To consider the following motion submitted. In accordance with Standing Order 17, motions which if adopted would constitute the exercise of an executive function, shall be presented to the Council by the proposer and be referred automatically to the appropriate Committee without debate by the Council. The motion will be placed on the next appropriate agenda. The appropriate Committee will then consider how the motion will be dealt with. At the discretion of the Chairman, debate and decision may take place in relation to strategically important issues raised within motions.
Unless determined otherwise by the Chairman the maximum time to be allowed to present each motion shall be 10 minutes.
Andrew Cattaway (County Councillor for Gillingham): Safe Passage "Our Turn" lone child refugee campaign
The motion is seconded by: Cllr David Jones (County Councillor for Burton Grange)
Cllr Cattaway will provide an introduction celebrating the successful work already being achieved by Children’s Services officers with looked-after children, and the recent introduction of the Safe Passage "Our Turn" lone child refugee campaign. He will then move the following motion:
‘That DCC should continue to give the strongest possible support to joint working with Safe Passage (Dorset) towards pursuing the aims of the national Safe Passage campaign next April/May when the new Dorset (Unitary) Council comes into being.’
A deputation will also be presented by Safe Passage as part of the motion submission on the ‘Our Turn’ campaign.
Minutes:
In accordance with Standing Order 17, Cllr Andrew Cattaway, moved a motion which was designed to provide support for an organisation - Safe Passage UK - in arranging the safe passage of child refugees fleeing from those countries experiencing conflict, unrest, oppression and turmoil in seeking asylum in the United Kingdom and how those children could be accommodated within Dorset; the motion being:-
‘That DCC should continue to give the strongest possible support to joint working with Safe Passage (Dorset) towards pursuing the aims of the national Safe Passage campaign next April/May when the new Dorset (Unitary) Council comes into being.’
The motion was seconded by Cllr David Jones.
Cllr Andrew Cattaway provided an introduction in celebration of the successful work already being achieved by Children’s Services officers with looked-after children, and the recent introduction of the Safe Passage "Our Turn" lone child refugee campaign. How Safe Passage UK could complement the work already being done was explained to members.
During the course of the motion being moved, Cllr Cattaway took the opportunity to propose an amendment to it, in that any agreement to support what was being done should be only "in principle" and that the new Dorset Council should be persuaded to maintain that commitment, if at all practicable. He felt that it was the duty of the County Council to be seen to be setting an example in humanitarian terms and inclusiveness in providing a safe haven for those children and in providing the opportunity for them to be able to be resettled and make a life for themselves in Dorset, benefitting from the opportunities other children had across the County and in being able to access what Dorset had to offer.
He clarified that any agreement to this by the Council would not mean an obligation to any financial commitment from it nor its successor authority. If Safe Passage UK was unsuccessful in its bid to Government for 100% funding for a scheme, then this would not be taken any further forward.
The Council received a deputation from Safe Passage UK and heard from Mr Bernard Sullivan who explained the history behind the organisation and how it had built upon the inspirational work begun in 1938 of an organised humanitarian effort, Kindertransport, which had successfully assured the asylum in this country of Jewish children prior to the outbreak of the Second World War. He explained how Safe Passage UK operated, what it did and the means by which refugee children seeking asylum came to the UK.
Given that the current resettlement arrangements in place by the local authorities were due to cease in 2020, he made an impassioned plea that the Council did all it could to support the work the organisation was doing in trying to resettle those children and that the Council might play its part in accepting up to three child refugees, each year, for the next 10 years. He appreciated that the Council could not give any commitment from April 2019 as it would cease to exist, but that any example they set might persuade the successor authority to do the same. The Chairman confirmed that a short video clip complementing the deputation would be made available to members following the meeting.
Cllr Clare Sutton endorsed what was being done, feeling that the Council should play its part in this process.
Cllr Bill Pipe moved an amendment to the motion in that, whilst he appreciated what was being done and the reasons for it, he did not wish the successor Council to have any obligation towards this of any ongoing financial commitment - which he had calculated to be some £2m. His amendment was that the County Council should only be committed to supporting the ambitions and aims of Safe Passage UK and the issue should be drawn to the attention of the new Authority in April. His amendment was seconded by Councillor Pauline Batstone.
On the amendment being moved, Cllr David Harris considered the amendment to be unnecessary, and clarified that the addition of the word "until April 2019" being sufficient in achieving all that the amendment was seeking to do.
Cllr Cattaway reaffirmed what Mr Sullivan had said: in that there would be no financial commitment to this, or any successor authority, as the project would not proceed unless the ‘Our Turn’ campaign could achieve full funding from Government. On that basis, Cllr Pipe withdrew his amendment, and Cllr Cattaway confirmed that his original motion would be updated to reflect the comments received to show the decision as ‘in principle’ and that it would include the wording ‘until April 2019’.
A range of supportive statements were received from members across the chamber for the motion. Members were moved by the emotive speeches they had heard and what was being done to help in the resettlement of those children seeking asylum resonated with them. On that basis, they considered that the Council had a duty to show compassion towards what was being done and understood the importance of making a commitment, in principle, to support the efforts being made by Safe Passage UK and to play its part in helping to welcome those vulnerable children to the county.
On being put to the vote it was unanimously agreed.
Resolved (unanimous)
That Dorset County Council continue to give the strongest possible support, in principle, to joint working with Safe Passage (Dorset) towards pursuing the aims of the national Safe Passage campaign until next April 2019 when the new Dorset (Unitary) Council comes into being.