Agenda and minutes

The apologies of those Members unable to attend this meeting of the Court were noted.

There were no additional declarations.

To agree the minutes of the meeting of the Court of Common Council held on 21 May 2020.

Resolved – That the Minutes of the last Court are correctly recorded.

There were no resolutions.

The Right Honourable The Lord Mayor to report on his recent overseas visits.

The Right Honourable The Lord Mayor took the opportunity to update the Court on his virtual engagement programme.

To receive a statement from the Chair of the Policy and Resources Committee.

The Chair of the Policy and Resources Committee spoke to provide a brief update on COVID-19, focusing on the re-opening of shops, local businesses and SMEs, encouraging safe and responsible exploration of the Square Mile.

The Chair then spoke in relation to the events of recent weeks in respect of the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of the senseless and shocking death of George Floyd in the US; acknowledging that the issue of racism that sadly still exists in society. A practical outcome of the City’s commitment to respond included the establishment of a Working Party dedicated to tacking racism.

Highlighting the responsibility of individuals in eradicating all forms of racism in all we do, the Chair also announced that, following discussions with the Chief Commoner, that arrangements were underway to roll out new unconscious bias training for all Members and implored that the whole Court prioritise this training once it became available.

There were no docquets for the seal.

To consider a circulated list of applications for the Freedom of the City.

The Chamberlain, in pursuance of the Order of this Court, presented a list of the under-mentioned, persons who had made applications to be admitted to the Freedom of the City by Redemption:-

Read.

Resolved – That this Court doth hereby assent to the admission of the said persons to the Freedom of this City by Redemption upon the terms and in the manner mentioned in the several Resolutions of this Court, and it is hereby ordered that the Chamberlain do admit them severally to their Freedom accordingly.

To receive a report setting out measures introduced into Parliament which may have an effect on the services provided by the City Corporation.

The Court received a report on measures introduced by Parliament which might have an effect on the services provided by the City Corporation as follows:-

Read.

(The text of the measures and the explanatory notes may be obtained from the Remembrancer’s Office).

Global passporting arrangements for financial services

Oliver Lodger asked a question of the Chair of the Policy & Resources Committee concerning global passporting arrangements for financial services and work being undertaken to ensure access to the City for the worldwide financial industry, given the expected loss of all EU passporting for financial service firms and in consideration of HM Treasury’s recent consultation on the Overseas Fund Regime.

Responding, the Chair welcomed the Government's focus on revisiting the Overseas Funds Regime, noting that the arrangements governing how overseas retail and money market funds could be marketed to retail investors in the UK would need to change following the end of the Brexit transition period. The Chair observed that it would be important for this to be part of a broader review of the UK's openness to overseas capital and firms and advised that the City was currently developing proposals to address this and broader issues, such as the authorisation of branches and the equivalence regime imported from EU law. This would enable the City to put forward recommendations in collaboration with industry that would work for the City’s ecosystem and ensure its long-term competitiveness.

The City was also encouraging Government and regulators to operate UK decisions on equivalence and authorisation on an open and permissive basis. The Chair noted that the UK was an open trading nation, operating on the basis of sound regulatory standards, and the City should broadcast that fact.

Recognising that the current system of passporting with the EU would come to an end, the City Corporation also continued to make the case for the greatest possible access for UK financial services to worldwide markets; not just in ensuring that financial services were covered by the free trade agreements which the UK would negotiate, but also relating to redeveloping

By Marianne Fredericks

To consider a Motion, submitted by Marianne Fredericks, in relation to the establishment of a Working Party to consider aspects of the standards regime.

Motion – “That this Honourable Courtresolves to convene a Working Party chaired by the Chief Commoner to report to the Court as soon as practicable on how proceedings for breach of the Code of Conduct may be conducted without Members sitting in judgment on each other.”

Marianne Fredericks spoke to introduce the Motion, clarifying that its purpose was to attempt to address the longstanding concerns of Members in relation to the current Standards Regime, facilitating the move towards a new Regime which enjoyed the support of the entire Court She recognised that it would take time to consider this matter fully, which leant weight to the need to begin the process now. Noting the ongoing Governance Review being undertaken by Lord Lisvane, she observed that he was aware of this Motion and expressed her belief that this did not cause any conflict with his continued Review.

Through her introduction, and with the consent of the seconder, Ms Fredericks moved a minor amendment to the Motion clarifying the composition of the Working Party, such that it be chaired by the Chief Commoner and comprise six other Members elected by the Court of Common Council.

In seconding the Motion, Barbara Newman observed that 59 Members were signatories to the Motion which demonstrated the strength of feeling amongst the Court. She suggested that the Governance Review need not delay the action proposed and urged that the Working Party be established in order that the views of Members could be sought at the earliest possible opportunity.

For the sake of clarity, the Town Clerk confirmed that the Motion before the Court was now – “That this Honourable Court resolves to convene a Working Party, which will consist of six Members elected by the Court at its next meeting plus the Chief Commoner, and

There was no report.

To consider reports of the Policy and Resources Committee, as follows:-

(A)         Annual Appointment of Committees – to consider proposals relating to the annual appointment of Committees.

