Issue - meetings

RESOLVED:

1.    That the County Hall Move and Agile Programme Task Group Report be noted and recommendations agreed.

2.    That the Leader write to the Home Office urging them to expedite the processing of applications for EU citizens applying for settled status in the UK.

The task group report was introduced by Mr Will Forster who thanked the Cabinet for the response to the recommendations. Members and officers were thanked for their support with the task groups work. With regards to virtual meeting regulations and the governments decision not to extend powers for remote meetings beyond 6 May 2021, it was queried whether the council would take legal action against the government. The Leader stated that there had always been an expectation that the government would extend the virtual meeting regulations powers beyond 6 May 2021. Hertfordshire County Council would be leading on legal action and the Leader stated that he had expressed support for this. There was cross party support for the extension of the virtual meeting regulations.

The Leader announced that the sale of County Hall had been completed and the sale of the Bittoms car park was being progressed.

The Cabinet Member for All-Age Learning announced that three teams at the council had been selected as finalists in the Public Sector Transformation Awards. This included the digital programme team, agile working team and transformation team.

Mr Will Forster introduced the motion referred from the 16 March council meeting. Mr Forster introduced the motion explaining that the Liberal Democrat group would like the council to lobby the government and MPs to grant EU nationals living in Surrey the automatic right to stay in the UK. Many EU nationals were living under uncertainty around their right to stay in the UK and are concerned about their futures.

The Leader stated that there was no evidence that the current process in place by the Home Office was not working. From August 2018 to December 2020, 75,760 applications in Surrey had been made of which 93.66% have already been concluded with 55% been given settled status and 36% pre-settled status. The numbers of people not getting any status was very small but the Leader agreed to write to the Home Office asking them to ensure Surrey residents applications were dealt with expeditiously. The Leader did not feel the process for dealing with applications was flawed and stated that any lobbying of government around this issue should be taken up by the national parties.

RESOLVED:

1.    That the County Hall Move and Agile Programme Task Group Report be noted and recommendations agreed.

2.    That the Leader write to the Home Office urging them to expedite the processing of applications for EU citizens living in Surrey applying for settled status in the UK.