Media Release from City of York Council Labour Group
Urgent Review of Council Buying Urged
03 June 2010
Labour Coun. Julie Gunnell is calling for the City of York council’s Procurement Policy to be urgently reviewed following publication of a report entitled ‘A Low Emission Strategy for York’, which is to be presented to the Executive on the 8th June 2010. The report identifies effective procurement is needed to help achieve lower emissions for the city which is contributing to 158 premature deaths in the city per year.
Shadow Spokesperson for Corporate Services Cllr Julie Gunnell said:
“As millions of pounds of York tax payers money is spent on procurement, it is absolutely crucial that a programme is developed, and quickly, to ensure we work on a socially responsible procurement, which integrates social, economic and environmental issues throughout the entire process.
“The current policy is over six years old and is signed off by an ex-Cllr and a Finance Director who left the council several years ago. It’s shocking that the council is faced massive spending cuts and yet this area of review has still not been completed. Having an effective procurement policy is essential to ensuring frontline services are protected and enhanced.
The reason why this hasn’t been addressed before is that this administration has allowed the procurement team to become under resourced and it has spread around the different council departments. As there are many complex financial and legal requirements, procurement needs to be undertaken centrally with clear aims and ambitions of what it wants to achieve to benefit the people of York. This is an example of weak leadership in the council.”
The councils strong purchasing power could help encourage environmental issues such as sustainable transport, prevention of pollution, reduction of waste. It could also be used as a method of promoting ethical issues such as fair-trade, exploitation, child labour etc. It is also a means of encouraging skills and training, and creating ‘green jobs’. The procurement process is worth over £123 million pounds per annum and is spent purchasing services, works, goods and utilities.
Shadow Spokesperson for Corporate Services Cllr Julie Gunnell said:
“As millions of pounds of York tax payers money is spent on procurement, it is absolutely crucial that a programme is developed, and quickly, to ensure we work on a socially responsible procurement, which integrates social, economic and environmental issues throughout the entire process.
“The current policy is over six years old and is signed off by an ex-Cllr and a Finance Director who left the council several years ago. It’s shocking that the council is faced massive spending cuts and yet this area of review has still not been completed. Having an effective procurement policy is essential to ensuring frontline services are protected and enhanced.
The reason why this hasn’t been addressed before is that this administration has allowed the procurement team to become under resourced and it has spread around the different council departments. As there are many complex financial and legal requirements, procurement needs to be undertaken centrally with clear aims and ambitions of what it wants to achieve to benefit the people of York. This is an example of weak leadership in the council.”
The councils strong purchasing power could help encourage environmental issues such as sustainable transport, prevention of pollution, reduction of waste. It could also be used as a method of promoting ethical issues such as fair-trade, exploitation, child labour etc. It is also a means of encouraging skills and training, and creating ‘green jobs’. The procurement process is worth over £123 million pounds per annum and is spent purchasing services, works, goods and utilities.
Links: Julie Gunnell
