Decision details

Councillor Kim Snape presented the following Motion submitted in accordance with Procedure Rule 10.

Cooperative Party Charter Against Modern Slavery

That this Council will support and sign the Cooperative Party Charter Against Modern Slavery and it will promote awareness of Modern Day Slavery amongst our residents and work with officers to support survivors, as follows:

"Charter Against Modern Slavery” Chorley Borough Council will:

1. Train its corporate procurement team to understand modern slavery through the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply’s (CIPS) online course on Ethical Procurement and Supply.

2. Require its contractors to comply fully with the Modern Slavery Act 2015, wherever it applies, with contract termination as a potential sanction for non-compliance.

3. Challenge any abnormally low-cost tenders to ensure they do not rely upon the potential contractor practising modern slavery.

4. Highlight to its suppliers that contracted workers are free to join a trade union and are not to be treated unfairly for belonging to one.

5. Publicise its whistle-blowing system for staff to blow the whistle on any suspected examples of modern slavery.

6. Require its tendered contractors to adopt a whistle-blowing policy which enables their staff to blow the whistle on any suspected examples of modern slavery.

7. Review its contractual spending regularly to identify any potential issues with modern slavery.

8. Highlight for its suppliers any risks identified concerning modern slavery and refer them to the relevant agencies to be addressed.

9. Refer for investigation via the National Crime Agency’s national referral mechanism any of its contractors identified as a cause for concern regarding modern slavery.

10. Report publicly on the implementation of this policy annually."

Councillor Yvonne Hargreaves seconded the motion.

Following debate, Members unanimously made the Decision - that the motion be supported.

Councillor Roy Lees left the meeting at 7.45pm. 

The Councillor Alan Whittaker presented the following Motion submitted in accordance with Procedure Rule 10.

Chorley Community Housing (CCH)

“Chorley Council notes the commitment undertaken by Chorley Community Housing (CCH) at the time of housing stock transfer from the council, to deliver 1,000 off street parking spaces which it has done. However, it also notes that CCH has accrued significant funds in excess of those anticipated from it’s Chorley housing stock that it has subsequently utilised in it’s recent growth initially as part of Adactus Housing Group and latterly as part of the Jigsaw Housing Group. Therefore the council requests that the Council Leader write formally to CCH/Jigsaw to request that they undertake to supply a further number of off street parking spaces in areas where the legacy issues have not been resolved as anticipated. These works are to be undertaken across Chorley borough and identified and evidenced by councillors in order to recognise the specific issues in each council ward and also the significant contribution of Chorley to the wider groups finances”.

Councillor Kim Snape seconded the motion and spoke in support of it.

Following debate, Members made the Decision - that the motion be supported.