Agenda item

 1) Brian Mooney asked a question of the Chief Commoner concerning dress worn for the presentation of Members to the Court.

In reply the Chief Commoner supported the approach of his predecessor for either morning dress or lounge suits to be worn for such presentations and he stated that this may be a matter for the Members’ Privileges Sub Committee to consider.

2) Brian Mooney asked a question of the Chairman of the Policy & Resources Committee concerning the take up and turn-out of the business vote at the recent elections.

In reply the Chairman reported that according to the City Corporation’s official occupier’s database, there were 6,798 potential businesses that could have registered to vote in the recent City elections. Of those, 3,954 businesses actually registered, which represents a take-up of almost 60% of the business electorate. Based on that take-up, 19,712 individual business voters could have been registered to vote. The actual number of individual business voters who did, in fact, register was 15,581. This equated to a 79% take-up of eligible business voters.

He added that the overall average turnout across all the contested wards was approximately 30%. The comparable figure in 2009 was 26%. The average turn-out in the predominately business wards, was slightly less at approximately 29%. There was, however, a significant range in turnout between individual predominantly business wards - for example, in Castle Baynard the turnout was 16%, in Lime Street the figure was about 50% and in Cheap it was in the order of 38%.

The Chairman concluded that the City’s emphasis must be on continuing to engage and foster the links that had been built with businesses to sustain the level of interest and increase the numbers further. In particular to encourage businesses to ensure that their voters reflect, so far as is reasonability practicable, the composition of their workforce.