Nottingham City Council has declared a cost of living emergency amid reports that some of the city's children are pretending to eat at school lunchtimes because they haven't got any food. As everyday bills continue to increase across the country, several councils have declared cost of living emergencies and have called for more Government action in doing so.
Nottingham City Council has now done the same after its Deputy Leader brought forward a motion calling on the authority to do so. Labour's Councillor Adele Williams introduced her motion by saying: "This is an emergency, just like Covid."
The motion asked the Government to immediately reduce the standard rate of VAT from 20% to 17.5% for one year. It also asked the Government to produce a plan to insulate millions of homes across the country in a bid to save energy bills, as well as making calls for a commitment to the triple lock on pensions and on ensuring that benefits are adequately increased.
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Presented at a meeting of the full Nottingham City Council on Monday (October 31), Councillor Williams' motion read: "The recently exacerbated turmoil is having a profound impact on people's livelihoods, their mental and physical wellbeing and local spending decisions, all of which will impact on our local economy and services. Fundamental change is required to address what are systemic issues.
"People right across the country are facing impossible choices in the face of rapidly rising prices in food and energy. Life is harder than ever for people across the areas that were promised real change."
Cost of living crises have been declared by councils across the country, including at Mansfield District Council. That declaration in September led to actions including the council setting up a 'Cost of Living Roadshow' in which financial advice is delivered to Mansfield residents during a series of events being held before the end of the year.
Speaking during the debate on Nottingham City Council's motion, Councillor Cheryl Barnard, who is the Portfolio Holder for Children, Young People and Schools at Nottingham City Council, said she had heard reports from teachers about the impact of rising bills on children. She said: "This winter, children in our city will go to bed hungry and cold.
"Teachers tell us that the number of children coming into school hungry has risen dramatically this term. This is resulting in tiredness, affecting their ability to learn, and there is an increase in challenging behaviour that teachers say is directly linked to hunger.
"I'm hearing of children having very little in their lunch boxes and sometimes resorting to pretending to eat or hiding at lunchtimes so other children can't see that they haven't got food. I'm also aware that some of our teachers are feeding children at a time when they too are feeling the impact of increased costs."
The motion was passed, although both Conservative councillors at the meeting abstained on it. Labour's Councillor Steve Battlemuch accused the Conservative members of "abstaining on poverty."
But speaking after the meeting, the Conservative Party's leader at Nottingham City Council, Andrew Rule, said: "I'm not going to pre-judge what the Chancellor says on November 17.
"That applies to discussion around the triple lock, which is something that the Conservative Government brought in anyway. I also understand that there are discussions of the windfall tax being extended, but these are details we don't yet have at this time and we have to wait to see what the Chancellor says."
Councillor Rule said he "absolutely" understood the difficulties that people were facing. He also highlighted work at facilities such as the Clifton Youth Centre in providing a safe and warm space for young people to go whilst also bringing down anti-social behaviour.
But Councillor Rule also said that the Labour administration at Nottingham City Council needs to "look inward" at what they can do to support people through the crisis. Councillor Adele Williams said that the council was "bending" to do its best in the face of the funding being offered to local authorities by the Government.
In his first official speech as Prime Minister in Downing Street on October 25, Rishi Sunak said: "I understand how difficult this moment is. After the billions of pounds it cost us to combat covid, after all the dislocation that caused in the midst of a terrible war that must be seen successfully to its conclusions I fully appreciate how hard things are."
The financial statement due to be delivered in the House of Commons on November 17 was originally set to take place on Monday (October 31). The Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, says the November statement will set out debt reduction and economic growth plans.
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