Agenda and draft minutes

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To elect a Chairman in accordance with Standing Order No. 29.

In accordance with Standing Order No. 29, the Sub Committee elected a Chairman.

Resolved: - That Revd. Dr. Martin Dudley be elected as Chairman for the meeting of the Dispensations Sub Committee. 

The Sub Committee is asked to consider a written request for a dispensation from Mr Gregory Lawrence.

The Sub Committee considered a written request for a dispensation from Mr Gregory Lawrence, a Common Councilman for the Ward of Farringdon Without.

It was noted that the request for a dispensation under Section 33 (2) of the Localism Act 2011 concerned Mr Lawrence’s disclosable pecuniary interest as a wholesale meat trader at Smithfield Meat Market (with a premises leased from the City of London) and his position as Chairman of the Smithfield Market Tenants’ Association.  Mr Lawrence’s request to the Sub Committee, to participate in any discussion and vote on matters relating to Smithfield Meat Market, was based on the following grounds:-

(i) that the dispensation was in the interests of persons living (or in the City’s case, living or working) in the authority’s area; and/or

(ii) that it is otherwise appropriate to grant a dispensation.

It was noted that the request had been submitted in July 2013 but, due to the general and non-urgent nature of this request, consideration had been postponed to allow for the creation of the Standards Committee’s new Sub Committee.  The Sub Committee did however acknowledge the importance of considering all requests as promptly as possible. 

Following confirmation from the Comptroller & City Solicitor regarding the grounds on which a dispensation could be granted, the Sub Committee considered the request.  The Sub Committee felt that the request was speculative and hypothetical as Mr Lawrence was not currently a Member of the Markets Committee and there was no way of knowing what business would arise at future meetings of the Court of Common Council (or its Committees and Sub Committees) and in what circumstances a pecuniary interest would therefore arise.  Consequently, the request was for a blanket approval which, if granted, would deprive the Sub Committee of the ability to consider the precise circumstances in which

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