Agenda, decisions and minutes

Members were requested to intimate any Declarations of Interest or Transparency Statements in respect of the items on the agenda.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)      to note that the Convener advised that he had a connection in relation to agenda items 8.1 (Anti-Poverty and Inequality Update) and 8.2 (Report from External Advisers) as he was an appointed representative to Aberdeen Heat and Power, Community Food Initiatives North East (CFINE) Board and Grampian Regional Equality Council, however, having applied the objective test he did not consider that his connection amounted to an interest which would prevent him from participating in the discussion on the items;

(ii)    to note that Councillor Brooks advised that he had a connection in relation to agenda items 8.1 and 8.2 as he was founder and Chairman of the TLC Charity which was part of the Trussell Trust family of food banks however, having applied the objective test he did not consider that his connection amounted to an interest which would prevent him from participating in the discussion on the items;

(iii)   to note that Evan Adamson advised that he had a connection in relation to agenda items 8.1 and 8.2 as he was an employee of Instant Neighbour however, having applied the objective test he did not consider that his connection amounted to an interest which would prevent him from participating in the discussion on the items; and

(iv)   to note that Dr John Bone advised that had a connection in relation to agenda items 8.1 and 8.2 as he was on the Board of CFINE (the North East Food Bank Consortium) however, having applied the objective test he did not consider that his connection amounted to an interest which would prevent him from participating in the discussion on the items.

·       Update on visit to SHMU

·       Video Presentation: Challenge Poverty

The Convener welcomed everyone to the first meeting of the Anti Poverty and Inequality meeting.  He spoke about the recent Challenge Poverty week and introduced a video presentation that had been made by 12 young people involved at SHMU.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)      to note the Convener’s remarks;

(ii)    to note the video presentation; and

(iii)   to note that the video presentation would be circulated to Members.

The Committee received presentations from the Director of Customer Services and Chief Officer – Early Intervention and Empowerment, who provided information on their roles within the Council as well as information relating to the remit of the Committee. 

The Convener welcomed the External Advisers to the meeting, who introduced themselves and the organisations they represented.

The Committee resolved:-

to note the information provided.

The Committee had before it the planner of committee business, as prepared by the Chief Officer – Governance.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)             to instruct the Director of Customer Services, to add the agenda item: Women’s Experience of the Cost of Living Crisis to the Planner and bring a report to committee on 11 January 2023 in this regard; and

(ii)            to otherwise note the Planner.

The Committee had before it a report from Chief Officer – Early Intervention and Community Empowerment that provided an overview of current activity in respect of tackling and alleviating poverty and inequality across Aberdeen, with regard to child poverty, fuel poverty, food, in-work poverty and income and the current cost of living pressures.

The Locality Inclusion Manager – Central, responded to questions from members regarding the number of employees covered by the 74 employers headquartered in the city that were Real Living Wage accredited (section 3.19 of the report), a request for a breakdown of the £9.6m budget on various energy efficiency measures including insulation and heating system replacement (section 3.26 of the report) and the scale of funding for the school day, (sections 3.4 and 3.5 of the report), and undertook to circulate further information in this regard.

The Director of Customer Services undertook to circulate a summary update regarding zero hours contracts for Aberdeen City Council, ALEOS and partners; and information on the city gift card.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee note the activities and progress described in the report.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)             to instruct the Chief Officer - Early Intervention and Community Empowerment to issue a Service Update in respect of library opening hours with regard to warm spaces;

(ii)           to instruct the Chief Officer - Early Intervention and Community Empowerment to issue a Service Update in respect of the information being made available to Community Centres with regard to additional sources of funding; and

(iii)          to otherwise approve the recommendation.

The Committee had before it a report from the External Advisers.  The report explained that on 13 October 2022, Council had agreed the appointment of five external advisers to the Anti-Poverty and Inequality Committee, with a sixth position being left vacant for now. A request had been made to the external advisers to provide a report on the issues they felt were important for the Committee to address.  That report was attached at Appendix 1.

Maggie Hepburn – Chief Executive, Aberdeen Council of Voluntary Organisations (ACVO) introduced the report and the External Advisers spoke in furtherance of the report, responding to questions from Members.  In respect of a question regarding the Approved Mileage Allowance Payment for volunteer drivers, Ms Hepburn undertook to circulate the information to Members.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee note the report.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)             to welcome the external advisers report, with recognition and thanks for the ongoing contribution by our external advisers in shaping our work;

(ii)            to instruct the Chief Officer - Early Intervention and Community Empowerment, to produce a report for the next meeting of the committee, providing further information on the clawback of benefits payments by the Council and Department for Work and Pensions;

(iii)          to instruct the Chief Officer - Early Intervention and Community Empowerment to consult with partners and produce a report for the meeting on 8 March 2023 of the committee with demographic information on child poverty, in-work poverty and other forms of poverty in the city; and

(iv)          to otherwise approve the recommendation.

-                COUNCILLOR CHRISTIAN ALLARD, Convener