Agenda item

Electoral Registration

Deputy Alex Deane asked a question of the Policy and Resources Committee concerning the electoral registration of those using shared office space in the City.

In reply, the Chairman explained that under the terms of the City of London (Various Powers) Act 1957, qualifying bodies including sole traders and partnerships must occupy premises as owner or tenant to be eligible to register. It would be for the Town Clerk to determine applications and consider whether there was a genuine tenancy in each case and therefore whether it was possible to confer voting rights. He encouraged all Members to direct any potential cases to the Town Clerk’s office and highlighted the work that the City Occupiers Database team was doing to identify and provide information to businesses who might be affected.

In response to further supplementary questions, the Chairman expressed his agreement that the evolving ways in which businesses were operating and using office space in the City were not sufficiently captured by the current legislation, noting however that it would be potentially difficult and time-consuming to amend primary legislation. He also thanked James Tumbridge for his offer to provide access to previous work he had been involved with, which had looked at interpreting the relevant legislation in relation to tenancies and which might provide assistance in this area.

The Chairman reassured Members that he would be asking officers to explore the potential steps that could be taken to address this issue, including changes to primary legislation. This report would be considered by the Policy and Resources Committee and presented to the Court before the end of the year.

Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership

William Campbell-Taylor asked a question of the Policy and Resources Committee regarding the City Corporation’s support for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) deal.

In reply, the Chairman observed that the UK financial services industry was strongly in favour of TTIP and the inclusion of financial services within it, advising that the City Corporation was supportive of this position. He highlighted the particular support for the UK and EU objectives of including regulatory cooperation in financial services within TTIP, to avoid issues stemming from US/EU regulatory divergence.

William Campbell-Taylor took the opportunity to ask a supplementary question, regarding the concerns many had expressed as to the potential negative impact on public services and the environment. Responding, the Chairman cautioned that there was a significant amount of misinformation in the public realm and drew attention to recent articles, including one in The Economist which clarified that the principal beneficiaries of TTIP would be those on lower incomes. He also added that the deal was subject to negotiation, which meant that the EU would not have anything forced upon it and would undoubtedly reject proposals that were deemed to be undesirable.