Civic Affairs Sub-Committee

  Composition ·       Chairman and Deputy Chairman or a Vice Chairman of the Policy & Resources Committee ·       Chief Commoner ·       Immediate past Chief Commoner ·       Chief Commoner Designate (upon election in October each year) ·       Chairman of the General Purposes Committee of the Court of Aldermen, or their nominee ·       Chairman of the Finance Committee; or their nominee ·       Senior Alderman Below the Chair ·       Chairman of the Guildhall Club ·       Four Members of the Policy & Resources Committee elected by Policy & Resources Committee ·       Together with Four Members of the Court of Common Council, to be elected by the Court.     Deputy Chairman to be the Chief Commoner.   Terms of Reference To be responsible for:-   Hospitality (a)  To consider applications for hospitality which are referred to it by the Remembrancer and to make recommendations thereon to the Court of Common Council; (b)  To review and approve arrangements for hospitality (including Committee allowances, annual functions, invitations and seating); (c)  To consider the list of eligible caterers; and (d)  To consider and approve the level of charges for the event spaces within Guildhall.   Ceremonials (e)  To review the totality of the City Corporation’s ceremonial protocols and practices, with the intention of bringing them up to date to reflect current circumstances; (f)    To examine the principles behind each protocol, particularly where there have been changes in practice over recent years, making recommendations as to the approach to take in future, with a view to an updated and consolidated Ceremonials Book being produced.       Outside Bodies (g)  Overseeing the City Corporation’s Outside Bodies Scheme, to include:- o   developing the Corporation’s policy towards outside body appointments; o   keeping under review the effectiveness and appropriateness of the organisation’s participation in individual bodies; o   giving initial consideration to new requests from outside bodies for nominations; o   advising the Court on the needs and requirements of the outside body in respect of any vacancy; and o   periodically reviewing the City Corporation’s Outside Bodies protocol.   Benefices (h)  To consider matters relating to the City’s obligations for its various Benefices*.   *The Patronage (Benefices) Measure 1986 and The Patronage (Benefices) Rules 1987, seek to confine the exercise of Church of England Patronage; i.e. the right to present Clergy, to a responsible person who is an actual Communicant Member of the Church of England or of a church in communion with it.   On receiving notice of a vacancy, the City of London Corporation, as patron, is required to appoint an individual who is ‘willing and able to make the Declaration of Membership and act as its representative to discharge its functions as registered patron’.  In practice, the Chairman of the Sub-Committee, being a person able and willing to make the declaration, is usually appointed as the City of London Corporation’s representative and this practice has worked well.

    Member Privileges (i)    To consider and make recommendations to the Policy and Resources Committee on:- o   Members’ privileges; and o   Members’ facilities, excluding Guildhall Club as it falls within the locus of the House Committee of Guildhall Club.   Member Financial Assistance    (j)    To oversee the Members’ Support Scheme (and Extended Support Scheme) to ensure that it is fit for purpose and to review periodically whether any further assistance should be established to support Members with the delivery of their duties as elected Members of the City Corporation.