EMERGENCY COMMITTEE'S MINUTES.

Glasgow, 17th March 2020.

Emergency Committee.

Present: (Chair), the Lord Provost (Philip Braat), (substitute for Frank McAveety) and David McDonald.

Also present: Kyle Thornton, Russell Robertson and Allan Young.

Apology: Frank McAveety.

Attending: N Lyttle (Clerk); A O’Donnell, Chief Executive; M Booth, Executive Director of Finance; C Forrest, Director of Governance and Solicitor to the Council; and C Edgar, Head of Communication and Strategic Partnerships.

Emergency decision-making arrangements approved.

1 With reference to the minutes of 5th March 2020 (page 562 hereof), there was submitted a report by the Chief Executive regarding proposed temporary decision- making arrangements to reduce the need for face-to-face meetings during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, advising

(1) that to protect the capacity of public services, the had advised that organisers should cancel or postpone all mass events of 500 people or more, indoors or outdoors, however given that the impact of the pandemic would increase in its severity over the next few weeks both the UK and Scottish Governments were likely to introduce further measures to reduce the contact people had with each other, known as social distancing, and had now advised everyone to avoid gatherings and crowded places, such as pubs, clubs and theatres;

(2) that given the rapidly changing situation it was proposed that the Council should take immediate steps to put in place revised decision-making arrangements in order to reduce the need for committee and other meetings, in order to free up staff resources, permitting senior staff to focus on the Council’s response to the pandemic; and

(3) of a proposal that all Council and committee meetings be cancelled for the foreseeable future and that until further notice all delegations to committees, with the exception of the City Administration Committee, be suspended, with delegations to officers being increased and any required decisions being taken by the City Administration Committee.

After consideration, the committee agreed that

Glasgow City Council, City Chambers, Glasgow G2 1DU (a) all Council, committee and Community Planning Partnership meetings be cancelled for the foreseeable future and that until further notice all delegations to committees, with the exception of the City Administration Committee, be suspended, with any required decisions being taken by the City Administration Committee;

(b) membership of the City Administration Committee be reduced temporarily to the following 6 members:- Leader of the Council, Depute Leader of the Council, Leader of the Majority Opposition, Depute Leader of the Majority Opposition Group, Leader of the Conservative Group and Leader of the Green Group, or substitutes, with any meetings required being held by teleconference;

(c) the Chief Executive, all Directors and Assistant Directors etc be authorised, in consultation with the appropriate City Convener or Committee Convener, to deal with any application for a licence, permission, grant or other matters where such action was consistent with the policies and procedures of the Council and where failure to act would result in hardship for any party;

(d) if the action proposed by the Chief Executive or a Director would be contrary to Council policy or for any other reason would require political approval, the Director would refer the matter to the City Administration Committee for a decision; and

(e) these temporary arrangements be kept under review so that they might be revoked at the appropriate time.

Glasgow City Council, City Chambers, Glasgow G2 1DU