Agenda item

Report of the Chairman

To consider a report of the Chairman (Report attached, pages x - x)             

 

Minutes:

The Chairman of the Livery Committee reported on events since the last meeting. He began by highlighting that the ‘Celebrate the City’ Weekend in late June had been very well supported by Livery Companies and very well attended by members of the public. The weekend had also marked the opening of the Livery Exhibition (Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker) in the Guildhall Art Gallery which would run until 23rd September.

 

The Chairman went on to refer to two articles that had been published in ‘The Times’ following the Livery Lunch held in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen in Westminster Hall during the Diamond Jubilee and reporting on the work of the Livery movement in general.

 

Members were informed that, on 9th July, the Lord Mayor had hosted an early morning seminar in Mansion House on ‘Apprenticeships’. The Chairman reported that this event had been organised by the Livery Skills Council and invited Mr Seaton to report on some of the Council’s recent work. Mr Seaton reported that the Livery Skills Council had recently put in a bid to Government for public money. He reported that, if funding were to be received, this would be an innovative move. The Chairman reported that the Chairman of the Livery Skills Council had been invited to address Clerks at this year’s briefing. He went on to propose that Mr Seaton be formally appointed as this Committee’s representative on the Livery Skills Council.

 

It was suggested that both Mr Seaton and Mr Herbage (the Committee’s Livery Schools Link representative) should be invited to submit reports to the Committee on any pertinent issues from both bodies at future meetings.  

 

Finally, the Chairman reported that the Town Clerk had recently carried out some research amongst Livery Companies in order to determine how many of them had had Lady Masters both past and present. Members were advised that the research had been carried out following an enquiry from Mansion House and that 99 of the 108 Companies consulted had responded to date. Some Members expressed concern at the fact that all Livery Companies had not responded to a query directly from the Livery Committee and suggested that this issue might be addressed at a future Clerks Briefing.

 

RESOLVED – That, Mr Seaton be appointed as the Livery Committee representative on the Livery Skills Council.