Agenda item

To debate the following motion, submitted by Cllr Ali, notice of which was given on 15 March 2022.

‘This Council notes that:

(1)        Preventable disease continues to have a massive impact on the public's health, the NHS and the economy.

(2)        Tobacco is the biggest preventable cause of cancer and death in the United Kingdom.

(3)        Decades of comprehensive policy action have meant that adult smoking prevalence in the United Kingdom in 2019 was at a record low at 14.1%, but this masks significant inequality.

(4)        Differences in smoking rates make it one of the leading drivers of health inequalities, responsible for half the difference in life expectancy between the lowest and highest income groups in England.

(5)        That through their public health duties, local authorities are responsible for improving the health of their populations and do this through initiatives such as stop smoking services and wider tobacco control activities.

This Council believes that local government must be adequately resourced to fulfil their public health duties.

This Council asks the Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing to support Cancer Research UK’s calls for a Smokefree Fund (a fixed annual charge on the tobacco industry, making them pay for the damage their products cause without having any influence on how the funds are spent) to fund local tobacco control work, and urges the United Kingdom government to consider implementing a Smokefree Fund as part of its efforts to tackle health disparities.’

99.1     The following motion was moved by Cllr Ali and seconded by Cllr Cooper.

‘This Council notes that:

(1)         Preventable disease continues to have a massive impact on the public's health, the NHS and the economy.

(2)         Tobacco is the biggest preventable cause of cancer and death in the United Kingdom.

(3)         Decades of comprehensive policy action have meant that adult smoking prevalence in the United Kingdom in 2019 was at a record low at 14.1%, but this masks significant inequality.

(4)         Differences in smoking rates make it one of the leading drivers of health inequalities, responsible for half the difference in life expectancy between the lowest and highest income groups in England.

(5)         That through their public health duties, local authorities are responsible for improving the health of their populations and do this through initiatives such as stop smoking services and wider tobacco control activities.

This Council believes that local government must be adequately resourced to fulfil their public health duties.

This Council asks the Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing to support Cancer Research UK’s calls for a Smokefree Fund (a fixed annual charge on the tobacco industry, making them pay for the damage their products cause without having any influence on how the funds are spent) to fund local tobacco control work, and urges the United Kingdom government to consider implementing a Smokefree Fund as part of its efforts to tackle health disparities.’

99.2     An amendment was moved by Cllr Walsh and seconded by Cllr O’Kelly.

‘This Council notes that:

(1)         Preventable disease continues to have a massive impact on the public's health, the NHS and the economy.

(2)         Tobacco is the biggest preventable cause of cancer and death in the United Kingdom.

(3)         Decades of comprehensive policy action have meant that adult smoking prevalence in the United Kingdom in 2019 was at a record low at 14.1%, but this masks significant inequality.

(4)         Differences in smoking rates make it one of the leading drivers of health inequalities, responsible for half the difference in life expectancy between the lowest and highest income groups in England.

(5)         That through their public health duties, local authorities are responsible for improving the health of their populations and do this through initiatives such as stop smoking services and wider tobacco control activities.

This Council believes that local government must be adequately resourced to fulfil their public health duties and deprecates the reduction in public health funding to local government over the last few years.

This Council asks the Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing to support Cancer Research UK's calls for a Smokefree Fund (a fixed annual charge on the tobacco industry, making them pay for the damage their products cause without having any influence on how the funds are spent) to fund local tobacco control work, and urges the United Kingdom government to consider implementing a Smokefree Fund as part of its efforts to tackle health disparities.’

99.3     The amendment was put to a recorded vote under Standing Order 3.35.

(a)         For the amendment – 18

Cllr Baxter, Cllr Cherry, Cllr Chowdhury, Cllr Condie, Cllr Cornell, Cllr N Dennis, Cllr Gibson, Cllr Johnson, Cllr Kerry-Bedell, Cllr Lord, Cllr Mercer, Cllr Milne, Cllr O’Kelly, Cllr Oppler, Cllr Quinn, Cllr Sharp, Cllr Turley and Cllr Walsh.

(b)         Against the amendment – 35

Cllr Albury, Cllr Ali, Cllr Atkins, Cllr Baldwin, Cllr Boram, Cllr Bradbury, Cllr Britton, Cllr Burrett, Cllr Cooper, Cllr Crow, Cllr J Dennis, Cllr Duncton, Cllr Elkins, Cllr Forbes, Cllr Greenway, Cllr Hunt, Cllr A Jupp, Cllr N Jupp, Cllr Kenyon, Cllr Lanzer, Cllr Linehan, Cllr Markwell, Cllr Marshall, Cllr McDonald, Cllr McGregor, Cllr Montyn, Cllr Nagel, Cllr Oakley, Cllr Patel, Cllr Payne, Cllr Russell, Cllr Sparkes, Cllr Urquhart, Cllr Waight and Cllr Wickremaratchi.

(c)          Abstentions – 0

99.4     The amendment was lost.

99.5     The motion was put to a recorded vote under Standing Order 3.35.

(a)         For the motion – 53

Cllr Albury, Cllr Ali, Cllr Atkins, Cllr Baldwin, Cllr Baxter, Cllr Boram, Cllr Bradbury, Cllr Britton, Cllr Burrett, Cllr Cherry, Cllr Chowdhury, Cllr Condie, Cllr Cooper, Cllr Cornell, Cllr Crow, Cllr J Dennis, Cllr N Dennis, Cllr Duncton, Cllr Elkins, Cllr Forbes, Cllr Gibson, Cllr Greenway, Cllr Hunt, Cllr Johnson, Cllr A Jupp, Cllr N Jupp, Cllr Kenyon, Cllr Kerry-Bedell, Cllr Lanzer, Cllr Linehan, Cllr Lord, Cllr Markwell, Cllr Marshall, Cllr McDonald, Cllr McGregor, Cllr Mercer, Cllr Milne, Cllr Montyn, Cllr Nagel, Cllr Oakley, Cllr O’Kelly, Cllr Oppler, Cllr Patel, Cllr Payne, Cllr Quinn, Cllr Russell, Cllr Sharp, Cllr Sparkes, Cllr Turley, Cllr Urquhart, Cllr Waight, Cllr Walsh and Cllr Wickremaratchi.

(b)         Against the motion – 0

(c)          Abstentions – 0

99.6     The motion was approved.