Agenda item

Report of the Private Secretary and Chief of Staff.

The Committee received a report of the Private Secretary & Chief of Staff updating Members on the Lord Mayor’s declaration of gifts and hospitality.

In response to a question regarding the policy around the retention of gifts by the Lord Mayor, the Chairman reported that a note was kept on file at Mansion House on this. A Co-opted Member commented that the policy for Government and Royalty was that all gifts received went to storage unless purchased by the officer holder and it therefore seemed that the Lord Mayor’s policy on this was not consistent with the approach adopted elsewhere. The Chairman highlighted that there was a considerable amount of personal cost incurred by the Lord Mayor whilst in office and that this was an unpaid office with no tax implications.

The Chairman went on to inform the Committee that he was to receive a report directly from Mansion House should the Lord Mayor receive any gift/hospitality of a politically sensitive nature. He confirmed that there had been no such report to date.

The Chairman drew Members’ attention to the addition of overseas hospitality as requested by the Committee at their last meeting.

RECEIVED.