Agenda and decisions

To appoint a Chair for 2025/26.

 

To appoint Councillor Ioan Thomas as Chair for 2025/26.

 

To appoint a Vice-chair for 2025/26.

 

To appoint Councillor Elin Walker Jones as Vice-chair for 2025/26.

 

To receive any apologies for absence.

The Chair shall propose that the minutes of the previous meeting of the Council held on 6^th March, 2025 be signed as a true record.

To receive any declarations of personal interest.

 

To receive any Chair’s announcements.

 

To note any items which are urgent business in the opinion of the Chair so they may be considered.

 

To consider any questions the appropriate notice for which have been given under Section 4.18 of the Constitution.

 

To submit the report of the Head of Democracy.

 

·         To adopt the list of committees and sub-committees to be established for the municipal year, as noted in Appendix A (below), together with the adoption of the seat allocation and the senior salaries set out in the Appendix.

·         To delegate the authority to the Head of Democracy Services to make appointments to the committees on the basis of political balance, and in accordance with the wishes of the political groups.

·         To allocate the chairpersonships of scrutiny committees on the basis of political balance as follows:-

 

Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee - Plaid Cymru Group

Communities Scrutiny Committee – Plaid Cymru Group

Care Scrutiny Committee - Independent Group

 

·        To adopt the seat allocation for the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee Overview and Scrutiny Joint Committee for the term of this Council unless there is a significant change in the political balance – there is 1 seat for the Plaid Cymru Group and 1 seat for the Independent Group

 

APPENDIX A - ALLOCATION OF SEATS ON COMMITTEES

 

A	Plaid Cymru	Independent	Labour Liberal	Total
Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee	12	6	0	18
Communities Scrutiny Committee	12	5	1	18
Care Scrutiny Committee	12	5	1	18
Governance and Audit	8	4	0	12

 

B	Plaid Cymru	Independent	Labour Liberal	Total
Democratic Services	10	4	1	15
Planning	10	4	1	15
Central / General Licensing	10	5	0	15
Language	10	5	0	15
Chief Officers Appointment	10	5	0	15
Employment Appeals	5	2	0	7
Number of seats	99	45	4	148

 

 

C	Plaid Cymru	Independent	Labour Liberal	Total
Pensions	4	2	1	7
Local Joint Consultative Committee	7	4	0	11
SACRE	5	2	0	7

 

Total seats

115

53

5

173

 

 

 

 

Senior Salaries

In accordance with the previous decision of the Council, the senior salaries are paid as follows:

· Leader

· Deputy Leader

· 8 other Cabinet members

· The Leader of the largest Opposition

· Committee Chairs

- Scrutiny Committee (x3)     

- Planning Committee

- Licensing Committee (Central and General counts as one Committee)

- Pensions Committee

 

·         Civic head (Chair of the Council)

§    Deputy civic head (Vice-chair of the Council)

 

To appoint a Chair of the Democracy Services Committee for 2025/26.

 

[In accordance with the requirements of Section 14 of the Local Government Bill (Wales) 2011, the Chair of the Democracy Services Committee shall be appointed by the Full Council and it cannot appoint a member of a political group which is represented on the executive.]

 

To appoint Councillor Anne Lloyd Jones as Chair of the Democracy Services Committee for 2025/26.

 

To submit the report of the Monitoring Officer.

That the Council appoint Non Gibson and Sonal Khade as Independent Members of the Standards Committee for a period of 6 years.

 

To submit the report of the Monitoring Officer.

To accept the report on the amendments to the Scheme of Delegation in Appendix 1 to the report submitted to the Council.

 

To submit the report of the Monitoring Officer.

To accept and note the report.

 

In accordance with the Notice of Motion received under Section 4.19 of the Constitution, Councillor Elfed Wyn ap Elwyn will propose as follows:-

 

The Council calls upon the Westminster Government to devolve powers over water reservoirs and the water network in Wales, which will allow Wales to benefit from one of its most important resources.

 

The Council calls upon the Westminster Government to devolve powers over water reservoirs and the water network in Wales, which will allow Wales to benefit from one of its most important resources.

 

In accordance with the Notice of Motion received under Section 4.19 of the Constitution, Councillor Beca Brown will propose as follows:-

 

1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men have experienced sexual abuse during their childhood, and this figure could be even higher.

 

Not only were these experiences horrific to them at the time, but they must live with the effects of these dreadful crimes throughout their lives. 

 

Victims of sexual abuse consistently say that there is not enough support available to them, and that there is insufficient awareness of the trauma they carry every day, forever.

 

1 May is an annual day to remember the victims; to raise awareness of this appalling crime, and to remind us that sexual abuse can happen to any child, in any community. Sexual abuse does not recognise cultural, social, linguistic, religious, gender or racial differences. It can happen anywhere, to anyone.

 

Not My Shame is the campaign group that organises this annual event, holding a minute's silence on this date each year to remember the pain of sexual abuse victims around the world.

 

We call upon Cyngor Gwynedd to recognise this date every year from now on, and to adopt it as a day of remembrance for victims. We call on the Council to fly the campaign flag above its headquarters on 1 May every year to clearly state that sexual abuse is not the victim's shame, it is the offender's shame. We call upon Cyngor Gwynedd to draw public attention on 1 May every year to the support available to victims, and to explain to the public how and where they can report sexual abuse or child protection concerns. 

 

 

1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men have experienced sexual abuse during their childhood, and this figure could be even higher.

 

Not only were these experiences horrific to them at the time, but they must live with the effects of these dreadful crimes throughout their lives. 

 

Victims of sexual abuse consistently say that there is not enough support available to them, and that there is insufficient awareness of the trauma they carry every day, forever.

