Issue - meetings

That this Council:

(i)              renews its commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant, which is based on the premise that those who serve or have served, and their families deserve respect, support and fair treatment. In particular, it states that: “Those who serve in the Armed Forces, whether regular or Reserve, those who have served in the past, and their families, should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services. Special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given most such as the injured and the bereaved.”;

(ii)             notes the Gold accreditation for the Council’s Armed Forces Covenant through the Defence and Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS);

(iii)               is proud to be Armed Forces friendly and recognises the enormous contribution and sacrifices that members of the Armed Forces and their families make every day for the safety and security of our country; 

(iv)               values the service of all British Armed Forces personnel, past and present, including those from Commonwealth Nations;

(v)            agrees to re-establish an Advisory Working Group, with its purpose being to ensure the commitments contained in the Armed Forces Covenant continue to be met, to appoint five Councillors (three partnership/two opposition) to the Advisory Working Group and invite the Chief Officer - Early Intervention and Community Empowerment to appoint three officers from education services, housing services and social work services to join the Advisory Working Group;

(vi)           requests the Chief Officer - Early Intervention and Community Empowerment to report to the relevant committee setting out what the Council is doing to support our serving and veteran community across the full range of services we provide and strengthen partnerships with the Armed Forces Community; and

(vii)          prepares for the new duty to give due regard to the Armed Forces Covenant in policy development and decision making.

The Council resolved:-

to approve the notice of motion subject to an invitation being extended to the NHS to be represented on the Advisory Working Group.

The Council had before it a notice of motion by Councillors Cooke and Houghton in the following terms:-

              “That this Council:

(i)         renews its commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant, which is based on the premise that those who serve or have served, and their families deserve respect, support and fair treatment. In particular, it states that: “Those who serve in the Armed Forces, whether regular or Reserve, those who have served in the past, and their families, should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services. Special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given most such as the injured and the bereaved.”;

(ii)        notes the Gold accreditation for the Council’s Armed Forces Covenant through the Defence and Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS);

(iii)         is proud to be Armed Forces friendly and recognises the enormous contribution and sacrifices that members of the Armed Forces and their families make every day for the safety and security of our country; 

(iv)         values the service of all British Armed Forces personnel, past and present, including those from Commonwealth Nations;

(v)        agrees to re-establish an Advisory Working Group, with its purpose being to ensure the commitments contained in the Armed Forces Covenant continue to be met, to appoint five Councillors (three partnership/two opposition) to the Advisory Working Group and invite the Chief Officer - Early Intervention and Community Empowerment to appoint three officers from education services, housing services and social work services to join the Advisory Working Group;

(vi)      requests the Chief Officer - Early Intervention and Community Empowerment to report to the relevant committee setting out what the Council is doing to support our serving and veteran community across the full range of services we provide and strengthen partnerships with the Armed Forces Community; and

(vii)     prepares for the new duty to give due regard to the Armed Forces Covenant in policy development and decision making.”

The Council resolved:-

to approve the notice of motion subject to an invitation being extended to the NHS to be represented on the Advisory Working Group.