Agenda and minutes

Including any notices of motion and any other items of business submitted as urgent for consideration at the meeting.

Members should declare any financial and non-financial interests they have in the items of business for consideration, identifying the relevant agenda item and the nature of their interest.

If any

Minute of the Policy and Sustainability Committee of 23 July 2020 – submitted for approval as a correct record

Policy and Sustainability Committee – Work Programme

Policy and Sustainability Committee - Rolling Actions Log

Roseburn to Union Canal Active Travel Route and Greenspace Improvement – Report by the Executive Director of Place

(Note:  Ward Councillors Dixon, Doran, Douglas, Fullerton, Graczyk, Miller, Mowat and Frank Ross have been called for this item)

Domestic Abuse Policy Development 2019-2020 – Report by the Executive Director for Communities and Families

(Note:  Councillor Watt has been called for this item)

If any

By Councillor Lang - Council Support for Local Businesses

“Committee:

1)         notes that, as of 21 July, the Council has paid out to local businesses £102.7m of the £111.5m allocated by the Scottish Government for business grants.

2)         notes that it was suggested in the ‘Revenue Update 2020/21’ report to the meeting of the Policy and Sustainability Committee on 23 July that any underspend on the Business Grants Scheme, rather than being returned to the Scottish and/or UK Government, instead be made available to local authorities to support flexible, place?based local economic recovery, a role they are ideally placed to lead on.

3)         notes that the ‘Supporting Local Businesses in Edinburgh’ report to the meeting of the full Council on 28 July called for a ‘Support for Local Business’ campaign in aid of traders in local town centres and high streets.

4)         believes one of the best ways, if not the best way, to support local businesses to recover and thrive is through measures which actively encourage people to visit and spend money with those businesses.

5)         therefore calls for officers to explore the feasibility of issuing every Council taxpaying household a voucher or vouchers totalling £30 to be spent only with a small Edinburgh based businesses and for this to be funded from the underspend on the Business Grants Scheme.

6)         agrees that the Leader of the Council should write to the Scottish Government to make the case for such a proposal.”

By Councillor Staniforth - The City's Relationship with Krakow

“Committee:

Notes that as of August 2019 the Policy and Sustainability Committee renewed the city’s relationship with Krakow.

Notes that the Lesser Poland Voivodeship, of which Krakow is part, has declared itself an ‘LGBT?free zone’.

Notes that the concept of an ‘LGBT?free zone’ is antithetical to Edinburgh’s values of tolerance, freedom and compassion. Further notes that as a capital city Edinburgh has a role to play in extolling those virtues on the world stage.

Notes that in May 2019 the Mayor of Krakow created the Equal Treatment Council which included representatives of the LGBTQ+ community making it one of only two cities in Poland with such a body.

Therefore resolves that Edinburgh City will immediately contact Krakow to determine the City’s position regarding the wider ‘LGBT?free zone’ and that a short report should come to the next Policy and Sustainability Committee detailing options for further action to support the LGBTQ+ community there.”

By Councillor Day - Equality and LGBT + Rights

“Notes with concern, recent information relating to promotion ‘LGBT Free Zones in Lesser Poland Voivodeship’, and notes other issues of Human Rights violations in countries where the City of Edinburgh Council have friendship or twinning relationships.

Notes the Lord Provost has written to the Mayor of Krakow to clarify Krakow’s opposition to the measures cited above and requests a report to Policy and Sustainability, following a response to the Lord Provost’s approach outlining any additional support Edinburgh may offer to assist and support Krakow resist these policies.

Requests a review of the international strategy in autumn to include information on the how relationships can support the Council’s Equalities Framework.”