Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from the Chairman, Nick Bensted-Smith, Janes De Sausmarez, Michael Hudson Jamie Ingham Clark and Alderman Alastair King.

Henry Colthurst declared an interest as a Trustee of the Mitchell Trust.  

To receive the Sub-Committee’s Terms of Reference as agreed by the Finance Committee on 11 May 2021.

The Sub-Committee received the terms of reference as agreed by the Finance Committee on 11 May 2021.

There was a brief discussion about the number of Members appointed to serve on the Sub-Committee and it was suggested that a possible reduction should be flagged for consideration by the Finance Committee as part of the annual review of committee and sub-committee terms of reference.

RESOLVED, that the terms of reference of the Finance Grants Oversight and Performance Sub-Committee be noted.

To agree the public minutes and non-public summary of the previous meeting held on 19 January 2021.

The Sub-Committee considered the public minutes and non-public summary of the previous meeting held on 19 January 2021.

RESOLVED, that – the public minutes and non-public summary of the previous meeting held on 19 January 2021 be agreed as an accurate record.

Members are asked to note the Sub-Committee’s work programme.

The Sub-Committee received the Work Programme.

RESOLVED, that the Sub-Committee’s Work Programme be noted.

Members are asked to note the Sub-Committee’s outstanding actions list.

Members received the Sub-Committee’s list of outstanding actions. It was noted that the Community Infrastructure Levy report (1 Year Update) and the Corporate Charities Review report would be submitted to the Sub-Committee’s September meeting.

RESOLVED, that the Sub-Committee’s list of outstanding actions be noted.

Report of the Managing Director of Bridge House Estates and Chief Charities Officer.

The Sub-Committee received a report of the Managing Director of Bridge House Estates and Chief Charities Officer relative to the Central Grants Programme Annual Report which provided an update on the Central Grants Programme (CPG) and the outcomes of the four CGP grant programmes delivered in 2020/21.

Jack Joslin (Head of the Central Grants Unit) advised the Sub-Committee that, like all City Corporation departments, the Central Grants Unit (CGU) had had to adapt to the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic over the past year. Whilst operating in difficult circumstances, the CGP had continued to provide funding for a range of projects to support communities, green space management and cultural activity. It was noted that the CGP was continuing to role-model best practice in grant making and worked collaboratively across the organisation to ensure that the grants awarded had the maximum impact.

RESOLVED, that the Central Grants Programme Annual Report be noted.

Report of the Managing Director of Bridge House Estates and Chief Charities Officer.

Members considered a report of the Managing Director of Bridge House Estates and Chief Charities Officer relative to an update on the Community Infrastructure Levy Neighbourhood Fund (CILNF).

James Lee (Project Manager, Town Clerk’s Department) advised Members that the CIL Neighbourhood Fund launch was delayed as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic and the resulting lockdown in England in spring 2020. Consequently, the launch was postponed to 1 September 2020, after which time the City of London CILNF was opened for applications with £6.2 million available for distribution.

Members noted the high level of officer scrutiny of all grants being made by the City Corporation, as well as engagement with Ward Members and Aldermen where proposals were submitted and concerned a specific Ward. Mr Martinelli suggested that it would be helpful, going forward, to detail Ward specific proposals in the Grant Approved, Withdrawn and Rejected data that was submitted to Members in the update report. 

RESOLVED, that –

(i)            the update report be noted; and

(ii)           the schedule of grants approved, withdrawn and rejected in the first six months of the programme (Appendix 1) be noted.

Report of the Managing Director of Bridge House Estates and Chief Charities Officer.

Members received a report of the Managing Director of Bridge House Estates and Chief Charities Officer relative to the Benefits in Kind (BIK) annual report which detailed the annual Benefits in Kind data which had been collected and the amount of time that officers had reported spending on volunteering or the provision of advice and guidance to external bodies/charities during the period between April 2020 and March 2021.

Jack Joslin (Head of the Central Grants Unit) referred to a summary of the data collected from departments across the City Corporation between April 2020 and March 2021 (Appendix 1) and advised that there had been a significant decrease in BIK over the past year as a result of the impact of the pandemic on how the City Corporation has operated and what BIK’s could be offered.  As an example, Members were advised that the substantial percentage reduction in BIK’s for the Remembrancer’s department was as a result of event space not being available. It was hoped that the position would change as soon as the Covid-restrictions eased. 

With regard to the annual requirement, of every City Corporation department, to provide details of BIK’s to the Chamberlain’s Department, it was noted that some departments had not submitted any data for the past year and this therefore presented a number of issues in terms of effective monitoring of BIK’s across the organisation. Noting the corporate requirement to provide the Chamberlain’s Department with this data on an annual basis, Members stressed that departments could not simply choose to ignore the requirement and the matter should be flagged to the Resource Allocation Sub (Policy and Resources) Committee.

RESOLVED, that –

(i)            the summary and analysis of Benefits in Kind relating to April 2020 and March 2021 be noted; and

(ii)           the new reporting

Report of the Managing Director of Bridge House Estate and Chief Charities Officer.

The Sub-Committee received an update report of the Managing Director of Bridge House Estates and Chief Charities Officer relative to the Central Grants Unit.

Jack Joslin (Head of the Central Grants Unit) referred to the report before Members and explained how the Central Grants Unit (CGU), whilst administering the City Corporation’s Central Grants Programme (CGP), also provided a centre of excellence in charity and grants administration and management with a view to establishing consistency of approach within the City Corporation and to role model best practice in the field of Grant Making. It was noted that the success of the CGU has led to it taking on the administration of other funding and grants programmes for the City Corporation as charity trustee (Emanuel Hospital) and as local authority (Community Infrastructure Levy Fund).

RESOLVED, that the update report be noted.

There were none.

There was no other business.

MOTION, that – under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

RESOLVED, that – under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

To agree the non-public minutes of the previous meeting held on 19 January 2021.

RESOLVED, that the non-public minutes of the previous meeting held on 19 January 2021 be agreed as an accurate record.

Report of the Managing Director of Bridge House Estates & Chief Charities Officer.

The Sub-Committee received a report of the Managing Director of Bridge House Estates and Chief Charities Officer relative to an update on the Corporate Charities Review following the last update report in September 2020. The report focused on the interim findings of the Corporate Charities Review since the reinvigoration of the project following the adverse impact of COVID-19 on the original project timetable. It also outlined progress made to-date, despite the impact of COVID-19 and provided and update on resourcing.

RESOLVED, that –

(i)            the contents of the update report be noted; and

(ii)           it be noted that the potential resourcing implications to implement actions which had been identified through the Corporate Charities Review shall be presented to the Sub-Committee in the future as required.

A query was raised in respect of Benefits in Kind.

There was no other non-public business.