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Motion 12.4 -      BRADFORD’S RESPONSE TO THE NATIONAL AUDIT ON
GROUP-BASED CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE
Motion 12.8
-     
BRADFORD DISTRICT’S
RESPONSE TO BARONESS
           
           
      CASEY NATIONAL
AUDIT ON GROUP-BASED CHILD              
      SEXUAL
EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE
 

Motion 12.4
As set out in the published agenda Motion 12.4
was moved by Councillor Poulsen and seconded by Councillor Falak
Ahmed.
 
In accordance
with Council Standing Orders 18.4  and
18.8  an amendment (additional
published papers Amendment H) was moved by Councillor
Hinchcliffe and seconded  by
Councillor Duffy.
 
 
Following a number of speakers in accordance
with Council Standing Order 18.12 Amendment H
as set out below was then put to the vote, was carried and
became the substantive motion, was then voted on and was
carried.         
 
Resolved-
 
That with the
addition and deletion of the appropriate words, the motion be
amended to read as follows:
 
Council notes:
 

·        
Child sexual abuse is an abhorrent crime that
blights the lives of victims.

·        
Bradford invited the Home Secretary to visit
Bradford and subsequently welcomed Baroness Casey as part of the
Bradford district safeguarding partnership when she did her
National Audit on Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and
Abuse.

·        
We have already provided Baroness Casey with the 74
reports and independent investigations that have already been
published on CSE in Bradford district. These include statistical
data on perpetrators and victims and their ethnicity.

·        
We strongly support the police in securing justice
for victims and survivors. To date 52 perpetrators have received
prison sentences totalling 570 years from prosecutions of
non-recent cases in our district. More prosecutions are
pending.

·        
We welcome the findings of the independent National
Audit into Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse carried
out by Baroness Casey.

·        
We welcome the Prime Minister’s endorsement of
all Baroness Casey’s recommendations including to hold a
national inquiry.

·        
We have said we will play our full part in any
national inquiry, accepting that the terms of reference and Chair
is yet to be announced.

·        
West Yorkshire is one of only three police force
areas cited in Baroness Casey’s Audit which, going back
years, does capture the ethnicity data of perpetrators and victims,
hence why Baroness Casey determines that disproportionate numbers
of men from Asian ethnic backgrounds were amongst the suspects for
group-based child sexual exploitation. West Yorkshire Police are
cited as an example of good practice.

·        
We welcome government’s commitment to take
forward the recommendations from Professor Alexis Jay’s
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse which was published in
2022. That report took seven years, heard 7,000 personal
testimonies and considered two million pages of
evidence. 
Council resolves to:
 

·        
Take a full part in any national inquiry once this
is ready to set terms, appoint a Chair and start.

·        
Urge Government to conduct such an inquiry speedily
to make sure victims and survivors can give their testimonies now
and not wait more years to do so.

·        
Ask the Chief Executive to review Baroness
Casey’s Audit and recommendations; and to see how we measure
against those locally, making improvements where we have the power
to do so.

·        
Continue to press Government to implement all 20
existing recommendations from the Baroness Jay Independent Inquiry
into Child Sexual Abuse which was published in 2022.

·        
Continue following the example of former Keighley
Labour MP Ann Cryer in always keeping victims, survivors and their
families front of mind,providing practical as well as
therapeutic support.

·        
Continue to: a) work with
the police to support survivors in securing justice in non recent cases; and b) work with district
partners and national bodies to share and improve practice in
protecting children at risk today.

·        
Press government for the national investment that is
required to ensure high-quality mental health and trauma-informed
support is available for victims and survivors of these horrific
crimes.

·        
Not let the depravity of a minority of men,
condemned by all people in the Bradford district, marginalise whole
communities.
 
To be
actioned by: Chief Executive/Strategic Director Children’s
Services/All Strategic Directors
 
 Motion
12.8
 
As set out in the published agenda Motion 12.8
was moved by Councillor Hinchcliffe and seconded by Councillor
Duffy.
 
In accordance with Council
Standing Orders 18.4 
and 18.8  an
amendment (additional published papers Amendment L) was moved
by Councillor Poulsen and seconded 
by Councillor Falak Ahmed.
 
 
Following
a number
of speakers in accordance with Council
Standing Order 18.12 the Amendment and Motion were put to the vote.
Amendment “L” was put to the vote and lost.  Motion 12.8 as set out below was put to the vote
and was
carried.         
 
