Agenda item

The Committee are invited to consider a resolution of the Public Relations and Economic Development Sub-Committee from their meeting held on 28 June 2018.

(To be read in conjunction with the confidential appendix at Item 11).

The Committee received a resolution of the Public Relations and Economic Development Sub-Committee (PRED) raising an idea to nominate 100 women connected to the City for the Freedom, as part of the celebrations marking the centenary of women’s suffrage.

Committee Members were supportive of the idea and discussed how it could be implemented, with regards to logistics and the implications for the Chamberlain’s Court. Members accepted that it may be difficult to complete all the Freedoms before the end of the year, but agreed that all invitations should be extended, and hopefully accepted, by that time. The gesture might also encourage those invited to stand for the Common Council in the future.

The Committee agreed that as the women would be invited to receive the Freedom, the usual fee should be waived as part of the gesture, and that a larger-scale hospitality event such as a tea party may be more appropriate in this case. The Committee considered suggestions from PRED to ease the logistical burden on the Chamberlain’s Court, and agreed that the ability to nominate should be referred to Members, by ward on a proportional basis based on the numbers of Members in each ward. Each ward could be given a number of suggestions and encouraged to nominate women based in their respective wards, which would hopefully achieve a more even geographical and cross-sectoral spread of nominations. However, Members were aware that many leading women connected to the City were not based within the Square Mile. Any shortfall in nominations, for example if a women nominated was already Free, could be topped up by nominations from Committee Members or the Chairman of the policy & Resources Committee.

The Committee agreed that all Members should be contacted, setting out the motion to nominate 100 women for the Freedom and seeking nominations, with regard to women based in that Members wards and a cross-sectoral spread where possible. The Committee suggested that nominations should be communicated through each ward’s Deputy and suggested that Deputies should also be contacted.

RESOLVED – That the Town Clerk, in consultation with the Chairman, should contact all Members of the Court of Common Council, and the Deputy of each ward separately, seeking nominations of women connected to the City for the Freedom, on a proportional basis according to the number of Councilmen serving each ward, giving a deadline for nominations in early September.