Agenda item

1)            Brian Mooney asked the Chief Commoner about Prayers at meetings of the Court. In response, the Chief Commoner stated that the practice of saying Prayers, read by a Minister ceased in 1944 when Members switched to the practice of saying the City Corporation’s motto ‘Domine Dirige Nos’ to open the Court’s proceedings, after-which ‘Amen’ was said. He added that this differed from the circumstances at Bideford where prayers were part of the formal agenda and were minuted as such. Councillors were required to attend prayers and the prayers in question were led by an invited Minister, followed by a short homily. He concluded that he considered that there was no need to make any change to the current practice.

In response to a supplementary from Peter Dunphy which questioned the use of the word ‘Amen’, the Chief Commoner stated that there was no legal issue over saying the word ‘Amen’.

In response to a further supplementary from George Abrahams, the Chief Commoner confirmed that ‘Amen’ meant ‘we agree’.

2)      Brian Mooney asked the Chairman of the Port Health and Environmental Services Committee about traffic pollution in the area of Smithfield Market.

In response, the Chairman stated that some 60 articulated heavy goods vehicles regularly unloaded carcass and boxed meat product, normally between 10pm and 3am overnight between Sundays and Thursdays.  The routing of those larger delivery vehicles were regulated by the London Lorry Control Scheme, ensuring that the impact of those vehicles was both sustainable and suitable. He added that from 3am daily, approximately 500 light goods vehicles utilised spaces available in loading bays around the 3 market buildings to pick up product purchased from the market and although those figures were averaged over the course of a year, seasonal fluctuations could lead to a rise of as much as 50% at peak times, such as the week leading up to Christmas. In addition, the adjoining Rotunda car park had approximately 300 customers a day, including approximately 50 market customers and 110 market traders and their employees. He stated that, to put these figures into context, some 200,000 motor vehicles entered the City of London each week day over a 24 hour period, and some 100,000 at weekends. He concluded that, having considered the times of the operation of the market, the impact of the Lorry Control Scheme, and the comparison with levels of traffic within the City, the impact of those vehicles was both sustainable and suitable.

In answer to a supplementary from Brian Mooney, the Chairman undertook to supply the Member with such information as was held concerning the carbon footprint of Smithfield Market.

A further supplementary from Alex Deane referred to the fact that Smithfield Market would have the same carbon footprint wherever it was situated.

In answer to a further supplementary from Deputy Stanley Ginsburg, the Chairman undertook to supply the Member with any information about the carbon footprint of the Market which took account of the Crossrail project.

In answer to a further supplementary from Alex Bain-Stewart, the Chairman undertook to discuss the most recent statistics on traffic within the City with the Member outside of the meeting.3)      Oliver Lodge asked the Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee about the steps that the City Corporation was taking to protect the international competitiveness of the UK’s investment funds industry.

In response, the Chairman reminded Members of action taken to date and detailed the current position on matters in connection with proposals to implement the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive. He added that the City Corporation had been in close touch with a number of firms, the relevant trade associations and the European Securities Markets Authority about a possible approach to recent developments and, because of the tight timescale and the largely technical nature of the process at this stage, the trade body had suggested that the City not take action on this issue, but consider taking action to avoid a repetition of the experience with future Directives, and he undertook to do this.