Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Deputy Alex Deane, Wendy Mead, Hugh Morris, Alderman Fiona Woolf.

Deputy Ken Ayers, Deputy Doug Barrow, Roger Chadwick, the Chief Commoner, Edward Lord, Jeremy Mayhew, Deputy Joyce Nash, Deputy Henry Pollard, Sir Michael Snyder and Michael Welbank all declared an interest in Item no. 16 concerning the fireworks display at the Lord Mayor’s Show having received an invitation to an event to view the display from Cook and Butler.

The Chairman also declared an interest in Item No. 10 as a Board Member of Centre for London.

To consider minutes as follows:-

The public minutes of the meeting held on 19 September 2013 were approved subject to the Chairman’s declaration in respect of the Singapore Strategy being amended to read as follows:-

The Chairman referred to the Singapore Strategy at Item No. 12 of the minutes. Cicero was assisting in the arrangements for the Chairman's visit to Singapore. Since the date of the meeting the assets of a start-up company he chaired, trading as Yatterbox, had been acquired by Cicero. 

The minutes of the Public Relations and Economic Development Sub-Committee meeting held on 19 September 2013 were noted.

Report of the Twon Clerk (copy attached).

The Committee considered a report of the Town Clerk concerning a protocol for the nomination of Members for appointment to Ward Committees.

Reference was made to the wording of the protocol and Members were advised that wording of the introduction and principles for making nominations should be amended to read as follows:-

Introduction

This document sets out relevant Standing Orders and protocols relating to the appointment of Members to ward committees.

Principles for making nominations

3.  Nominations should take into account all the relevant circumstances including members’ availability, knowledge, experience and the need to develop experience, to contribute to the efficient and effective running of the City Corporation.

Support was expressed for the Protocol as amended. Discussion ensued on the current disparity between Members on the number of ward committees on which Members serve. The Committee noted the disparity but on balance felt that no further action was required.

RESOLVED – that subject to the amendment referred to above and the concurrence of the Court of Common Council the protocol be approved.

Report of the Town Clerk (copy attached).

The Committee considered a report of the Town Clerk concerning the development of a City of London Corporation Education Strategy for 2013-2015.

The Chairman stated that whilst a lot of work had been done this was the beginning of the process and that once Strategy was adopted a lot more work was still to be undertaken. He thanked the Education Strategy Working Party for all its hard work in getting the Strategy to this point. The Chairman stressed that in agreeing the Strategy Members would not be agreeing the reallocation of funding or changes to constitutions, these would be brought forward in the usual way.

The Chairman of the Working Party was heard in support of the Strategy and also thanked the Members and Officers involved for their efforts. She pointed out that the Strategy had been inspired by the City Corporation’s desire to do more for education in London. She stated that it covered 4 to 18 year old pupils only. She also highlighted the vast amount of educational work which was being undertaken across the organisation and the need for more cohesion and collaboration particularly amongst the schools and academies so that good practice could be shared. Reference was also made to the governance arrangements, the creation of an overarching body and to the next steps of the initiative and what this would involve.

Members discussed the Strategy in detail during which the following comments were made:-

·           The Strategy was a statement of principles. It presented the City Corporation with the opportunity to take a more holistic look at its educational activities and was welcomed by all Members;

·           A vast amount of educational work being was being undertaken across the City Corporation and within the City itself via the Livery companies and other institutions. Efforts should therefore be

Report of the Director of Open Spaces (copy attached).

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Open Spaces concerning the need to engage with local planning authorities on proposed developments or on matters which might have an impact on the City Corporation’s open spaces and the additional resources required to do this.

RESOLVED – That:-

1.      £25,000 be allocated to cover the cost of planning consultancy work to aid the protection of the Open Spaces from development pressures and in so doing shape relevant local planning authority Plans. The cost would be met from the Policy and Resources Committee’s contingency for 2013/14 and charged to City’s Cash; and

2.      it be noted that if demand for work continued into financial year 2014/15 in the first instance attempts would be made to meet the costs from the Open Spaces budget. In the absence of resource within the Open Space budget, a similar amount may be sought for completing work in Financial Year 2014/15.  

Report of the Director of Economic Development (copy attached).

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Economic Development proposing the continued sponsorship of Digital Shoreditch, a digital technology festival, taking place in 2014.

RESOLVED – That approval be given to funding of £20,000 to cover the costs of sponsoring Digital Shoreditch 2014, split into a contribution of £9,750 payable directly to Digital Shoreditch and a sum of £10,250 to cover in-kind support in the form of connected events/hospitality at Guildhall, both sums to be charged to City’s Cash and met from the contingency for 2013/14 (£13,160) and 2014/15 (£6,840).

Report of the Director of Economic Development (copy attached).

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Economic Development proposing a contribution of £100,000 to assist with seed funding for London Works, a social enterprise temporary recruitment agency set up by the East London Business Alliance.

