Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Alderman Sir Peter Estlin, Alderman and Sheriff Bronek Masojada and Alderman Kawsar Zaman.

Alderman Alastair King declared a non-pecuniary interest in relation to agenda item 17, stating that he was a trustee of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

To elect a Chairman for the year ensuing, in accordance with The Court of Aldermen’s Standing Orders 11 and 12.

Nominations received: Alderman Sir William Russell

In accordance with Standing Orders No.11 and 12, the Committee elected its Chairman for 2024/25.

RESOLVED – that, as the only Alderman in nomination, Alderman Sir William Russell be elected as Chairman of the General Purposes Committee of Aldermen for the ensuing civic year (2024/25).

To elect a Deputy Chairman for the year ensuing, in accordance with the Court of Aldermen’s Standing Orders 14 and 16.

Nominations received: Alderman Sir Charles Bowman.

In accordance with Standing Orders No.14 and 16, the Committee elected its Deputy Chairman for 2024/25.

RESOLVED – that, as the only Alderman in nomination, Alderman Sir Charles Bowman be elected as Deputy Chairman of the General Purposes Committee of Aldermen for the ensuing year (2024/25).

[Alderman Sir Charles Bowman thanked the Committee for its support and moved into the chair]

To approve the minutes of the last meeting of the General Purposes Committee of Aldermen held on 14 May 2024.

The Committee considered the minutes of the last meeting of the General Purposes Committee of Aldermen held on 14 May 2024.

Chairman’s Congratulatory Remarks

The Deputy Chairman, on behalf of the Court of Aldermen, offered congratulations to Alderman Sir Nicholas Lyons and Alderman Alison Gowman, CBE for having recently been recognised in His Majesty the King’s Birthday Honors.

He went on to pay tribute to Alderwoman Susan Pearson for her service on the Court of Aldermen and noted that a formal Vote of Thanks would be moved at this afternoon’s Court of Aldermen meeting.

RESOLVED: - That the minutes of the last meeting of the General Purposes Committee of Aldermen held on 14 May 2024 be approved as an accurate record of the meeting.

Planning and Transportation Committee/Planning Applications Sub-Committee

To approve the appointment of Alderwoman-Elect Liz King to the Planning and Transportation Committee and the Planning Applications Sub-Committee for the ensuing civic year.

The Committee considered one of its four Aldermanic appointments to the Planning and Transportation Committee following the retirement of Alderwoman Susan Pearson.

The Committee was also requested to consider an Aldermanic nomination to a vacancy on Emanuel School for the remainder of a term concluding in July 2026, in the room of Common Councillor Tijs Broeke who had recently stepped down from the role. Following conversations between the School and Chairman of this Committee, it had been suggested that an external appointee, might be well suited to take up the nomination, subject to the formal approval of the Court of Aldermen.

The Committee commented that it would be helpful to have further details of the skills and background of the proposed candidate circulated to all before approving the nomination. It was also suggested that it might be helpful to establish a mechanism for formal feedback given that the proposal on this occasion was for an external representative and to look again at the process by which nominations of this sort came forward.

RESOLVED: - That the Aldermen approve:

(a)   The appointment of Alderwoman-Elect Elizabeth King to the Planning & Transportation Committee for the remainder of the current civic year;

(b)   The Committee grant delegated authority to the Town Clerk, in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the General Purposes Committee of Aldermen, to obtain and circulate further information about the proposed nominee for the Emanuel School vacancy and seek further comment on this before deciding whether to progress or delay further consideration until the next meeting.

The Deputy Chairman welcomed representatives of the Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) – Tony Gabb, a veteran Squadron Commander and Captain of the Company of Pikemen and Musketeers, Major Iain Morpeth, also a veteran Squadron Commander and Vice President of the HAC, Colonel Howard Wilkinson, Regimental Colonel of the HAC and Chris Huxtable, Adjutant of the Company of Musketeers and Pikemen.

The HAC explained that they intended to present on the nature of the relationship between the City of London and the Honourable Artillery Company. It was reported that the current President of the HAC was the new Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Roley Walker.

They began by speaking of the HAC of relatively more modern times. It was acknowledged that, whilst the Company of Pikemen and Muskateers were perhaps the most familiar face of the HAC to many by virtue of the ceremonial role they undertook in the City, the HAC was fundamentally about the regiment in which all had served. Reference was made to the Second Boer War in the 1880s to which the HAC had sent 200 men to South Africa as part of the City Imperial Volunteers, raised and funded by the City under the guidance of the Lord Mayor, Sir Alfred Newton and the Court of Common Council. During that war, the HAC had lost 6 men. In the First World War the HAC raised three infantry battalions and seven artillery batteries with a total of over 13,000 members of the company serving either with the HAC or other unit. 4,000 members were commissioned into other units of the armed forces. More than 1650 members lost their loves in the War with their names commemorated on war memorials all over Europe with the London Units in which they served engraved on the memorial outside

Report of the City Remembrancer.

The Committee considered a report of the City Remembrancer outlining the historic role and duties of the Collector of Toll on Wine at Customs House and recommending that provision be made for the title to be recreated in an honorary capacity.

