RESOLVED:

1.    That the implications for the Council and the Borough of the issues outlined in the report and the actions being taken to deal with them be noted;

2.    That the establishment of a corporate task group headed by the Director of Corporate Services that is looking at the implications of Brexit in more detail and directing the actions being taken be noted; and

3.    That the proposed approach for how the Council can support EU residents, particularly those in hard to reach and vulnerable groups, with information and support to secure their rights around settled status be agreed.

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance presented the report which set out the action taken to date to prepare the Council for the UK’s exit from the European Union.  He welcomed the report which was timely due to concerns of both Merton residents from the EU and friends and family currently living and working in the EU and he welcomed the creation of a Cabinet portfolio with responsibility for managing the impact of Brexit on the Council and the borough.

The Deputy Leader thanked the officers who had been looking into the subject and welcomed the cross-departmental working.  He registered the interest from the communities who were concerned over the impact and thanked the Polish Families Association who had responded in writing to the Cabinet report.  He acknowledged that there was a deal of uncertainty over the content of the deal being negotiated by the Government and he hoped that the people would be given the opportunity to have their say on the terms of the deal.

The Director of Corporate Services advised that the report would also be considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Commission.  A report had been published by London Councils on the work of the 17 London authorities who had been working on assessing the impact of Brexit, and Merton was highlighted as one of the case studies.

The Chair welcomed the Cabinet report and the report of London Councils.  He proposed that the third recommendation be amended to read agree, rather than note.

RESOLVED:

1.    That the implications for the Council and the Borough of the issues outlined in the report and the actions being taken to deal with them be noted;

2.    That the establishment of a corporate task group headed by the Director of Corporate Services that is looking at the implications of Brexit in more detail and directing the actions being taken be noted; and

3.    That the proposed approach for how the Council can support EU residents, particularly those in hard to reach and vulnerable groups, with information and support to secure their rights around settled status be agreed.