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Agenda item

Notices of Motion

To be moved by Councillor Nafsika Butler Thalassis and seconded by Councillor Papya Qureshi

 

Minority Party Motion – Health Inequalities

 

This Council notes that according to the Office of National Statistics and Public Health England Covid-19 has killed disproportionately many more BAME people than white people.

 

This Council notes that some of the higher death rates in BAME communities relate to pre-existing health problems particularly diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and obesity.

 

This Council notes that, while many people during this crisis have had the opportunity to work from home it was our poorest households that continued sending people out to work. The highest Covid-19 death rates have been among security guards, care workers, bus drivers, taxi drivers and retail workers.

 

This Council notes Westminster’s history as a place of arrival for many BAME communities, who make up at least 40% of our City’s population today.

 

The Council also notes the positive initiatives by WCC such as the Community Cohesion Commission, efforts to improve opportunities for BAME staff and City Hall commemorating George Floyd and Grenfell, but also appreciates the scale of the work still to do to achieve equality in our city.

 

The Council believes health inequalities have their roots in the social determinants of health – in this case overcrowded or insecure housing, poverty, and employment in occupations with high exposure to Covid-19.

 

This Council resolves to take active measures to reduce the structural disadvantage and racism faced by BAME communities in Westminster.

 

The Council resolves to carry out a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) on the needs of BAME communities in Westminster, looking at access to decent housing (particularly addressing overcrowding and homelessness), employment, health inequalities and the relationship between these communities and public institutions such as the Council and Police.

 

The Council will allocate the resources needed to implement the findings of the JSNA while taking urgent action now to address known problems including local public health led efforts to improve Covid-19 testing and access to healthcare in BAME and other excluded communities.

 

Minutes:

10.1    The Minority Party had selected for debate the Notice of Motion as set out on the agenda.  The Notice of Motion was moved by Councillor Nafsika Butler-Thalassis and seconded by Councillor Papya Qureshi

 

10.2    Councillor Tim Mitchell moved and it was seconded by Councillor Tim Barnes

           that the Notice of Motion be amended, as follows:

 

“This Council notes that according to the Office of National Statistics and Public Health England, COVID 19 has killed disproportionately many more BAME people than white people.

 

This Council notes that some of the higher death rates in BAME communities relate to pre-existing health problems particularly diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and obesity. 

 

This Council notes that, while many people during this crisis have had the opportunity to work from home it was our poorest households that continued sending people out to work. The highest COVID 19 death rates have been among security guards, care workers, bus drivers, taxi drivers and retail workers. 

 

This Council notes Westminster’s history as a place of arrival for many BAME communities, who make up at least 40% of our City’s population today. 

 

The Council also notes the positive initiatives by WCC such as the Community Cohesion Commission, efforts to improve opportunities for BAME staff and City Hall commemorating George Floyd and Grenfell, but also appreciates the scale of the work still to do to achieve equality in our city. 

 

Add words in italics:

 

The Council also notes the role WCC has played in working with partners on equality issues including the recent WCC BAME Staff Network webinar event, hosting representatives from 22 London local authorities, MOPAC, the LGA, NHS, and MIND, to discuss the disproportionate impact of COVID 19 on BAME communities and work towards practical solutions to help these communities recover.

 

The Council believes health inequalities have their roots in the social determinants of health – in this case overcrowded or insecure housing, poverty, and employment in occupations with high exposure to COVID 19. 

 

This Council resolves to take active measures to reduce the structural disadvantage and racism faced by BAME communities in Westminster. 

 

Add words in italics:

 

“The Council resolves to publish a presentation produced by its Public Health department, which looks at disparities in the risks and outcomes of COVID 19. This presentation including the analysis will be scrutinised by the Health and Wellbeing Board at the 9 July 2020 meeting. The presentation will promote a shared understanding of health inequalities, including those that impact across Westminster and RBKC, the NHS, and other key partners.  

 

The Council resolves that the Director of Public Health should conduct an in-depth study of health inequalities in Westminster as part of the Annual Public Health Report for 2020-21. This report will review the findings of the “Marmot Review: Ten Years On” publication from March 2020 - a core focus of which is how social and economic factors lead to poor health and premature death for the most deprived. The report will identifyThe Council resolves to carry out a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) on the needs of BAME communities in Westminster, looking at access to decent housing (particularly addressing overcrowding and homelessness), employment prospects, health inequalities, education, and the wider determinants of health.

 

The Council resolves to allocate the resources needed to implement the findings of the JSNA Annual Public Health Report 2020-21while taking urgent action now to address known problems including local public health led efforts to improve Covid-19 testing and access to healthcare in BAME and other excluded communities. 

 

The Council resolves to review the findings and recommendations from the recent Public Health England report on COVID 19 and ethnicity and incorporate these into the Council’s recovery strategy.”

 

10.3    Following debate, Councillor Butler-Thalassis agreed to accept the            amendment to the motion. 

 

10.4    In the absence of any objections from the Members present, The Lord Mayor  declared the substantive motion carried.

 

           RESOLVED:

 

“This Council notes that according to the Office of National Statistics and Public Health England, COVID 19 has killed disproportionately many more BAME people than white people.

 

This Council notes that some of the higher death rates in BAME communities relate to pre-existing health problems particularly diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and obesity. 

 

This Council notes that, while many people during this crisis have had the opportunity to work from home it was our poorest households that continued sending people out to work. The highest COVID 19 death rates have been among security guards, care workers, bus drivers, taxi drivers and retail workers. 

 

This Council notes Westminster’s history as a place of arrival for many BAME communities, who make up at least 40% of our City’s population today. 

 

The Council also notes the positive initiatives by WCC such as the Community Cohesion Commission, efforts to improve opportunities for BAME staff and City Hall commemorating George Floyd and Grenfell, but also appreciates the scale of the work still to do to achieve equality in our city. 

 

The Council also notes the role WCC has played in working with partners on equality issues including the recent WCC BAME Staff Network webinar event, hosting representatives from 22 London local authorities, MOPAC, the LGA, NHS, and MIND, to discuss the disproportionate impact of COVID 19 on BAME communities and work towards practical solutions to help these communities recover.

 

The Council believes health inequalities have their roots in the social determinants of health – in this case overcrowded or insecure housing, poverty, and employment in occupations with high exposure to COVID 19. 

 

This Council resolves to take active measures to reduce the structural disadvantage and racism faced by BAME communities in Westminster. 

 

The Council resolves to publish a presentation produced by its Public Health department, which looks at disparities in the risks and outcomes of COVID 19. This presentation including the analysis will be scrutinised by the Health and Wellbeing Board at the 9 July 2020 meeting. The presentation will promote a shared understanding of health inequalities, including those that impact across Westminster and RBKC, the NHS, and other key partners.  

 

The Council resolves that the Director of Public Health should conduct an in-depth study of health inequalities in Westminster as part of the Annual Public Health Report for 2020-21. This report will review the findings of the “Marmot Review: Ten Years On” publication from March 2020 - a core focus of which is how social and economic factors lead to poor health and premature death for the most deprived. The report will identifythe needs of BAME communities in Westminster, looking at access to decent housing (particularly addressing overcrowding and homelessness), employment prospects, health inequalities, education, and the wider determinants of health.

 

The Council resolves to allocate the resources needed to implement the findings of the Annual Public Health Report 2020-21 while taking urgent action now to address known problems including local public health led efforts to improve Covid-19 testing and access to healthcare in BAME and other excluded communities. 

 

The Council resolves to review the findings and recommendations from the recent Public Health England report on COVID 19 and ethnicity and incorporate these into the Council’s recovery strategy.”<TRAILER_SECTION>