Agenda item

New Corporate Risk - Brexit

Report of the Chamberlain.

Minutes:

The Sub-Committee received a report of the Chamberlain detailing information on the new corporate risk focused on minimising the impact of disruption to key City Corporation services following the departure of the UK from the EU on 29 March 2019 (Brexit).

 

The Town Clerk assured Members that he had requested that there be an item on every committee agenda on Brexit risks, and that the Establishment Committee would be considering any issues around staffing and dependencies, particularly non-UK EU staff who needed support to settle their legal status in the UK.

 

Members made the following comments:

·         The City Corporation had been slow to undertake this work, compared to other organisations;

·         SMEs needed to be reminded of support they could access when planning for Brexit scenarios;

·         It was vital that non-UK EU citizens receive reassurance, education and support to settle their legal status in the UK before the UK leaves the EU, and that the City Corporation should ensure that they were doing this for staff;

·         The impact of Brexit on the City Corporation’s property portfolio was not clear in terms of yield and returns;

·         A Finance Fund was available for certain functions such as Port Health Authority, but government guidance for public bodies was still being developed.

 

The Chair of the Establishment Committee informed Members that there were over 100 staff that were non-UK EU nationals currently employed by the City Corporation and that a paper would be coming to the Establishment Committee looking at options to ensure that these staff feel safe, secure and supported.

 

RESOLVED, that:

·         The inclusion of a new corporate risk (CR26) in relation to Brexit be noted;

·         The eight subsidiary Brexit related risks be maintained by Chief Officers on departmental risk registers.

Supporting documents: