing to show us the true meaning of family, community, and love. Making a massive contribution to our business, education, cultural life, and as my colleague said, food. A hundred years after the first Labour government, we are very sorry for the clumsy language during the election campaign, and the hurt that it caused. The apologies have been made, but that doesn't stop us continuing to make them. I work and live and have neighbors and have friends with the Bengali and the Bangladeshi community over the 58 years of my life. I work today with a large number of Bangladeshi people in the large Bangladeshi area. We represent over probably 20% of our residents as being Bangladeshi. Many of us here today felt the upset that they felt. How many of us here today are immigrants ourselves, the children of immigrants, the grandchildren of immigrants? I doubt there's anyone here in the room that would state that there wasn't an immigrant in their family. We want to make sure that as a Labour council and as a Labour party and as a Labour borough, we continue to celebrate diversity. We continue to resist people trying to divide and rule us. We know, and those of us that were brought up in the area, many of us have run from the National Front in the 1980s and the 1970s. Many of us have experienced as the children of immigrants the racism that has blighted and continues to blight some areas of our country. We state, Not in Newham. We will continue to stand up for each other, for our brothers and sisters. I have to say, you may not have noticed this, but on my coat, the only badge I have on it is the Bangladeshi Labour Party because it has been given to me by colleagues and I am proud to wear it. I am proud to be a colleague, a neighbour, a friend, and a comrade of my Bangladeshi colleagues, my brothers and sisters. And we continue to apologise for any hurt that we may have given you. We continue because we have been doing that since the Klumbizi language of the election, a time when people are being encouraged to say things, which are then taken as sound bites, put in the wrong context. But even when that is the case, we make sure that we apologise and that we make sure that we ask for forgiveness for any hurt that we have caused. We understand you may not forget, but we do ask you to forgive. Colleagues, I ask you to think of our colleagues and our friends, neighbours and the relatives of our residents that are currently suffering in Bangladesh today. I commend the Second Amendment to you. Thank you. Apologies to interrupt the debate, but please may I ask members to refrain from discussing matters where members are unable to comment in this chamber. (Applause) Councillor, we are mindful of the time. It is 19 past nine. Would you like to extend your time or should we? Before I call for a suspension of standing orders, is it too late for an extension? Can I explain the position under the new Council procedure? Unless there is an extension, which the Council votes for an extra half an hour and it is a strict half an hour, we now move straight to all the remaining votes. No debate, just straight votes? Straight to all the remaining votes, including all the amendments, substantive motions and all the other matters. That is all we have time for. Would you like to put it to the meeting? OK, choose. Those in favour to extend the time, raise your hand. Extending the time by half an hour, another 30 minutes. Please raise your hand. Those against, please raise your hand. Thank you. Therefore, you are extending the time. We will be finishing by half an hour. That means we have to move to the individual votes. The first vote that will be now taken is the... I think the proposal of the motion has a right to reply? No, under the new Council procedure rules, if there is no extension... I think it is very unfair. If there is no extension... About 15 people spoke. There is no extension. The proposal does not have a right to reply. There is no extension being agreed by Council, so we will now be moving to only votes and finishing at 9.30. So the first vote we are taking is the first amendment in the name of Councillor Choudry. Thank you. Amendments from Councillor Choudry. All those in favour, please raise your hand. All those against, please raise your hand. Any abstentions? Thank you. That is not carried out. Amendments from the Mayor. All those in favour, please raise your hand. All those against, please raise your hand. Any abstentions? So, Chair, that amendment is now carried and becomes a substantive motion. Can we take a specific vote in relation to that substantive motion which has been amended? All those in favour, please raise your hand. All those against, please raise your hand. All those in favour, please raise your hand. All those against, please raise your hand. Any abstentions? Next motion, Number 2, Councillor Hagen's motions. I'm going to go straight to the vote, so therefore, I act. [INAUDIBLE] No, there's no need to formally move, second or debate or have any right of reply. We're moving straight to the vote, right? So, the second motion, we're moving to a vote. Sorry, we only have eight minutes and we have three more motions to pass. So, would you like to, sorry, I will name the motions. That's fine. First, child poverty in Newham. That's Councillor Nate Hagen's, your motion. All those in favour, please raise your hand. [INAUDIBLE] Yes, there's no facility in the new council procedural to defer motions. The whole purpose was that we exhaust the business before us at each council meeting. However, members would be able to resubmit those motions should they wish to. So, if Councillor Hagen wishes to withdraw that motion, then no doubt he can raise that at the next council meeting. Chair, I don't know if it's a point of order or a point of clarification. Can I ask for a chair's ruling? Given that it's silent, there's nothing on the constitution, can we get a chair's ruling to have this referred? Your advice would most nicely be appreciated. [INAUDIBLE] So, I've explained the position. Unless Councillor Higgins wants to withdraw his motion and then resubmit it next time round, then we'll be taking a vote now. Chair, I think it's incredibly disappointing that members wouldn't extend 30 minutes to discuss child poverty. In that context, I don't wish members to vote against fighting child poverty without a discussion of it. So, I clearly have no choice but to withdraw it. But I think members should reflect on their decision to not extend in order to have this discussion that members have agreed is very important. Okay, so that's withdrawn. Can we move to the next motion, which is motion three? So, the child poverty in Nihon, that motion has been withdrawn by Councillor Nate Haggins. Now, I move to the Nihon dental crisis motion that's been proposed by Councillor John Gray. Sorry, where is the name? Sorry, Councillor Susan Musto, I apologise. Councillor Susan Musto. So, those in favour, please raise your hand. Thank you. Those against, please raise your hand. Any abstentions? Thank you. That's carried out. Motion for temporary accommodation, and that's proposed by Councillor Shabban. Sorry, I'm sorry. Mohammed. Mohammed Shabban. So, just for clarification, this motion has been slightly amended and is set out at pages 59 and 60. So, I'm going to move to the vote. Please, those who are in favour, raise your hands. As amended. As amended, yes. And all those against, please raise your hands. Any abstentions? Thank you. Councillor Shabban, Mohammed, your motion has been carried out. Thank you. I now declare the meeting closed. Thank you, everyone, for attending and watching. I hope that you enjoy the rest of the evening. And I apologise and say apologies to Councillor Shabban Mohammed. I like his new Councillor. It's easy, there is. [BLANKAUDIO] [BLANKAUDIO] [BLANKAUDIO] [BLANKAUDIO] [BLANKAUDIO] [BLANKAUDIO]