Only 1 of the 16 Council members tasked with keeping tabs on Manchester City Council’s environmental performance has actually completed “Carbon Literacy” training.

The recently re-named “Neighbourhoods and Environment” Scrutiny Committee is supposed to ask awkward questions of the Council and its partners.  However, according to the latest information the Council was willing to release*, only one councillor – Chris Paul, Withington, has completed both the face to face and online components of “Carbon Literacy” training.  Four councillors have completed the ‘face-to-face’ component, and one the online. 7 – including chair of the committee, Kevin Peel – had  not completed either component, years after the scheme was introduced.  Two other members of the committee – including Liberal Democrat John Leech – were not councillors until last week’s election. One is unaccounted for (see below)

Meanwhile, Manchester Labour’s manifesto included the promise to “roll out carbon literacy training.”  They could start with their own environment committee, maybe?

Will its new chair, Kevin Peel, himself not carbon literate,  show leadership and do everything in his power to make sure that ALL members of the committee that is supposed to scrutinise the Council’s environmental performance complete the Carbon Literacy training that Labour boasted about in its manifesto by the end of July (2016)?

Watch this space.

* According to information supplied in February 2016 by the Council, after MCFly had had to go to the Information Commissioner to get the data; if any councillors have completed the training in the meantime, they are welcome to contact MCFly on mcmonthly@gmail.com and we will update accordingly).

Membership of the committee