York Fairness Commission Recommendations Considered in Council Budget Proposals
Archbishop of York, Dr John SentamuWednesday 15th February 2012
The independent York Fairness Commission has welcomed City of York Council’s detailed consideration and prompt response to their Interim Report recommendations published in November 2011.Many of the Fairness Commission’s recommendations were incorporated in the Cabinet’s budget proposals for 2012/14, which are protecting services for vulnerable people. Cabinet also approved a detailed response to each recommendation showing how the council will take forward the Commission’s suggestions.
The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, sponsor of the Commission, said:
“We came to the Fairness Commission with open minds, looking forward to listening not only to our expert Commissioners, but also to hearing the views of the people of York. Today, I welcome City of York Council’s prompt and detailed consideration of the Commission’s findings. Fairness and equality of provision and expectation cannot be achieved without a shift in culture and consciousness for everyone, rich and poor alike. There are some difficult decisions and choices to be made and much work to be done to ensure that those decisions make the difference. It is a challenge which I know the council
and the people of this city can meet with determination and spirit”.
The Commission’s principles are based on the concept that a more equal society is better for everyone and its budget recommendations to the council attempt to share the burden by protecting the most vulnerable whilst asking a little more of the better off.
The independent Commission was particularly pleased to see that the council is giving serious consideration to implementing the Living Wage for employees.
Commissioner Richard Wilkinson, co-author of The Spirit level, said: "By paying all its adult employees the 'living wage' - £7.20 instead of the minimum wage of £6.08 – City of York Council would be leading by example and helping to reduce the number of families which are in poverty despite working. It is crucially important that this example is taken up throughout the public and private sectors. If the UK is to become a better place to live, a more cohesive society with stronger community life, it must reduce the scale of income differences. Research shows that more equal countries suffer less crime and violence, and standards of child get a better start in life.”
The Commissioners also welcomed the council’s emphasis on inclusion in its plans to invest more in creating jobs and growing the York economy, which was highlighted in the Commission’s recommendations.
“It is very pleasing to see that the council has been able to take on many of our recommendations and respond to the good ideas that we heard direct from people in York” said Ruth Redfern Chair of the Commission. “The many young people who talked to us will be delighted to see that the council is acting on their suggestions and plans to work closely with the Youth Council to develop ways to implement them.”
The council’s response to the Commission’s recommendations will be considered and debated at the Full Council meeting on Thursday 23 February.
The Commission will begin a second round of consultation and engagement in March 2012 before producing a final report in June 2012 looking at how the city as a whole can become a fairer place.
A copy of the independent York Fairness Commission’s report and details of all the recommendations are available on www.yorkfairnesscommission.org.uk
(ENDS)
The York Fairness Commission
The ten fairness principles are:
- Make reducing inequalities a prime focus in policy and decision making
- Support and empower the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups
- Adopt a long term view considering long term impacts as well as short term savings
- Listen and Engage so as to make budget decisions in a way that is open, transparent and informed by York’s people
- Generate new income to reduce the scale and depth of the cuts needed to balance the budget
- Make budget decisions based on evidence, values and needs, not by applying flat rate percentage cuts or favouring services that have always been provided
- Take into account wider factors that affect inequalities in York
- Target investments and services geographically where necessary to reduce inequalities and improve life chances in the most disadvantaged areas
- Promote/ prioritise economic growth that maximises benefits to people
10. Ensure a ‘best in class’ Council that delivers services efficiently and effectively and acts as an influential role model in tackling inequalities
The latest studies show that the City of York has higher than average levels of employment and relatively high income levels. Crime rates and levels of deprivation are also shown to be reducing and there is a good general level of health.
Eight areas of the city are among the 20% most deprived areas in the UK. There are still individuals, groups and neighbourhoods where people are excluded from a good quality of life and are disadvantaged for reasons such as low income, poor health and crime.
The York Fairness Commission is an independent body set up by the City of York Council to advise the authority on how to address these issues of deprivation, exclusion and inequality in the city.
The Commission will support the Council in prioritising its spending in the 2012-14 budget and set longer terms policies in place for the city and its partners to support a fairer York for all its residents.
The members of the Fairness Commission include:
The Sponsor: Dr John Sentamu, Archbishop of York
The Chair: Ruth Redfern, Assistant Chief Executive of Yorkshire Forward
The Commissioners:
• John Lister, Finance Director, Aviva Life UK
• John Kennedy, Director of Care services,
Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust
• Richard Wilkinson, Professor Emeritus of Social Epidemiology,
University of Nottingham Medical School
• Dr Kate Pickett, Professor of Epidemiology, University of York
Dept of Health Sciences