 
 
Resolved
–
 
Council notes:
 
·  
Child sexual abuse is an
abhorrent crime that blights the lives of victims.
·  
Bradford invited the Home
Secretary to visit Bradford and subsequently welcomed Baroness
Casey as part of the Bradford district safeguarding partnership
when she did her National Audit on Group-Based Child Sexual
Exploitation and Abuse.
·  
We have already provided
Baroness Casey with the 74 reports and independent investigations
that have already been published on CSE in Bradford district. These
include statistical data on perpetrators and victims and their
ethnicity.
·  
We strongly support the police
in securing justice for victims and survivors. To date 52
perpetrators have received prison sentences totalling 570 years
from prosecutions of non-recent cases in our district. More
prosecutions are pending.
·  
We welcome the findings of the
independent National Audit into Group-based Child Sexual
Exploitation and Abuse carried out by Baroness Casey.
·  
We welcome the Prime
Minister’s endorsement of all Baroness Casey’s
recommendations including to hold a national inquiry.
·  
We have said we will play our
full part in any national inquiry, accepting that the terms of
reference and Chair is yet to be announced.
·  
West Yorkshire is one of only
three police force areas cited in Baroness Casey’s Audit
which, going back years, does capture the ethnicity data of
perpetrators and victims, hence why Baroness Casey determines that
disproportionate numbers of men from Asian ethnic backgrounds were
amongst the suspects for group-based child sexual exploitation.
West Yorkshire Police are cited as an example of good
practice.
·  
We welcome government’s
commitment to take forward the recommendations from Professor
Alexis Jay’s Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse
which was published in 2022. That report took seven years, heard
7,000 personal testimonies and considered two million pages of
evidence.
 
Council resolves to:
 
·  
Take a full part in any
national inquiry once this is ready to set terms, appoint a Chair
and start.
·  
Urge Government to conduct such
an inquiry speedily to make sure victims and survivors can give
their testimonies now and not wait more years to do so.
·  
Ask the Chief Executive to
review Baroness Casey’s Audit and recommendations; and to see
how we measure against those locally, making improvements where we
have the power to do so.
·  
Continue to press Government to
implement all 20 existing recommendations from the Baroness Jay
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse which was published in
2022.
·  
Continue following the example
of former Keighley Labour MP Ann Cryer in always keeping victims,
survivors and their families front of mind, providing practical as
well as therapeutic support.
·  
Continue to: a) work with the
police to support survivors in securing justice in
non recent
cases; and b) work with
district partners and national bodies to share and improve practice
in protecting children at risk today.
·  
Press government for the
national investment that is required to ensure high-quality mental
health and trauma-informed support is available for victims and
survivors of these horrific crimes.
·  
Not let the depravity of a
minority of men, condemned by all people in the Bradford district,
marginalise whole communities.
 
To be actioned by:  Chief Executive/Strategic Director
Children’s Services/All Strategic Directors
 
 
Motion 12.6 – CONDEMNATION OF
ISRAEL’S GENOCIDE IN GAZA,                  
  ILLEGAL MILITARY ASSAULT
IN IRAN, AND THE UK               
  GOVERNMENT’S
COMPLICITY OF WAR CRIMES AND                        
  BREACHES OF INTERNATIONAL
LAW
 

Motion 12.10 – MIDDLE EAST FOCUS
MUST REMAIN ON GAZA

 

Motion 12.6
 
As set out in the published agenda Motion 12.6
was moved by Councillor Saleem and seconded by Councillor
Saddiq.
 
Following a number
of speakers Motion 12.6 was put to the
vote and  was
lost.
 
Motion 12.10
 
As set out in the published agenda
Motion 12.10 was moved by Councillor Hinchcliffe and seconded by
Councillor Imran Khan.
 
In accordance
with Council Standing Orders 18.4  and
18.8  an amendment (additional
published papers Amendment N) was moved by Councillor
Hinchcliffe and seconded  by
Councillor Imran Khan.
 
 
Following a number of speakers in accordance
with Council Standing Order 18.12 Amendment N as set out below was
then put to the vote, was carried and became the substantive
motion, was then voted on and was
carried.         
 
Resolved-
 
That with the
addition and deletion of the appropriate words, the motion be
amended to read as follows:
 
Council notes:
 
The deaths of so many civilians show why we
must all push for peace and stop the violence.  Even the UK’s Attorney General is reported
to have raised questions about whether Israel’s attack on
Iran was a breach of international law. 
After the US joined its might to the war, the UN Secretary General
rightly said that we should all be gravely alarmed by this use of
force by Netanyahu’s government, which was a dangerous
escalation in a region already on the edge. The situation became so
volatile that air space in the region was closed.  As a result, Bradford residents were prevented
from coming home.  They were left
without adequate advice and support.
 