 

1 May is an annual day to remember the victims; to raise awareness of this appalling crime, and to remind us that sexual abuse can happen to any child, in any community.  Sexual abuse does not recognize cultural, social, linguistic, religious, gender or racial differences. It can happen anywhere, to anyone.

 

Not My Shame is the campaign group that organises this annual event, holding a minute's silence on this date each year to remember the pain of sexual abuse victims around the world.

 

We call upon Cyngor Gwynedd to recognise this date every year from now on, and to adopt it as a day of remembrance for victims.  We call on the Council to fly the campaign flag above its headquarters on 1 May  every year to clearly state that sexual abuse is not the victim's shame, it is the offender's shame.  We call upon Cyngor Gwynedd to draw public attention on 1 May every year to the support available to victims, and to explain to the public how and where they can report sexual abuse or child protection concerns.

 

In accordance with the Notice of Motion received under Section 4.19 of the Constitution, Councillor Gwynfor Owen will propose as follows:-

 

Welsh public services are facing a loss of up to £65m due to the increase to national insurance announced by the Labour government in Westminster.

 

Once again, Welsh Councils will experience an actual loss as the government uses the Barnett formula to determine how much funding is allocated to devolved countries. The Barnett formula is based on population size rather than on need.

 

It is unfair that Welsh public services will not receive full funding for the increase. This is another example of how Wales is at a total disadvantage as a result of a Labour government in the Senedd in Wales and in Westminster.

 

As we are still awaiting details from the two governments it is not possible to calculate the exact figure at present, but Cyngor Gwynedd is likely to be at a loss of around £1m, which is an amount we have had to pass on to our taxpayers.

 

Cyngor Gwynedd is therefore calling on the Welsh Government to demand a fairer method of funding our country from their masters in London.

 

 

Welsh public services are facing a loss of up to £65m due to the increase to national insurance announced by the Labour government in Westminster.

 

Once again, Welsh Councils will experience an actual loss as the government uses the Barnett formula to determine how much funding is allocated to devolved countries. The Barnett formula is based on population size rather than on need.

 

It is unfair that Welsh public services will not receive full funding for the increase. This is another example of how Wales is at a total disadvantage as a result of a Labour government in the Senedd in Wales and in Westminster.

 

As we are still awaiting details from the two governments it is not possible to calculate the exact figure at present, but Cyngor Gwynedd is likely to be at a loss of around £1m, which is an amount we have had to pass on to our taxpayers.

 

Cyngor Gwynedd is therefore calling on the Welsh Government to demand a fairer method of funding our country from their masters in London.

 

In accordance with the Notice of Motion received under Section 4.19 of the Constitution, Councillor Elin Hywel will propose as follows:-

 

1.    This Council notes the disproportionate and cumulative effects of austerity policies on the most vulnerable inhabitants of our society by successive UK governments – whether Conservative or Labour governments.

2.    Following the UK Government's recent announcement of further cuts to benefits totalling £5 billion, this Council recognises that these cuts are the continuation and progression of austerity policies. With a proportion of 18.1% of Gwynedd's population considered as being disabled, the people of Gwynedd will be hit particularly hard by the cuts. Furthermore, people considered as disabled in Gwynedd are less likely to be in employment, with only 50.5% in a paid job, and are therefore more likely to rely on benefits as their only source of income.

3.    The Council notes our growing responsibility to mitigate the brutal effects of austerity policies through the Council's services. We are seeing an increase in demand for services such as social housing, emergency accommodation and social care, and the subsequent increasing cost of maintaining these services. We recognise the pressure this places on the Council's budgets.

4.    For the sake of the residents of Gwynedd, Cyngor Gwynedd calls upon the Welsh Government to stand up for Wales and demand that their fellow Labour members in the UK Government make a U-turn on their plans to cut benefits.

5.    In order to ensure respect and dignity for all, Cyngor Gwynedd calls upon the Welsh Government and the UK Government to adequately fund benefits and social services.

6.    In order to end austerity in Wales, this Council demands that the Welsh Government calls upon the UK Government to devolve welfare and benefits, together with all the necessary levers to enable the Welsh Government to protect, care for and sustain our society.

 

 

1.    This Council notes the disproportionate and cumulative effects of austerity policies on the most vulnerable inhabitants of our society by successive UK governments – whether Conservative or Labour governments.

2.    Following the UK Government's recent announcement of further cuts to benefits totalling £5 billion, this Council recognises that these cuts are the continuation and progression of austerity policies. With a proportion of 18.1% of Gwynedd's population considered as being disabled, the people of Gwynedd will be hit particularly hard by the cuts. Furthermore, people considered as disabled in Gwynedd are less likely to be in employment, with only 50.5% in a paid job, and are therefore more likely to rely on benefits as their only source of income.

3.    The Council notes our growing responsibility to mitigate the brutal effects of austerity policies through the Council's services. We are seeing an increase in demand for services such as social housing, emergency accommodation and social care, and the subsequent increasing cost of maintaining these services. We recognise the pressure this places on the Council's budgets.

4.    For the sake of the residents of Gwynedd, Cyngor Gwynedd calls upon the Welsh Government to stand up for Wales and demand that their fellow Labour members in the UK Government make a U-turn on their plans to cut benefits.

5.    In order to ensure respect and dignity for all, Cyngor Gwynedd calls upon the Welsh Government and the UK Government to adequately fund benefits and social services.

6.    In order to end austerity in Wales, this Council demands that the Welsh Government calls upon the UK Government to devolve welfare and benefits, together with all the necessary levers to enable the Welsh Government to protect, care for and sustain our society.