Issue - meetings

Matter for Decision

The Council’s Anti-Poverty Strategy was approved by the Executive Councillor for Finance and Resources at Strategy and Resources Committee on 23 March 2015. The strategy aims to improve the standard of living and daily lives of those residents in Cambridge who are currently experiencing poverty; and to help alleviate issues that can lead households on low incomes to experience financial pressures.

The Anti-Poverty Strategy sets out seven key objectives and sixty one associated actions to reduce poverty in Cambridge. The Officer’s report provided an update on progress in delivering key actions identified for 2015/16, with a particular focus on new areas of activity introduced in the strategy. It also provided details of new projects funded through the Council’s Sharing Prosperity Fund for delivery from 2016/17 onwards.

The report also provided a more detailed update on the Council’s campaign to promote the Living Wage to local employers, as outlined in the Living Wage Action Plan approved at Strategy and Resources Committee on 23 March 2015.

Decision of Executive Councillor for Communities

       i.          Noted the progress in delivering actions to reduce poverty in Cambridge during 2015/16.

     ii.          Noted the progress in delivering the Living Wage Action Plan during 2015/16.

   iii.          Noted the funding allocated to new anti-poverty projects from the Sharing Prosperity Fund during 2015/16, as set out in Appendixes A and B of the Officer’s report.

Reason for the Decision

As set out in the Officer’s report.

Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not applicable.

Scrutiny Considerations

The Committee received a report from the Strategy and Partnerships Manager.

In response to Members’ questions The Strategy and Partnerships Manager said he was unaware of any projects that received European Union funding and so would be unaffected by the EU referendum result.  The Strategy and Partnerships Manager undertook to check that projects received dedicated UK funding.

The Committee unanimously resolved to endorse the recommendations.

The Executive Councillor approved the recommendations.

Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted)

No conflicts of interest were declared by the Executive Councillor.