Issue - meetings

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 10, to consider motions on notice from Members.

7a) Motion submitted by Councillor Steve Fritchley

7b) Motion submitted by Councillor Nick Clarke

7c) Motion Submitted by Councillor Nick Clarke

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 10, Councillors were able to submit Motions on Notice for consideration at this meeting.

The Chair noted that three motions had been submitted.

a) Motion from Councillor Steve Fritchley:

The All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims was established in 2017 to highlight the aspirations and challenges facing British Muslims; to celebrate the contributions of Muslim communities to Britain and to investigate prejudice, discrimination and hatred against Muslims in the UK.

The APPG’s most recent publication is a ‘Report on the inquiry into a working definition of Islamophobia / anti-Muslim hatred’. This inquiry acknowledges that across policy domains, from employment, education and criminal justice to housing, healthcare and hate crime, Islamophobia has a significant negative impact on the life chances and quality of life enjoyed by British Muslims.

To demonstrate its commitment to tackling Islamophobia in all forms, Council is asked to adopt the following definition, as proposed in the APPG Report; 

“Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.”

Councillor Steve Fritchley (Leader of the Council) moved the motion, adding his belief that the Council had a proud anti-prejudice tradition and this definition was in the same vein.

Councillor Duncan McGregor (Deputy Leader of the Council) seconded the motion and reserved the right to speak.

No other Members wished to speak on the motion.

On being put to the vote, the motion was carried.

RESOLVED that Council adopts the following definition of Islamophobia, as proposed in the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims Report:

“Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.”

(Head of Paid Service/Monitoring Officer)

b) Motion from Councillor Nick Clarke:

Bolsover District Council notes that fox hunting, deer hunting and hare hunting with dogs has been illegal under the terms of the Hunting Act 2004, except where an exemption applies.

Most registered hunts claim to now be trail hunting, an activity ‘invented’ after the ban which allows hunts to claim that any chase of a wild mammal is purely accidental rather than intentional.

This has been shown to be nothing more than a smokescreen in an attempt to deflect from the real truth which is that that trail hunting is in reality illegal fox hunting. If trail hunts were genuine there would be no need for the presence of terrier men who shore up Fox Earths and Badger Setts to prevent foxes going to ground. Last summer there were a series of training webinars where senior members of the hunting fraternity openly admitted how they flout the 2004 Hunting Act. This has been suspected for many years but has now been confirmed. It has been admitted by the Hunting fraternity themselves, that trail hunting where the chase of a wild mammal occurs is deliberate, pre-planned and intentional rather than accidental as they falsely claim. 

 In order to prevent any “illegal” hunting on Council owned land,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 760