Agenda item

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 to make appointments to the College Council from amongst the wider Court if desired. It was also noted that such appointments had to be from within the Court and there was no proposal to extend this beyond the Court’s membership.

In response to queries concerning the extent of the perceived conflict Members noted that, whilst there had not been this division of responsibilities during previous funding negotiations, the principles of modern governance had changed and it was incumbent on the Committee to act according to the highest possible standards.

Whilst supportive of the proposals, Members suggested that there would also be benefit in specifying that there should be an aspiration for one of the Chairman or Deputy Chairman should serve on the Council. It was, however, noted that this could not be made obligatory as the terms and conditions of certain individuals’ employment in future might prevent them from taking up a Directorship at the College.

Further, it was agreed that the City Side representatives on the Council should be asked to provide an annual update to the City Side Committee, thereby introducing a mechanism to provide greater accountability and cognisance amongst the full City-Side Committee of the breadth of the College’s activities.  

With the Committee agreeing these new proposed arrangements, Members proceeded to make amendments to the appointments to both the Gresham Working Party and the College Council, so as to comply with the new measures.

Appointments were confirmed as follows:

Gresham Working Party

·         Simon Duckworth (to Chair the Working Party)

·         Christopher Hayward, in the room of Deputy Dr Giles Shilson

·         Deputy Edward Lord

·         Alderman Ian Luder, in the room of John Scott

Gresham College Council (City-Side appointments)

·         Nicholas Bensted-Smith, in the room of Simon Duckworth

·         Deputy Tom Hoffman

·         John Scott

·         Deputy Dr Giles Shilson

RESOLVED – That approval be given to:-

·         The introduction of a protocol such that Members could not serve on both the Gresham Working Party and the Gresham College Council;

·         The widening of eligibility to serve on the College’s appointment and interview panels, such that all City-Side Committee Members were eligible; and,

·         Appointments to the Gresham Working Party and Gresham College Council being confirmed as follows:

Gresham Working Party

o  Simon Duckworth (to Chair the Working Party)

o  Christopher Hayward, in the room of Deputy Dr Giles Shilson

o  Deputy Edward Lord

o  Alderman Ian Luder, in the room of John Scott

Gresham College Council (City-Side appointments)

o  Nicholas Bensted-Smith, in the room of Simon Duckworth

o  Deputy Tom Hoffman

o  John Scott

o  Deputy Dr Giles Shilson