Now, through its actions Netanyahu’s
government is clearly demonstrating that what is being prosecuted
in the region is a war of aggression. 
 
The new attacks on Iran are masking an ongoing
humanitarian disaster in Gaza.  We must
not look away.
 
Israel is perpetrating genocide in the Gaza
Strip right now, according to a study published on December 5 by
the human rights organization Amnesty International.
 
UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied
Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese is now reporting:
“Patterns of violence against the group as a whole warrant
the application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment
of the Crime of Genocide in order to cease, prevent and punish
genocide in the whole of the occupied Palestinian
territory”
Tirana Hassan, Executive director at Human
Rights Watch said. “This isn’t just negligence; it is a
calculated policy of deprivation that has led to the deaths of
thousands from dehydration and disease that is nothing short of the
crime against humanity of extermination, and an act of
genocide.”
 
We condemn the disgraceful comments about
turning Gaza into an investment opportunity as a holiday camp which
amount to ethnic cleansing and apartheid. This morning the latest
idea from Israeli Defence Secretary Katz is that Palestinians
should be moved into an open air prison
on what’s left of Raffah and not
let out.  This is outrageous and must be
universally condemned. 
 
At least 57,000 people have been killed in
Gaza during the war, according to the territory’s health
ministry including thousands of innocent women and children.
 
Starvation is being used as a weapon of war
which in itself is a war
crime.  There is forced displacement and
attacks on healthcare workers.  As a
result children are starving and when
they try and access aid they are at risk
of being shot and killed.
 
We welcome the action by the UK Government in
many areas of this war, these are steps in the right direction but it must go further
 

UK Government has sanctioned two of
the right-wing members of the Israeli Government. This has to be a starting point.  We want to see widespread sanctions.
withdrawing export licences for arms
that Israel could use in Gaza.  We want
a stop to all arms sales to Israel
supporting the ICC and ICJ in
prosecuting war crimes – we want to see more support for
these organisations from the UK Government to effectively prosecute
their cases.
commitment to a two-state solution
with a full independent, sovereign state of Palestine – the
time for recognition is now and cannot wait.
condemnation of illegal settlement
expansion which is undermining the establishment of two
states.  Settler violence is shocking
and must be stopped.

 
The very foundations of the international
rules-based order is under threat.
 
The recent ICJ Advisory opinion details the
legal consequences arising from the ongoing violation by Israel of
the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination from its
prolonged occupation, settlement and annexation of Palestinian
territory.
 
We ask the world to wake up.  Don’t look away from what is happening to
people in Gaza, starving with no safe access to food and
water. 
 
We are grateful to Bradford Labour MPs for
their support to Bradford residents who were stranded in the Middle
East.  We are thankful these residents
are now home.  But the FCDO must learn
from this episode and provide more comprehensive support for UK
citizens stranded abroad in conflict.
 
Council resolves to ask the UK Government
to:
 

Push for an immediate and lasting
ceasefire.
Learn lessons from residents from
the Bradford district and UK citizens who were
stranded. 
End all arms sales to Israel.
Provide immediate humanitarian aid
to Gaza.
Support UNWRA to provide this
humanitarian aid, not the latest GHF which puts people at risk of
losing their lives when they seek food.
Ask the Government to immediately
respond with rigour and action to the ICJ advisory opinion on the
occupied territories
Bring in widespread sanctions
against Israel
Demand all hostages be
released.
Immediately recognise Palestine as
an independent sovereign state.
Push to quickly reconvene the
conference in New York which was postponed in June.  This was led by Macron to recognise the state of
Palestine.
Support the ICC and ICJ in
prosecuting war crimes.
Set out a plan for how the UK will
uphold its responsibilities under international law, including how
it will use the mechanisms at its disposal to uphold the
independence, mandates and decisions of the international courts
including the ICJ advisory opinion.
Denounce the building of settlements
in the West Bank and outline what tangible steps it will take to
oppose further settlement activity

 
We re-commit ourselves here in Bradford to
being a City of Sanctuary, a place where all our residents are
welcome, no matter what their faith or race, a place where
Islamophobia and Antisemitism are not tolerated.
 
At this point under Council
Standing Order 9.1.2 a vote was taken to re-order the business on
the agenda to move Motion 12.9 (Working to Eliminate Child
Poverty)to be the next Motion to be
considered.
 
Resolved –
 
That under Council Standing
Order 9.1.2 to re-order the business on the agenda to
moveMotion
12.9(Working to Eliminate Child
Poverty) to be the next Motion to be considered.
 
