Agenda item

(A)         Annual Appointment of Committees – to consider proposals relating to the annual appointment of Committees.

For Decision

(Deputy Catherine McGuinness)

11 June 2020

Annual Appointment of Committees

When the COVID-19 outbreak first became significant in the UK and, following related directives from HM Government, the City of London Corporation had undertaken to suspend the vast majority of formal decision-making meetings, with decisions being taken in the meantime in accordance with the City Corporation’s urgency procedures. This suspension included the April meeting of the Court of Common Council, which is when the constitution of committees and election or appointment to those committees is made for the ensuing municipal year. This accorded with the wider national approach in respect of the deferral of local government and Mayoral elections for the forthcoming year. It also aligned with The Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020 (“the Regulations”) governing meetings, which came into force on 4 April 2020.

As part of the consequential considerations arising from that cancellation, it was determined that the membership of committees should be held over unchanged until April 2021. This decision (and attendant implications, such as arrangements for Chair / Deputy Chair elections, appointment of sub-committees, and so on) was taken in view of the uncertainty at that time concerning the impact of the pandemic and the possible limitations in returning to a normal meeting cycle.

However, since that time, the introduction of virtual meetings, using technology such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom, had enabled both Committees and the Court of Common Council to resume scheduled meetings. Consequently (and further to questions at the May meeting of the Court of Common Council), and the Court was recommended to approve that the annual appointment of Committees for 2020/21 take place at the July 2020 meeting of the Court, thereby undoing the previous resolution (referred to as “the April resolution” for ease, hereafter) determining that committee membership be rolled forward and maintained for the current year. The report also sets out the implications of this decision on the other aspects of the April resolution, such as term limits and the election of committee chairmen and deputy chairmen, as well as how the election process will be managed.

Resolved –That:-

1.     It be confirmed that the annual appointment of committees for 2020/21 take place at the 16 July 2020 meeting of the Court of Common Council and the provisions of sections 2-9 of the resolution previously approved by the Court, set out at Appendix 1, be revoked effective 12.59pm on 16 July 2020.

2.     It be confirmed that the annual elections of Chairs and Deputy Chairs and the appointment of sub-committees will take place at the first meeting of each Committee following the July Court.

3.     The proposed arrangements for ballots to be conducted at the July Court meeting be endorsed.

4.     No change be made in respect of the provisions pertaining to the Chief Commoner.