Proposed by Councillor Cherry Povall

Seconded by Councillor Peter Kearney

That Council:

(1)  Believes that the British state has become too authoritarian, and that over the past decade it has abused and eroded fundamental human freedoms and historic civil liberties.

(2)  Endorses the decision by the Coalition Government to scrap the ID card scheme and the National Identity register.

(3)  Welcomes the decisions to protect child identity including the abolition of the ContactPoint database and ending the finger-printing of children at school without parental permission.

(4)  Looks forward to further protection of civil liberties from the outcome of the review of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

Amendment submitted in accordance with Standing Order 7(2)

Proposed by Councillor Simon Holbrook

Seconded by Councillor Dave Mitchell

After paragraph (3) add:

(4)  Welcomes moves to have innocent people’s DNA removed from the police database.

Re number existing paragraph (4) as (5) and add “and welcomes the forthcoming Freedom Bill to roll back a generation of illiberal and intrusive legislation.”

The amendment was put and carried (38:23:1)

Amendment submitted in accordance with Standing Order 7(2)

Proposed by Councillor George Davies

Seconded by Councillor Denise Realey

Delete all after “Council” and insert:

“condemns the decision of the coalition government to scrap ContactPoint, the national children’s database, which was established following the recommendations of Lord Laming into the death of Victoria Climbie. This database would have improved the exchange of information between different agencies working with vulnerable children and was backed by The Royal College of GPs, The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and the NSPCC.

Council believes that this unthinking decision is an example of the ideological way in which individual rights have been set above the best interests of the victims the recommendations would have protected.

Council notes that calls to scrap large numbers of CCTV cameras and to get rid of ASBOS, which are both key weapons in the fight against the anti-social behaviour which torments many neighbourhoods, is another case in point where the many victims are being sacrificed to the rights of one individual to make their life a misery without being caught on camera, or given an ASBO preventing him, or her, from entering the area they have terrorised.

Council condemns decisions taken in isolation by a Cabinet of Liberal Democrats and Tory millionaires which will lessen its ability to deal with anti-social behaviour, particularly at a time when savage cuts in public spending will dramatically reduce the number of police or community support officers available to deal with this kind of nuisance crime which can make life hell for those who live with it and who, unlike government Cabinet members, do not have the money to escape it.”

The amendment was put and lost (23:38:1)

The motion, as now amended, was put and carried ( 38:23:1)

Resolved ( 38:23:1)  - That Council:

(1)  Believes that the British state has become too authoritarian, and that over the past decade it has abused and eroded fundamental human freedoms and historic civil liberties.

(2)  Endorses the decision by the Coalition Government to scrap the ID card scheme and the National Identity register.

(3)  Welcomes the decisions to protect child identity including the abolition of the ContactPoint database and ending the finger-printing of children at school without parental permission.

(4)  Welcomes moves to have innocent people’s DNA removed from the police database.

(5)  Looks forward to further protection of civil liberties from the outcome of the review of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 and welcomes the forthcoming Freedom Bill to roll back a generation of illiberal and intrusive legislation.