Agenda item

Motion (A)- Reduction in Voting Age 

It was moved by Councillor Mann,

Seconded by Councillor Hussain,

“This Council resolves to:

1.  Support the recent proposals to extend the franchise in all elections to 16 and 17 year olds as they are knowledgeable and passionate about the world in which they live and are as capable of engaging in the democratic system.

2.  Ask our local MP and the current coalition government, and any government formed after May’s election, to back the policy announced by the Labour Party, and extend the franchise in all elections to 16 and 17 year olds alongside strong citizenship education.

3.  Recognise the important steps taken this year to establish a Youth Parliament and commit to working with them alongside Sloughs’ schools and colleges to enhance citizenship education for all young people in Slough.

4.  Continue working with community groups, faith organisations, residential associations, and other groups and people to make the electoral register as complete as possible.”

It was moved as an amendment by Councillor Wright,

Seconded by Councillor Strutton,

“That the resolution be amended as follows:

“This Council resolves to:

1.  Support the recent proposals to extend the franchise in all elections to 16 and 17 year olds as they are knowledgeable and passionate about the world in which they live and are as capable of in engaging in the democratic system by co-opting Slough Youth Parliament Members into our strategic panels for the next 2 years.

2.  Ask our local MP and the current coalition government, and any government formed after May’s election, to back the policy announced by the Labour Party, and extend the franchise in all elections to 16 and 17 year olds alongside strong citizenship education  call for a referendum to lower the voting age to include 16 and 17 year olds.

3.  Recognise the important steps taken this year to establish a Youth Parliament and commit to working with them alongside Sloughs’ schools and colleges to enhance citizenship education for all young people in Slough.

4.  Continue working with community groups, faith organisations, residential associations, and other groups and people to make the electoral register as complete as possible.”

The amendment was put to the vote and lost by 8 votes to 29 votes with 2  abstentions.

The substantive motion was put to the vote and carried by 31 votes to 6 votes with 2 abstentions.

Resolved -  This Council resolves to:-

1.  Support the recent proposals to extend the franchise in all elections to 16 and 17 year olds as they are knowledgeable and passionate about the world in which they live and are as capable of engaging in the democratic system.

2.  Ask our local MP and the current coalition government, and any government formed after May’s election, to back the policy announced by the Labour Party, and extend the franchise in all elections to 16 and 17 year olds alongside strong citizenship education.

3.  Recognise the important steps taken this year to establish a Youth Parliament and commit to working with them alongside Sloughs’ schools and colleges to enhance citizenship education for all young people in Slough.

4.  Continue working with community groups, faith organisations, residential associations, and other groups and people to make the electoral register as complete as possible.

Motion (B) Unlicensed House of Multiple Occupation Register 

It was moved by Councillor Smith,

Seconded by Councillor Strutton,

“This Council resolves to:

Respond to the acute shortage of housing in Slough by publishing a register of unlicensed House Multiple Occupation to safeguard the health and welfare of sitting, and future, occupants whilst regulating good quality self-contained units which will be self-financing by the extra council tax generated.”

The motion was put and lost by 9 votes to 29 votes with 1 abstention.

Resolved - That the motion be rejected.

Motion (C) - Funding Allocation Review - Bus Passes 

It was moved by Councillor Coad,

Seconded by Councillor Mellor,

 “This Council resolves that:

In the light of the impact that changes to bus passes and the removal of companion carers bus passes has had on working pensioners, volunteers and disabled people we call upon SBC to review funding allocation in order to address the hardship this has already caused.”

The motion was put to the vote and a prior request having been made for the record of the voting:-

There voted for the motion:

Councillors Abe, Ajaib, Anderson, Bains, Chahal, Cheema, Chohan, Coad, Dar, Davis, Dhaliwal, Dhillon, M Holledge, N Holledge, Hussain, Malik, Mann, Mansoor, Matloob, Mellor, Munawar, Nazir, Parmar, Plenty, Rana, Sandhu, Shah, Sharif, Sidhu, Smith, Sohal, Strutton, Swindlehurst, Usmani Wright and Zarait.

 ………………………………………………………………………………………36

There abstained from voting:

The Worshipful The Deputy Mayor  …………………………………………….1

Resolved - This Council resolves that:-

In the light of the impact that changes to bus passes and the removal of companion carers bus passes has had on working pensioners, volunteers and disabled people we call upon SBC to review funding allocation in order to address the hardship this has already caused.