Agenda and minutes

Henry Colthurst indicated his willingness to stand for Chairman. With no other Panel member expressing a willingness to serve, Henry Colthurst was duly appointed Chairman.

Welcomes, Introductions and Meeting Management

The Chairman opened the meeting by welcoming all present, including both elected Members and members of the public in the public gallery. He also took the opportunity to introduce formally the Panel members and those Officers present.

The Chairman went on to refer to the front sheet of the agenda pack which served as a reminder to all that meetings of the City of London Corporation could be the subject of audio or video recording. He reported that he had received prior notice of the fact that this morning’s meeting would be video recorded, both by a public attendee and also by the City Corporation’s own Media Team.

The Chairman took the opportunity to highlight that the organisation did have a Filming Protocol in place which was available on the public website and asked that this Protocol was respected by all in terms of not disturbing the conduct of the meeting and focusing cameras only on Members and Officers directly involved in today’s proceedings.

The Chairman concluded by referring to the fact that, for meeting management purposes, comments from the public gallery were not permitted and that, in accordance with Standing Order 35 (1), no elected Member in attendance who was not a member of this Sub-Committee was permitted to speak on any matter under consideration without his permission.

The Sub Committee formally received their Terms of Reference.

RECEIVED.

The Sub Committee formally received the document entitled ‘How Complaints Submitted to the City of London Corporation relating to the Member Code of Conduct will be Dealt With’.

RECEIVED.

The Sub Committee received the document entitled ‘Code of Conduct for Members in respect of the City of London Corporation’s Local Authority, Police Authority and Non-Local Authority Functions’ and the accompanying guidance.

RECEIVED.

The Sub Committee formally received the Protocol on Member/Officer Relations.

RECEIVED.

There were no questions.

Deliberations

The Chairman reported that the views of the Panel were that deliberations on the complaints before them would be held in private.

Counsel clarified that the complaints would be received in non-public session but that the actual determination/deliberation on these would be held in private session. The Town Clerk added that, following deliberations, the outcome of each complaint would be communicated with the relevant parties in writing as was normal procedure and in accordance with the organisation’s complaints procedure.

With the permission of the Chairman, an elected Member, observing from the public gallery, questioned this approach and asked whether those present would be called back in to the meeting to be informed of the decisions following private deliberations. A Panel Member stated that this would not be the case as there was a reluctance to publicly announce outcomes before all of the relevant parties (all of whom were not in attendance today) were informed of these. Counsel drew the attention of those present to paragraph 45 of the Complaints Procedure which set out how the decisions of this Sub Committee were to be announced.

Another elected Member, also observing from the public gallery spoke to suggest that it was not automatic that complaints had to be heard in non-public session. The Chair acknowledged this point but reiterated that a confidential deliberation was supported unanimously by the Panel.

MOTION – That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

RESOLVED– That, under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

Elected Members observing from the piblic gallery remained for the non-public session.

Report of the Comptroller and City Solicitor.

The Sub Committee considered a report of the Comptroller and City Solicitor.

RESOLVED – That the Sub Committee move immediately to deliberations in private.

Report of the Comptroller and City Solicitor.

The Sub Committee considered a report of the Comptroller and City Solicitor.

RESOLVED – That the Sub Committee move immediately to deliberations in private.

Report of the Comptroller and City Solicitor.

The Sub Committee considered a report of the Comptroller and City Solicitor.

RESOLVED – That the Sub Committee move immediately to deliberations in private.

Report of the Comptroller and City Solicitor.

The Sub Committee considered a report of the Comptroller and City Solicitor.

Counsel was present for this item, the Comptroller and City Solicitor was not.

The Chairman advised that one member of the Panel had now recused themselves from determining this complaint and that the meeting would therefore not be quorate for this purpose. For this reason, the Chairman announced that this case would now have to be deferred until January 2020 where it would be heard by a reconvened panel and advised by Counsel.

There were no questions in the non-public session.

There were no additional, urgent items of business for consideration in the non-public session.