 
12.9    WORKING TO ELIMINATE CHILD
POVERTY
 
As set out in the published agenda Motion 12.9
was moved by Councillor Kamran Hussain and seconded by Councillor
Duffy.
 
In accordance with Council Standing Orders
18.4  and 18.8
 an amendment (additional published papers Amendment
M) was moved by Councillor Loy and seconded  by Councillor Felstead.
 
 Following a number
of speakers in accordance with Council
Standing Order 18.12. Amendment “M” was put to the vote
and lost.  Motion 12.9 as set out below
was put to the vote and was
carried.      
 
Resolved –
 
Council notes:
 
Entrenched
poverty is an indictment of our country. We have a duty to support
all children to have a good start in life.
 
Poverty is
of great cost to the country. There is a moral and financial
imperative to tackle its root causes.
 
The
new Unicef UK report ‘Held back from the start:
the impact of deprivation on early childhood’, has found that
across a range of key indicators, young children living in areas
with higher levels of deprivation and child poverty have poorer
outcomes. They are more likely to experience obesity and severe
dental decay and present in emergency health settings; and are less
likely to reach a ‘good level of development’ in school
reception class.
 
There are
55,330 children in the Bradford district - 44.2% of all
0-15 year
olds - living in relative poverty, compared to 34.2%
in 2015.
 
63% of
children in relative poverty are in working households.
 
There is
significant inequality in the country and in our district. The
proportion of children in relative poverty is as high as more than
70% in Manningham and over 65% in Bradford Moor, Toller and
Keighley Central.
 
We are
committed to delivering regeneration and creating more good jobs,
which is key to improving people’s lives in the longer
term.
 
We provide
a range of support services with our partners to tackle and
alleviate poverty in the Bradford district. This
includes:
 
·  
The auto-enrolment of children
on free school meals, increasing uptake to improve children’s
health and learning while easing the financial burden on
hard-pressed families
·  
Our delivery of a cost of living action
plan in the winter months, including advice and support with energy
bills, help with home insulation, welfare and debt advice, the
provision of warm spaces and access to affordable food.
·  
Our provision of food support
to Food pantries and Foodbanks, expansion of our Fuel Poverty
Service and the provision of cots and child beds, baby bedding and
household safety bundles to 910 families identified as in-need by
child health and social care professionals and community
organisations, through the Household Support Fund
·  
Delivery of the Holiday
Activity and Food (HAF) programme – 12,641 children
participated in 4,006 activities last summer
·  
Our provision of free doorstep
play
spaces for children through Play Streets
·  
Our rollout of the Living Well
schools programme, including Poverty Awareness training for school
staff, 14 Poverty Toolkits for senior leaders, commissioning a
'Nearly new uniform and school resource' network for all schools
and providers, providing a free Support Directory of Providers and
Resources to help schools reduce the impacts of poverty in their
communities, developed a Pupil Voice survey to help schools gather
insights from pupils themselves around poverty.
·  
Extension of the Warm Homes
Discount, meaning an extra £150 per eligible
household.
 
Council
also notes the Labour government’s fifth mission of
government “to break down the barriers to
opportunity for every child, at every stage and shatter
the class ceiling”.
 
Council
welcomes the government’s measures so far to tackle child
poverty, including opening free breakfast clubs in every primary
school, cutting the cost of school uniforms, increasing the
national minimum wage for those on the lowest incomes and ensuring
over half a million more children can access a free school
meal.
 
Council resolves:
 
·  
To ask officers to review the
council’s approach to tackling child poverty as a district
dedicated to giving all children the best possible start in
life
·  
To invite the Government Minister
leading on the child poverty taskforce to visit Bradford and work
with her to build on our actions to mitigate and tackle root causes
of child poverty
·  
To call on government to remove
the two-child benefit cap as part of our shared mission to lift
children out of poverty and to consider children when developing
policies and making decisions across government
departments.
 
To be actioned by:  Strategic Director, Children’s
Services
 
At this point under
Council Standing Order 9.1.2 a vote was taken to further to
re-order the business on the agenda to move Motion 12.7
(Restoring Youth Provision and Tackling Youth Crime/ASB in the
Bradford District)to be the next Motion to be considered.
 
Resolved –
 
That under Council Standing
Order 9.1.2 to re-order the business on the agenda to
move Motion 12.7
(Restoring Youth Provision and Tackling Youth Crime/ASB in the
Bradford District) to be the next Motion to be considered.
 
 
 
12.7    RESTORING YOUTH PROVISION
AND TACKLING YOUTH
         
CRIME/ASB IN THE BRADFORD DISTRICT
 
 As set out in the published
agenda Motion 12.7 was moved by Councillor Islam and seconded by
Councillor Uddin.
 
