Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, Alderman Andrew Parmley and Deputy John Bennett.

The Chairman welcomed Gregory Moore and Sacha Than to the Committee, noting that they would be assuming clerking responsibilities going forward. The Chairman bade farewell to the previous clerk, Julie Cornelius, and thanked former committee clerk Philippa Sewell for her kind assistance with regard to the production of the minutes of the previous meeting.

There were no declarations.

To agree the public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 2 June 2017.

RESOLVED – That the public minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 2 June 2017 be approved as a correct record.

Matters arising:

Noting the Vote of Thanks delivered to the outgoing Chairman, a number of Members queried the status of their Votes of Thanks for their service on other committees or outside bodies. The Town Clerk agreed to follow this up outside the meeting.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee considered a report of the Town Clerk concerning the appointment of City Corporation Members to Gresham College Council.

The Chairman and Deputy Chairman spoke to summarise the discussions at the previous meeting and the subsequent debate which had taken place at the Outside Bodies Sub-Committee meeting in October. Whilst reiterating the importance of removing the potential for perceived conflicts of interest with regard to Members serving both on the College Council and also negotiating the funding agreement with the College, there had been a recognition that the proposals needed to be re-examined. This was particularly with a view to ensuring that those who enjoyed strong links with the College and wished to serve on the Council could continue to do so, without coming into potential conflict through involvement in funding negotiations.

Consequently, it was proposed that a division be made between membership of the Gresham Working Party, which negotiated the funding arrangements, and membership of the College Council. Committee Members would then have the opportunity to determine for themselves which body they might wish to serve on, whilst still ensuring a separation of responsibilities and thereby mitigating the potential for conflict.

A secondary proposal was also made in respect of the pool of Members able to serve on the College’s interview panels, with it suggested that the opportunity to serve should be opened more widely to the full City-Side Committee membership, rather than remain limited to those City-side Members who were appointed to the College Council itself. This would provide the opportunity for more Members to become involved with the College’s activities whilst also increasing the likelihood of the College being able to establish a panel on a wider range of dates.

During the course of debating the proposals, it was confirmed that the Committee retained the ability

Joint Report of the Town Clerk, Chamberlain and Director of Community and Children's Services.

The Committee considered a joint report of the Town Clerk, Chamberlain and the Director of Community and Children's Services which detailed the key risks for the Sir Thomas Gresham Charity. The report outlined the current risks and highlighted that there had been no new risks or changes to existing risks or scores since the previous annual review on 21 October 2016.

Members noted that a former Member of the Court of Common Council had queried whether the Committee had been fulfilling its obligation in assisting poor persons in debtors’ prisons. The Chairman advised that the Debtors’ Act, which came into effect in 1869, rendered this element of the bequest and the Committee’s responsibility in this area redundant. The Town Clerk was asked to confirm this with the Comptroller following the meeting to provide absolute surety.

RESOLVED – That the register be agreed as an accurate record of the risks faced by the charity and that appropriate measures are in place to mitigate those risks.

Report of the Chamberlain.

The Committee received a report of the Chamberlain providing the Draft Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2017. It was noted that total funds had decreased by £1,371 to £148,965 and that the City of London Corporation had provided £95,056 in charitable funds.

It was noted that City Corporation expenditure on the College and Almshouses exceeded the current revenue income from its share of the Gresham Estate. Acknowledging this, the Chairman observed that the Committee had a moral obligation to ensure those in the Almshouses and at the College were provided for.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

Joint report of the Chamberlain and the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

The Committee received a joint report of the Chamberlain and the Director of Community and Children’s Services on the 2016/17 revenue outturn for the Gresham (City Side) Committee. The report noted that there was a 33.5% decrease in expenditure and an improved position which was principally attributable to an increased rent income from lettings at the Royal Exchange.

RESOLVED – That the revenue outturn for 2016/17 be noted.

Joint report of the Chamberlain and the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

The Committee considered a joint report of the Chamberlain and the Director of Community and Children’s Services on the 2017/18 latest revenue budget and the provisional revenue budget for 2018/19. The report highlighted that the latest 2017/18 budget represented a net increase of £5,000 totalling £218,000.

The report explained that this increase was primarily caused by an increase in employee costs arising from a marginal increase in Rents Officer hours, coupled with an increase in employers’ national insurance and pension fund contributions. In addition, it was noted that the 2018/19 provisional revenue budget displays a net increase of £19,000, totalling £232,000, which was principally due to an increase of £12,000 in the City Grant to the Gresham College and an £5,000 increase in employee.

Members queried which Chief Officer held responsibility for the Committee, noting that the Almshouses themselves came within the remit of the Department of Community and Children’s Services. Following discussion, the Chairman undertook to give this further consideration.

RESOLVED – That:

·         the latest 2017/18 revenue budget be approved and summited to the Finance Committee on the 21^st of November; and

·         the provisional 2018/19 revenue budget be approved and submitted to the Finance Committee.

Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

The Committee received a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services providing an update on the Gresham Almshouses in Lambeth and City of London Almshouses on the estate.

Members noted that the Christmas Hamper Delivery to the Almshouses would be taking place on the morning of 1 December 2017. The Chairman encouraged all Members of the Committee to attend, explaining that both he and the Deputy Chairman had other commitments on this date.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

There were no questions.

There was no other business.

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

Item Nos.                                                        Exempt Paragraph(s)

13-14                                                                           3

15-16                                                                           -

To agree the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 2 June 2017.

RESOLVED – That the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 6 June 2017 be approved as a correct record.

The Committee considered the various items on the agenda for the meeting of the Joint Grand Gresham Committee that day.

There were no questions.

There was no other business.