The City Remembrancer reported that since the time of writing this report, he had held further conversations with the Lord Mayor, who had stated that, should the appointment be approved, he would be minded to consider someone from the hospitality industry as opposed to the tax industry for the role given the wine connection. He reiterated that this would be an honorary position only.

The Lord Mayor added that the idea behind reviving positions such as these was as a means by which to honour people doing good work in and around the City. He reported that the two Water Bailiffs already appointed had carried out fantastic work cleaning up the river and supporting the view of the Thames and Thames Day.

RESOLVED: - That Members agree that the Lord Mayor may appoint an honorary Collector of Toll on Wine in order to honour a senior figure in the taxation industry.

Report of the Deputy Town Clerk.

The Committee received a report of the Town Clerk outlining briefly the role and duties of the Bridgemaster, one of the historic offices of the City Corporation which has some element of interaction with the Court of Aldermen.

Following the recent electoral contest at Common Hall for the office of Bridgemaster, and in response to several queries around process and background that arose therefrom, the report was intended to be a means of advancing a shared understanding of the history of the office and the respective remits of the executive bodies of the City Corporation (i.e., the Court of Common Council, Common Hall, and the Court of Aldermen) in relation to it.

The Lord Mayor thanked the Town Clerk for providing this clarification. He added that he would be keen to see the holders of these offices rotate regularly going forward as another means by which to recognise the good work of individuals within the charity sphere. He added that he was not of the view that the appointee should come solely from within the City Bridge Foundation.

An Alderman suggested that a similar approach might be taken to the position of AleConner going forward for the reasons already articulated.

RESOLVED: - That the report be noted and its content received.

Joint report of the, Executive Director & Private Secretary to the Lord Mayor, the Director of Innovation & Growth, the Deputy Town Clerk and the Chief Strategy Officer.

The Committee received a joint report of the Executive Director & Private Secretary to the Lord Mayor, the Director of Innovation & Growth, the Deputy Town Clerk and the Chief Strategy Officer outlining the proposed mayoral theme to be championed, subject to election, by the Lord Mayor of London 2024-25, Alderman Alastair King.

It was highlighted that the Mayoral Theme – Growth Unleashed – was intended to empower the City and its communities to seize opportunities, maximise growth and succeed. The report set out the final version of the theme and key activities that will be undertaken during the Mayoral year, following the preliminary ‘high-level’ theme that was agreed at previous meetings of this committee.

Alderman King highlighted that he had linked in with what the City of London Corporation had already done around its Vision for Economic Growth and also its City Belonging Project – seeking to add the Mayoral Theme to already established foundations. He added that he had held numerous events in recent months to help stress test the proposed theme and seek input on this and anticipated output from the wider City. He highlighted that there was a forthcoming Mayoral Theme event planned specifically for the under 40s so as to capture the City’s rising stars both in the Financial and Professional Services sphere but also in the voluntary sector.

Alderman King went on to report that he was also working alongside the Lord Mayor’s Appeal to try and raise money from various different, specific communities during his Mayoral year. He also spoke on joined up thinking and referred to string links between his own theme and that of Sir Nicholas Lyons who had focused on ‘Financing our Future’ and also with what the current Lord Mayor was doing around new technologies. There was also now an agreement

There were no questions.

There were no additional, urgent items of business for consideration.

MOTION - That, in accordance with the Court of Aldermen’s Disclosure Arrangement (Standing Order 25), the public shall be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the General Purposes Committee of Aldermen have determined, having had due regard to the Disclosure Arrangement, that disclosure should not be permitted.

RESOLVED - That, in accordance with the Court of Aldermen’s Disclosure Arrangement (Standing Order 25), the public shall be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the General Purposes Committee of Aldermen have determined, having had due regard to the Disclosure Arrangement, that disclosure should not be permitted.

To approve the non-public minutes of the last meeting of the General Purposes Committee of Aldermen held on 14 May 2024.

The Committee considered and approved the non-public minutes of the last meeting of the General Purposes Committee of Aldermen held on 14 May 2024.

Aldermen Barr, Howard and Pryke gave a presentation on the Investment Management Sector.

Report of the Town Clerk and Chief Executive.

The Committee considered and approved a report of the Town Clerk and Chief Executive concerning leaves of absence and potential disqualification for absence.

Report of the City Remembrancer.

The Committee considered and approved a report of the Remembrancer setting out the case for the conferring on the Royal Regiment of Scotland the status of an Associated Regiment of the City of London.

Chair to be heard.

The Committee were updated on Aldermanic Awayday Plans for September 2024.

Chair of Strategy Group Three to be heard relative to the ‘Court of Aldermen 2024’ document.

Aldermanic Strategy Group Three updated the Committee on progress on the ‘Court of Aldermen 2024’ document.

Aldermen were given the opportunity to report on recent, wider Committee issues of strategic importance.

To receive the draft minutes of the Magistracy and Livery Sub-Committee meeting held on 7 June 2024.

The Committee received the minutes of the last meeting of the Magistracy and Livery Sub-Committee held on 7 June 2024.

Questions relating to Annual Wardmotes were raised.

Matters relating to staffing at the Old Bailey and updates on the Lord Mayor’s Programme of events were raised.