To receive questions in accordance with the provisions of Council Procedure Rules 12.2 and 12.4 which require a Member to give at least 3 working days’ notice, in writing, of the question to the Chief Executive.
Minutes:
The Mayor advised that three questions had been received by the Chief Executive in accordance with Council Procedure Rules. These were questions from Councillor Dant to Councillor Sinclair regarding Fair Trade.
The questions and answers are given below:-
In 2004 Lancaster was awarded the status of a Fairtrade District by the Fairtrade Foundation, following a resolution of the City Council. What this meant was that Fairtrade certified tea and coffee was served at all official meetings by the City Council and that Fairtrade was promoted in museums, parks and other centres. In 2009 the City Council approved an updated Action Plan to maintain the City’s Fairtrade status and the City has continued to enjoy this status with our current Mayor, Councillor David Whitaker, receiving the most recent award in May 2019.
The Lancaster, Morecambe & District Fairtrade Group have asked that the Fairtrade Action Plan be reviewed in the light of the climate emergency. The Group are keen to work with the Council to present Fairtrade in the context of action on climate change, sustainability and the citizen’s movement for Fairtrade.
The Council had, until very recently, a Fairtrade page on its website which said that:
“Lancaster City Council supports Fairtrade by committing to the following:
· To promote awareness of Fairtrade
· To allocated Fairtrade District responsibilities to a member of staff
· To serve Fairtrade tea and coffee at our meetings
· To make it easy for district residents, tourists and businesses to locate local Fairtrade suppliers
· To attract and encourage Fairtrade press coverage
· To support Lancaster, Morecambe and District Fairtrade Group.”
At the beginning of the previous administration Scrutiny group were assured that tea and coffee supplied was Fairtrade. However, I have so far been unable to identify whether Fairtrade tea and coffee is served at meetings, who the responsible member of staff is or how the Council is engaging with businesses and press coverage.
Will the Cabinet member for Communities and Social Justice tell the Council how it is currently realising these commitments?
Councillor Sinclair responded by thanking Councillor Dant for his questions. Councillor Sinclair recognised the hard work that the Lancaster, Morecambe and District Fairtrade Group had undertaken over the years in the area and continued to do so. In his role as Cabinet Member, he was currently working on how to build on the vast amount of community wealth that exists in the area. The Council could gain much by engaging further with the Fairtrade Group and he intended to invite Fairtrade representatives to play an active role on the Community Wealth Building Advisory Group. Furthermore as a positive step forward, the Director for Communities and the Environment was meeting with representatives from the group in January to explore how we could work practically together.
Will he tell us whether Fairtrade products are included in the procurement policy for its meetings and its cafes at Refuel, Salt Ayre, the Printroom at the Storey, the Platform and the café at Williamson Park?
Councillor Sinclair replied that currently the Council does source its tea and coffee from an ethical supplier but not a Fairtrade ‘marked’ one although it does source some Fairtrade products in its different outlets.
And will he undertake to review the Fairtrade Action Plan and support the Lancaster, Morecambe and District Fairtrade Group in its future activities promoting Fairtrade in Lancaster?
Councillor Sinclair replied that he entirely supported the reviewing of the Fair Trade action plan and the supporting of the Lancaster, Morecambe and District Fairtrade Group in its future activities promoting Fairtrade in Lancaster and that he looked forward to hearing from the Director on progress with this following his meeting in January.
Councillor Dant confirmed that he did not wish to ask any supplementary questions and was pleased to hear that such links were being developed.