For Decision

(Deputy Catherine McGuinness)

11 June 2020

Annual Appointment of Committees

When the COVID-19 outbreak first became significant in the UK and, following related directives from HM Government, the City of London Corporation had undertaken to suspend the vast majority of formal decision-making meetings, with decisions being taken in the meantime in accordance with the City Corporation’s urgency procedures. This suspension included the April meeting of the Court of Common Council, which is when the constitution of committees and election or appointment to those committees is made for the ensuing municipal year. This accorded with the wider national approach in respect of the deferral of local government and Mayoral elections for the forthcoming year. It also aligned with The Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020 (“the Regulations”) governing meetings, which came into force on 4 April 2020.

As part of the consequential considerations arising from that cancellation, it was determined that the membership of committees should be held over unchanged until April 2021. This decision (and attendant implications, such as arrangements for Chair / Deputy Chair elections, appointment of sub-committees, and so on) was taken in view of the uncertainty at that time concerning the impact of the pandemic and the possible limitations in returning to a normal meeting cycle.

However, since that time, the introduction of virtual meetings, using technology such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom, had enabled both Committees and the Court of Common Council to resume scheduled meetings. Consequently (and further to questions at the May meeting of the Court of Common Council), and the Court was recommended to approve that the annual appointment of Committees for 2020/21 take place at the July 2020 meeting of the Court, thereby undoing the

(B) Report of Urgent Action Taken: Financial Services Skills Commission – to note action taken under urgency procedures in relation to the establishment of the Financial Services Skills Commission.

For Information

Report of Action Taken: Financial Services Skills Commission

In the absence of a meeting of the Court of Common Council in April and to facilitate the launch of the Financial Skills Services Commission on 30 April, approval had been sought under urgency procedures for the City Corporation to become a corporate member of the new financial services skills company limited by guarantee (to be known as the Financial Services Skills Commission or such other name as may be agreed), becoming one of two ‘permanent’ members of the new company. This proposal followed previous approvals in respect of support for this new body, working with Her Majesty’s Government.

The Chair of the Policy & Resources Committee also nominated as the City Corporation’s appointee to the Board of Directors of the new company, with the Deputy Chairman, and/or Vice Chairmen of the Policy & Resources Committee to be appointed Alternate Directors as permitted under the Articles of Association of the new company.

Various additional approvals were also awarded to allow for the Town Clerk to undertake such actions as may be required to incorporate and register the new company, and following incorporation, as may be required for the City Corporation in the exercise of its rights as a company member; as well as for the Comptroller and City Solicitor to take any relevant steps for the incorporation and registration of the new company, including to settle the Articles of Association and any other documentation relating to or arising from the establishment of the company.

Resolved – That the action taken under urgency procedures be noted.

To note action taken under urgency procedures concerning the provision of hospitality.

(Deputy Tom Hoffman M.B.E)

23 April 2020

Report of Urgent Action Taken: Commercial Court 125^th Anniversary Dinner

In accordance with Standing Order No.19, urgent authority had been sought to the City Corporation hosting a dinner on Monday 30th November 2020 to celebrate the 125^th Anniversary of the establishment of the Commercial Court.

2020 marked the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Commercial Court in London and also the 50th anniversary of the formal creation of the Commercial and Admiralty Court. A series of events had been planned to commemorate this, including exhibitions, seminars and educational initiatives.

The senior member of the Judiciary co-ordinating the arrangements for the anniversary events had contacted the Remembrancer asking that confirmation of the event be provided as soon as possible to allow for plans to be made, taking into account the potential impact of any COVID-related restrictions that may be in place. In the absence of an April Court of Common Council meeting (when approval would have been sought), approval had been sought and obtained under urgency procedures.

Resolved – That the action taken under urgency procedures be noted.

To receive the annual report of the Committee’s activities.

(Alderman Ian Luder)

4 June 2020

Annual Report

The Audit and Risk Management Committee presented to the Court of Common Council its 2018/19 Annual Report, reporting on activity from 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020. Providing this report to the Court of Common Council on an annual basis was in line with Chartered Instituted of Public Finance & Accounting (CIPFA) guidance on best practice for audit committees in order to effectively support the organisation; for the Court to understand the work of the Committee; and, for the Court to hold the Committee to account.

Resolved – That the report be noted.

That the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business below on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act, 1972.

Resolved – that the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business below on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act, 1972.

Summary of exempt items considered whilst the public were excluded:-

To agree the non-public minutes of the meeting of the Court held on 21 May 2020.

Resolved – That the non-public Minutes of the last Court are correctly recorded.

To consider the annual pay award for Museum of London staff.

The Court endorsed proposals for the 2020 pay award for the Museum of London. 

To note action taken under urgency procedures in relation to the distribution of funds to assist with the COVID-19 response.

The Court noted action taken under urgency procedures in relation to the distribution of funds to assist with the COVID-19 response.

To consider a project proposal at Gateway 4b concerning the refurbishment of a property.

The Court approved a Gateway 4b Report on refurbishment of a property.