In accordance with Council Standing Orders
18.4  and 18.8
 an amendment (additional published papers Amendment
J) was moved by Councillor Davies and seconded  by Councillor Winnard.
 
In accordance with Council Standing Orders
18.4  and 18.8 a further amendment
(additional published papers Amendment K) was moved by
Councillor Kamran Hussain and seconded 
by Councillor Duffy.
 
Following a number of speakers Under
Council Standing Order 18.16.5  a vote was taken to adjourn the
debate.
 
Resolved –
 
That
under Council Standing Order 18.16.5 the debate be adjourned for 20
minutes.
 
After reconvening and following
a
number of speakers in accordance with
Council Standing Order 18.12 Amendment K as set out below was then
put to the vote, was carried and became the substantive motion,
was then voted on and was
carried.         
 
Resolved-
 
That with the
addition and deletion of the appropriate words, the motion be
amended to read as follows:
 
Council notes:
 
Antisocial behaviour continues
to be a concern for residents and businesses in the district and
across the country.
 
Youth provision is an important
part of a comprehensive multiagency approach to tackling ASB and
supporting young people to enjoy fulfilling and productive
lives.
 
We are committed to supporting
our young people to enjoy a good start in life.
 
Youth services have been cut
across the country in the Conservative government’s austerity
years, however here in Bradford we have successfully protected our
youth services from those cuts more than most. During the last 10
years there has been no loss of support for young people in the
Bradford district.
 
Bradford Council youth service
has maintained a face-to-face youth work budget of approximately
£2 million, ensuring weekly youth provision throughout the
district.
 
We have grown and expanded the
youth provision into new areas of work including partnerships with
all secondary schools, public health and neighbourhood policing
teams. As a result, Bradford Youth Service provides over 20,000
youth sessions each year, supports over 1,800 referrals for 1:1
support and works with local community
based organisations to enhance the youth offer.
 
We also invest in the
specialist Breaking the Cycle service which works within the
Bradford Children and Families Trust to support young people at
risk of being exploited. The team provides direct 1:1 intensive
support that seeks to build trust and safeguard children from
harm.
 
The Safer Bradford Partnership
was recently awarded up to £200,000 by the West Yorkshire
Violence Reduction Partnership to be a pilot area for
‘Prevention Panels’. These Panels seek to reduce street
violence and knife crime by working with young people at an early
stage so they do not get drawn into
gangs or organised crime.
 
The SAFE Taskforce is working
with 10 district secondary schools to reduce youth violence.
Improving attendance and reducing exclusions and suspensions is
known to reduce serious youth violence and the taskforce has
achieved impressive results with a vulnerable cohort.
 
The big reduction in spending
on youth services nationally through Conservative austerity had a
secondary impact on investment into Youth Work education and
training, with very few students looking to get youth work
qualifications. In Bradford we have addressed this since 2017
by having apprenticeship programmes and Youth Ambassadors which
enables us to 'grown our own' youth workers.
 
Knife crime is a concern among
young people, as noted in our recent motion of 11 March in which we
committed to supporting our youth service, working with the West
Yorkshire Mayor on implementing the serious violence strategy,
working with Youth Justice to prevent reoffending, working with the
VCS on evidence-based support and prevention activities and working
with schools and other partners to identify further opportunities
to help protect young people and invest in their
futures.
 
By speaking positively about
our young people and celebrating their talents, together we can
foster a brighter future for the next generation, ensuring that
every young person has the opportunity
to succeed.
 
Council resolves to:
 
·        
Call on the government to prioritise the needs of
young people in all its investment decisions and in its funding
allocations to local authorities.
 
·        
Continue working with the Mayor and West Yorkshire
Combined Authority, the police, health and VCS partners on a
multiagency basis and through the Violence Reduction Partnership to
ensure Bradford has a fair share of investment and deploys good
practice to address knife crime, antisocial behaviour and youth
disengagement.
 
·        
Take the time to celebrate our young people and the
local community activists and organisations that tirelessly work to
support and empower them. Their dedication in providing support,
mentorship and resources helps create an environment where our
youth can thrive and reach their full potential. By recognising and
honouring the efforts of these individuals and groups, we not only
show our appreciation but also inspire further commitment to the
positive development of our community.
 
To be actioned by:
Strategic Director, Place
 
At this point
under Council Standing Order 9.1.2 a vote was taken to further
re-order the business on the agenda to move
Motion 12.3 (Allying with Disabled People in
Bradford)to be the next Motion to be
considered.
 
