Agenda item

Report of the Director of Public Relations.

The Committee considered an annual report of the Director of Public Relations concerning the renewal of the City of London Corporation’s think tank subscriptions for 2015-16.

The Chairman was heard in support of the report and advised that it did not cover the totality of think tanks the City Corporation engaged with only those which required a subscription. A Member referred to the importance of covering the political spectrum and suggested that to ensure that an appropriate balance was maintained the matter should be referred to the Public Relations and Economic Development Sub-Committee to look at in its totality.

The Committee supported this suggestion and also noted that the City Corporation would cease to subscribe to CentreForum and Demos.

RESOLVED – that:-

1.    approval be given to the renewal of the City of London Corporation’s corporate membership of the following eight think tanks a total cost of £77,000 to be met from the Committee’s Policy Initiatives Fund 2015/16, categorised under the Events section of the Fund and charged to City’s Cash:-

Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation

Chatham House

European Policy Forum

Foreign Policy Centre

Institute for Public Policy Research

Local Government Information Unit

New Local Government Network

Reform

2.    the Director of Public Relations be requested to submit a report to the Public Relations and Economic Development Sub-Committee on the City Corporation’s engagement with think tanks to ensure that there was sufficient balance across the political spectrum.