RESOLVED – That:-

1.    approval be given to a contribution of £100,000 to London Works, split into two annual contributions of £50,000 over the 2013/14 and 2014/15 financial years, to be met from the Policy Initiatives Fund for the respective years, categorised under ‘Communities’ and charged to City’s Cash;

2.    it be noted that the proposed contribution would be subject to London Works accepting referrals from each of the City’s seven neighbouring boroughs and working closely with the Brokerage Citylink; and

3.    Deputy Catherine McGuinness be appointed as the City Corporation’s representative on the board of London Works.

Report of the Director of Public Relations (copy attached).

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Public Relations proposing the City Corporation’s subscription to the LGiU, a local democracy think tank.

RESOLVED – that the City Corporation subscribes to the Local Government Information Unit at a cost of £10,000 per annum funded from the Policy Initiatives Fund for 2013/14 and 2014/2015, categorised under the Research section of the Fund and charged to City’s Cash.

Report of the Director of Public Relations (copy attached).

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Public Relations proposing continued support for the Centre for London, a politically independent, not-for- profit think tank.

RESOLVED – that sponsorship of the Centre for London be approved for a maximum of two years at a cost of £20,000 per year to be met from the Policy Initiatives Fundsfor 2013/14 and 2014/15 categorised under the Research section of the Fund and charged to City’s Cash.

Report of the Director of Public Relations (copy attached)..

NB: The Appendix to this report has been circulated electronically as a separately bound document. Hard copies will be available at the meeting and are also available on request.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Public Relations summarising the results of the latest poll of key audiences commissioned by the City Corporation.

Members noted that generally there had been improvement in perceptions of the City since the last poll was conducted.

RESOLVED – that the report be received together with the report produced by TNS and that they key findings be noted.

Report of the Director of Public Relations (copy attached).

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Public Relations updating it on the activities undertaken by the Public Relations Office since the last report in July 2013.

RESOLVED – That the report be received and the content noted.

Report of the Chamberlain (copy attached).

The Committee considered a statement of the Chamberlain on the use of the Policy Initiatives Fund and the Committee’s contingency for 2013/14.

RESOLVED – That the content of the report be noted.

Report of the Town Clerk (copy attached).

The Committee received a report of the Town Clerk reporting action taken by the Town Clerk in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman since the last meeting of the Committee in accordance with Standing Orders 41(a) and 41(b).

RESOLVED – that it be noted that approval was given to the following:-

1.    the Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee serving on the newly created UK National Advisory Board to the G8 Social Impact Investment Taskforce; and

2.    support for the Global Law Summit (GLS), which was being organised by the Government, Bar Council and Law Society to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta in 2015 as follows:-

i)     the non-exclusive use of the ground floor outer Livery room in the Guildhall North Wing by GLS staff free of charge for approximately 18 months starting from a date to be agreed on the basis of ad hoc sharing with Livery Company clerks;

ii)    waiver of the inclusive notional cost of occupation at the rate of £13,635 per annum; and

iii)  the Remembrancer becoming a director of the limited liability company set up to establish the Summit.

There were no questions.

The following items of urgent business were considered:-

Lord Mayor’s Show

The Committee considered the following matters in connection with the Lord Mayor’s Show:-

Armed Forces and the City Corporation Covenant

The Remembrancer sought support to the Lord Mayor to sign a covenant between the Armed Forces and the City Corporation, as part of the Lord Mayor’s Show, which acknowledged the Armed Forces and the sacrifices made by the various military groups.

RESOLVED – that approval be given to the Lord Mayor’s signing of a covenant, as part of the Lord Mayor’s Show, between the Armed Forces and the City Corporation which acknowledged the Armed Forces.

Fireworks Display

A report of the Director of Public Relations was laid round the table concerning the additional cost associated with traffic and public safety management activities for the fireworks display.

RESOLVED – that approval be given to the following:-

1.   an increase not exceeding £62,000 to the cost of providing the fireworks display to include additional traffic management, public safety and crowd and related events management issues. The total cost not to exceed £155,000 to be met from the Committee’s City’s Cash contingency for 2013/14; and

2.   the appointment of AD Health and Safety as a specialist event company to oversee the management of the fireworks event.

London First Aviation Campaign

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Public Relations proposing support for London First’s aviation campaign entitled Let Britain Fly.

RESOLVED – That approval be given to one-off financial support of £25,000 to London First’s aviation campaign, Let Britain Fly, to be met from the Policy Initiatives Fundfor 2013/14 categorised under the Research section of the Fund and charged to City’s Cash.

Members’ Informal Meeting

The Chairman referred to the regular themed discussion meetings he hosted to assist Members

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

RESOLVED – That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items 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:-

Item Nos.                                                           Paragraph(s) in Schedule 12A 

18                                                                                            3

19                                                                                            1 and 3

20                                                                                            1 and 3

To agree the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 19 September 2013.

The non-public minutes of the meeting held on 19 September 2013 were approved.

Report of the Director of Economic Development (copy attached)..

The Committee considered and agreed a report of the Director of Economic Development concerning the role of the Employer Engagement Manager.

The Remembrancer to be heard with regard to City Corporation hospitality.

The Remembrancer was heard in relation to a forthcoming Honorary Freedom and associated hospitality. The Committee supported the proposal.

There were no questions.

There were no items of urgent business for consideration.