Resolved –
 
That under Council Standing Order 9.1.2 to
re-order the business on the agenda to move Motion 12.3 (Allying with Disabled People in
Bradford)
to be the next Motion to be
considered.
 
 
12.3    ALLYING WITH DISABLED
PEOPLE IN BRADFORD
 
As set out in the published agenda Motion 12.3
was moved by Councillor Ros Brown and seconded by Councillor
Love.
 
In accordance with Council Standing
Orders 18.4 and 18.8 an
amendment (additional published papers Amendment E) was moved
by Councillor Pollard and seconded by Councillor
Felstead.
 
In accordance with Council
Standing Orders 18.4 and 18.8 an
amendment (additional published papers Amendment F) was moved
by Councillor Ferriby and seconded by Councillor
Duffy.
 
In accordance with Council
Standing Orders 18.4 and 18.8 an
amendment (additional published papers Amendment G) was moved
by Councillor Ross Brown and seconded by Councillor
Love.
 
 
Following
a number
of speakers in accordance with Council
Standing Order 18.12 Amendment G as set
out below was then put to the vote, was carried and became the
substantive motion, was then voted on and was
carried.         
 
Resolved-
 
That with the addition and
deletion of the appropriate words, the motion be amended to read as
follows:
 
This
Council notes:? 
 
Government proposals in the
Pathways to Work Green Paper on disability benefits cuts published
on 18th March set out a planned net reduction in welfare spending
of £4.8 billion per year by 2029-30. These proposals will
narrow the eligibility criteria to Personal Independence Payments
(PIP) and reduce health-condition related Universal Credit (UC-H).
By 2030 they are expected to result in:? 

reduced payments to 3.2m families, with an average income loss
of £1720 per year? 

250,000 individuals driven in to relative
poverty? 

700,000 families falling further below the poverty
line? 

30% of families with a disabled member being worse off
as a result of the
changes? 

More women will be affected by the loss of PIP than
men?? 

According to the Resolution Foundation 200,000 families stand to
lose, on average, £4,200 per year,
and 600,000 families stand to lose £4,940 from the combined
PIP and UC-H cuts.? 

In
addition to the above national funding cuts,?people paying for
daycare services in the Bradford District will be affected by the
removal of the “discretionary buffer” to the Minimum
Income Guarantee, negatively affecting their disposable income, and
increasing their payments for services over two years by £10
- £50 per week.? 

 
This
Council further notes that: 
 
More than 120 Labour MPs signed
an amendment declining to give the Universal Credit and Personal
Independent Payment Bill a second reading in the House of Commons
due to the impact of the bill on people living with
disabilities. 
 
That the Bill was significantly
amended by the Labour Government, on 1st July at the
last-minute following this
“rebellion”.  
 
That the Bill committed more
money upfront to support disabled people finding
work. 
 
The Bill now: 
 

Will delay the changes to restrict eligibility for the Personal
Independence Payment (PIP) until after a review of the disability
benefit instead of coming into force in November
2026. 

Commits to the co-production of the review with disabled
people 

However, the bill is still
bringing in huge cuts to Universal Credit for disabled people. New
health element claimants will receive half the amount of support
that current claimants get. 
 
Disability charities, such as
SCOPE, are still calling for the Bill to be scrapped due to the
impact on disabled people and the fact that the changes to UC-H
will still push some of the most vulnerable people in society
further into poverty. 
The DWP has published the Terms
of Reference for review of PIP assessment. It says the review will
be co-produced with Disabled people through wide engagement with
stakeholders starting with the timetable over the
summer. 
 

PIP is not an ‘out of work benefit’ but a payment to
support independent living whether in or out of work, and in fact
makes working possible for many.? 

Over 150,000 unpaid carers are at risk of losing this support if
the person they care for no longer qualifies for PIP. In Bradford,
families already stretched by the cost-of-living crisis may be
forced to give up work to take up more caring responsibilities or
seek emergency support from our already stretched local
services.? 

For local authorities, the costs incurred could still be huge.
The Disability Policy Centre estimates that for every £1 lost
in disability benefits, councils will face £1.50 in
additional care costs. In Bradford — where adult social care
is under extreme pressure — this cost-shifting exercise could
jeopardise Bradford Council’s ability to deliver essential
services and fulfil its statutory duties.? 

If
the changes to PIP still go ahead, even after the review, the
long-term strain on the NHS will be severe.  An estimated
£1.2 billion in additional NHS costs is expected due to
deteriorating health among disabled people losing PIP. This will
mean more hospital admissions, delayed discharges, and increased
demand on GPs and mental health services — the impacts in
Bradford, where NHS resources are already overstretched, would be
strongly felt.? 

