Agenda item

The Committee had before it a report seeking approval for the allocation of the remaining funds from the £1million provided by the Council to support people with the cost of living.  The Corporate Strategy and Community Planning Manager introduced the report.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee:

(a)          note that the Council, on 3 July 2024 (1) approved the allocation of funds agreed by the Anti-Poverty and Inequality Committee on 12 June 2024; and (2) agreed that the remaining funding balance be allocated by the Anti-Poverty and Inequality Committee without the need for further approval from the Finance and Resources Committee or Council; and

(b)          approve the proposed allocation of remaining funds from the £1million provided by Council to support people with the cost of living crisis during 2024/25 as described in paragraph 3.7 of the report.

The Convener, seconded by the Vice Convener, moved:-

that the Committee approve the recommendations.

Councillor Kusznir, seconded by Councillor Brooks moved as an amendment:-

that the Committee:

(1)         note that 'outcome reports' from each funded organisation are required as part of the funding agreements to demonstrate best value for taxpayers;

(2)         note that an update on outcomes will be provided as part of the report scheduled for the next Committee meeting and instruct the Executive Director – Corporate Services to provide a full evaluation report to Committee in June 2025 which will include details of (a) a breakdown of how taxpayers’ money has been spent by each organisation, (b) the ultimate spend on staffing and (c) the considered impact of the spend on reducing poverty;

(3)         decline to allocate additional funds to (a) CFINE/Food Poverty Action Aberdeen and (b) SCARF (SC094819) until Committee considers their outcome reports, especially given funding was only approved by Council on 3 July 2024 and no assessment of the spend to date has been provided in the report;

(4)         note reported increase in staffing costs from 2022 to 2023 for both Community Food Initiatives North East Limited (SC262156) and SCARF within their Companies House filings; and

(5)         approve:

5.1 £100,000 for funded work experience placements for long term unemployed individuals, the employing organisations to receive such funding to be determined by the Executive Director - Corporate Services, given the positive impact of supporting return to work and its impact on reducing poverty and improving social mobility; and

5.2 the proposed allocations at 3.7, excluding those relating to (a) CFINE/Food Poverty Action Aberdeen and (b) SCARF.

Councillor Tissera, seconded by Councillor Watson, moved as a further amendment:-

that the Committee:

(1)          note the contents of the report;

(2)          note that the committee has not been provided with a detailed rationale for how the funds should be allocated between different areas of need, or how the specific organisations receiving funds have been identified. Little information has been provided about expectations around monitoring the spending of these funds;

(3)          note that each funded organisation must complete a monitoring report detailing how intended deliverables have been met and instruct the Executive Director – Corporate Services to prepare a report for the Anti-Poverty and Inequality Committee, prior to the allocation of any potential future anti-poverty funds, to ensure that objectives and outcomes will be met; and

(4)          recognise the excellent anti-poverty work by Abernecessities and amend the proposed Abernecessities allocation at 3.7 to award them £140,300 and revise the allocation to CFINE to £142,038. Approve the allocation of other funding as identified in table 3.7.

There being a motion and two amendments, the Committee first divided between the amendment by Councillor Kusznir and the amendment by Councillor Tissera.

On a division, there voted:-

For the amendment by Councillor Kusznir (2) – Councillors Brooks and Kusznir.

For the amendment by Councillor Tissera (2) – Councillors Tissera and Watson.

Declined to vote (5) - Convener, Vice Convener and Councillors Davidson, Hutchison and Mennie.

In accordance with Standing Order 32.7, the Convener exercised his casting vote in favour of the amendment by Councillor Tissera.

On a division, there voted:-

For the motion (5) – Convener, Vice Convener and Councillors Davidson, Hutchison and Mennie.

For the amendment by Councillor Tissera (2) – Councillors Tissera and Watson.

Declined to vote (2) – Councillors Brooks and Kusznir.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)            to instruct the Corporate Strategy and Community Planning Manager to include information on how CFINE procured and distributed food to partner organisations in the report on Supporting People through the Cost of Living Crisis scheduled for consideration at the next Committee meeting;

(ii)          to instruct the Corporate Strategy and Community Planning Manager to investigate the possibility of a Committee visit to Abernecessities; and

(iii)         to otherwise adopt the motion.