Agenda item

Councillor Jim Grant will move:

“This Council:

-        Recognises the significant impact public sector procurement can have on local economic growth.

-        Notes that in 2016/17, only 37% of the Council’s total procurement spend went to local suppliers.

-        Requests the Cabinet Member for Finance review the “Community Wealth Building” approach Labour-led local authorities in Manchester and Preston have taken in their procurement strategy, which has significantly boosted spending on local suppliers. This has led to 71% of Manchester City Council’s procurement spend going to local suppliers and Preston City Council more than doubled its procurement spend on local suppliers, pumping tens of millions of pounds extra in to their local economies and boosting local wages by requesting that local suppliers pay the Real Living Wage.

-        Requests that following this review the Cabinet Member for Finance bring a report to Cabinet on how the Council could apply the new procurement principles within The Social Vale Act (2012) to enable more council-taxpayers money to be spent on to local suppliers.

-        Requests the Leader of the Council to bring a report to the next Swindon Health and Wellbeing Board meeting detailing how anchor public sector institutions within the borough can also adopt the Community Wealth Building approach to their procurement strategies, in order to further boost investment within the Borough’s economy.”

Councillor Jim Grant moved and Councillor Matthew Courtliff seconded:

“This Council:

-        Recognises the significant impact public sector procurement can have on local economic growth.

-        Notes that in 2016/17, only 37% of the Council’s total procurement spend went to local suppliers.

-        Requests the Cabinet Member for Finance review the “Community Wealth Building” approach Labour-led local authorities in Manchester and Preston have taken in their procurement strategy, which has significantly boosted spending on local suppliers. This has led to 71% of Manchester City Council’s procurement spend going to local suppliers and Preston City Council more than doubled its procurement spend on local suppliers, pumping tens of millions of pounds extra in to their local economies and boosting local wages by requesting that local suppliers pay the Real Living Wage.

-        Requests that following this review the Cabinet Member for Finance bring a report to Cabinet on how the Council could apply the new procurement principles within The Social Vale Act (2012) to enable more council-taxpayers money to be spent on to local suppliers.

-        Requests the Leader of the Council to bring a report to the next Swindon Health and Wellbeing Board meeting detailing how anchor public sector institutions within the borough can also adopt the Community Wealth Building approach to their procurement strategies, in order to further boost investment within the Borough’s economy.”

Councillor Roger Smith moved and Councillor Emma Faramarzi seconded that the Motion be amended to read:

“This Council:

1. Recognises the economic success since 2010 that Swindon has had.  According to Centre for Cities, we are ranked third in the country out of cities with the highest employment rate 

2. Further notes the commitment by the Government to invest £94m through the LEP as Local Growth Fund to promote economic growth by delivering critical infrastructure to unlock housing and jobs

 3. Notes that in 2016/2017 37% of the Council's total procurement spend went to local suppliers.

4. Supports the principle of obtaining value for money while recognising the positive impact that procurement can have for local suppliers.

This Council requests that:

The Cabinet Member for Finance provides an update to the October 2013 Cabinet Report in respect of how procurement may continue to benefit local suppliers through the The Public Services Social Value Act (2012)."

With the agreement of the Council the amendment was amended to read:

“This Council:

1. Recognises the economic success since 2010 that Swindon has had.  According to Centre for Cities, we are ranked third in the country out of cities with the highest employment rate 

2. Further notes the commitment by the Government to invest £94m through the LEP as Local Growth Fund to promote economic growth by delivering critical infrastructure to unlock housing and jobs

 3. Notes that in 2016/2017 37% of the Council's total procurement spend went to local suppliers.

4. Supports the principle of obtaining value for money while recognising the positive impact that procurement can have for local suppliers.

This Council requests that:

The Cabinet Member for Finance provides an update to the October 2013 Cabinet Report in respect of how procurement may continue to benefit local suppliers through the The Public Services Social Value Act (2012) and bring a report to Cabinet in respect of how procurement may grow and provide increased benefit to local suppliers within The Public Services Social Value Act."

The Amendment was put to the vote and declared carried becoming the Substantive Motion.

The Substantive Motion was put to the vote and declared carried.

(Councillor Emma Faramarzi made a personal and non-prejudicial declaration of interest in respect of this item as a member of the Federation of Small Businesses.)