? 
This
Council believes:? 
 

Disabled people have the right to live with dignity and
respect.?? 

The proposed cuts to the health-condition related element of
Universal Credit (UC-H) still amount to an unacceptable attack on
Disabled people of all ages.  

PIP is essential for many to live independently and to
participate in work, education and society. Removing it will deepen
hardship and cost more in the long run? 

These cuts are not meaningful reform — they will only
offload national costs onto people with disabilities, carers, local
councils and the NHS.? 

Disabled people must not be made to pay the price for a broken
and underfunded care system.?? 
 

This
Council further believes:
  
That the proposed cuts are also
likely to have wider adverse impacts on our community, our local
economy and the council’s finances. These
include:? 
 

Reduced local spending - Disabled residents spending income in
local shops and on local services.? 

Increased pressure on social services - the council has the same
statutory responsibilities under the Care Act 2014 but
residents’ ability to contribute to care costs is
reduced.? 

Increased use of food banks and food hubs - 75% of food bank
visits are from households with one or more Disabled
members.? 

 
This
Council resolves to:?  
 
?1. Request the Leader of the
Council writes to the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, urging
them 
 

To
withdraw the proposed UC-H cuts, citing their damaging impact on
health, wellbeing, local government finances in Bradford and the
unwelcome creation of a discriminatory two-tier benefits
system. 

To
commit to reaching out to Disabled people in Bradford and the local
organisations supporting those with disabilities to ensure
stakeholders within the Bradford District co-produce the review the
Minister has promised.  

?2. Request the Leader of the
Council writes to Bradford’s Members of Parliament, calling
on them to oppose these proposals in Parliament, engage in the
co-production of the review with Disabled people and stand up for
the needs of their constituents.? 
 
3. Assess and publish urgently
the likely impact of the proposed changes to residents in our
council area.? 
 
4. Commit to supporting
Bradford residents affected by the changes,
including:? 
 

Ensuring access to advice and guidance,? 

Signposting to financial support,? 

Working with local voluntary and community organisations to
respond to existing and rising needs.? 

Making sure re-assessments for financial support for those on
very low incomes do not reduce access to daycare.
? 

 
To be
actioned by: Strategic Director Adult Social Care and
Health/Strategic Director of Corporate Resources/Strategic Director
Place
 
MOTION 12.2 -        
SUPPORTING ON-STREET AND NEAR-HOME EV CHARGING  ACROSS THE
DISTRICT

 

 
As set out in the published agenda Motion 12.2
was moved by Councillor Brendan Stubbs and seconded by Councillor
Griffiths.
 
In accordance with Council Standing Orders
18.4  and 18.8
 an amendment (additional published papers Amendment
C) was moved by Councillor Sullivan and seconded  by Councillor Russell Brown.
 
In accordance with Council Standing Orders
18.4  and 18.8
 an amendment (additional published papers Amendment
D) was moved by Councillor Ross-Shaw and seconded  by Councillor Ferriby.
 
After the moving
and seconding of the Motion 12.2 and the Amendments, in accordance
with Council Standing Order 19 Councillor Stubbs proposed and
Councillor Warnes seconded that the Motion and amendments be
immediately moved straight to the vote.
 
Resolved –
 
That under Council
Standing Order 19 the Motion and amendments be put to the vote
immediately.
 
 
In accordance with
Council Standing Order 18.12 Amendment D as set out below was then
put to the vote, was carried and became the substantive motion,
was then voted on and was carried.   
 
Resolved-
 
That with the
addition and deletion of the appropriate words, the motion be
amended to read as follows:
  
This
Council Notes:
 
The UK Government’s
large-scale funding for EV charging: a £381 million Local EV
Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund is being used to install “tens of
thousands of local chargepoints”
across England, targeting areas with low levels of off-street
parking.
 
In June 2025, Ministers
announced a plan for over 100,000 new local chargepoints, especially for drivers “without
access to off-street parking”.
The OZEV On-Street Residential
Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS,
2017–2024) also funded over 12,000 on-street chargers
(£44 m) to help those without home chargers.
 
National grants now include a
£350 EV home-charging grant for households installing a
cross-pavement charging solution where they only have on-street
parking.
 
‘EV equity’
campaigns have highlighted the issue: for example, Vauxhall’s
“Electric Streets of Britain” campaign stresses that
approximately 40% of UK households lack a driveway. It also
highlights that Bradford is barely ahead of demand for on-street
charging, and less than 20% of homes are within a ‘4-minute
walk’ of street charging points.
 
Transport for the North reports
that 47% of Northern households lack driveways (compared to 40%
nationally), noting that this causes a “significant
disadvantage” in EV charging costs and access.
 
Industry analyses (e.g.,
char.gy) warn of a charging “divide” where profitable
areas receive chargers, while disadvantaged neighbourhoods (with
more terraced housing and rentals) risk being left
behind.
 
Other Councils are acting: Birmingham is piloting 560 lamppost chargers
across streets with limited off-street parking. This is more
difficult in Bradford as most of our lampposts are aligned away
from the kerb. Manchester is trialling 45 on-street cable channels
(flush to the pavement) to allow home charging cables to pass
safely to on-street parked vehicles. Kensington & Chelsea have
trialled street-light chargers after finding that up to 46% of
inner-city households in London have no driveway.
 
Bradford Council is already
implementing policies to improve access to EV charging. In 2013 we
were one of the first Local Planning Authorities in the country to
implement EV charge point standards for new developments, which has
now seen over 10,000 charge points installed. We have partnered
with West Yorkshire Combined Authority and GeniePoint to install 22 rapid (50kW) chargers
across Bradford. We are using Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure
(LEVI) funding to provide charging points in residential areas
where off-street parking is limited, and surveying residents to
suggest the best locations.
Bradford Council declared a
climate emergency, including the aim of achieving net-zero carbon
emissions by 2038 and the promotion of EVs in all wards.
 
This
Council Believes:
 
Access to cheap home charging
is a key factor in EV uptake. Households without private parking
face higher costs and inconvenience. Independent data show the
typical EV owner without a home charger spends about
£1,690/year on charging, roughly £1,000 more than
someone who can charge at home. This cost gap is worsened by VAT
(20% on public charging vs 5% at home), putting a disproportionate
burden on those without driveways. This effectively constitutes a
tax on individuals who cannot afford or access a home
charger.
 
Lack of driveways suppresses EV
ownership and equity. Many wards across the district have terraced
houses and flats with no private parking. These areas often have
lower incomes and poor air quality, and they are hardest hit by a
lack of charging stations.
 
People without driveways are
currently unable to legally run a charging cable across the
pavement, forcing them to rely on scarce public charging points. We
believe that every resident should have equitable access to EV
charging, regardless of their home parking situation, and that
addressing this gap is vital to meeting our Clean Air Zone,
climate, and transport goals.
 
If many households cannot
afford to charge at home, it creates a two-tier system where only
better-off and suburban residents can easily switch to electric
vehicles. Bradford’s CAZ and net-zero targets depend on
city-wide EV adoption. Failing to provide on-street charging
solutions risks uneven uptake and prolongs the use of petrol and
diesel in the worst-affected areas.
 
This
Council Resolves To:
 
Develop and pilot safe
on-street cable solutions: A pilot policy for on-street EV charging
is to be discussed at the Executive Committee shortly and work will
continue to develop this policy further.
 
Maximise Government funding and
grants:
 

·        
Continue applying for LEVI and successor funds for
on-street charging, ensuring Bradford receives its full allocation.
The success of securing funding alongside our Clean Air Zone means
we now have the largest EV taxi fleet in the country outside of
London.

·        
Signpost residents to potential funding sources they
can apply for.
Ensure any council-operated
charging points use transparent pricing designed to favour
overnight charging (for instance, no higher than home electricity
rates). Advocate for the adoption of flat-rate or capped tariffs to
ensure predictable costs for residents.
 
Write to the Chancellor and the
district's MPs to lobby for VAT parity, pressing for public EV
charging VAT to be reduced to 5%, in line with domestic
electricity. Ask them to support any national “Right to
Charge” legislation or similar initiatives that remove
barriers.
 
Publish annual data on
on-street charger installations, usage and unmet demand (e.g.
waiting lists) by ward. Update Bradford’s Transport Strategy
or EV Charging Strategy yearly to reflect progress, ensuring the
Council’s pledged actions (from the Climate Plan) are
tracked. Include feedback from residents’ surveys, campaigns,
and evaluation of any pilots (cable channels, lamppost
chargers).
 
Roll out the LEVI funded 200 EV
charge points across the district, which will greatly improve
access to EV charging for all residents.
 
To be
actioned by:  Strategic Director
Place
 
MOTION
12.1          
SAFEGUARDING BRADFORD’S COUNCIL HOUSING
MOTION 12.5          
EFFECTIVELY PROMOTING AND STRENGTHENING                    
           BRADFORD’
S ECONOMY
 
Resolved –
 
That
under Council Standing Order 9.1.6 Motions 12.1 and 12.5 above be
withdrawn from the agenda.