To appoint a chair of the Lord Mayor’s Selection Committee for the current municipal year.

Having been proposed by Councillor Fry and seconded by Councillor Mrs Aspinall, it was agreed that Councillor Evans is appointed Chair of the Lord Mayor’s Selection Committee for the Municipal Year.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 7 March 2012.

Agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 7 March 2012.

To recommend to City Council a suitable person to fill the office of Lord Mayor for the year 2013/14.

The Chair reported that he had recently attended a meeting of the Plymouth Area Business Council where he had been very surprised to hear an announcement of the nomination for Lord Mayor before the Lord Mayor’s Selection Committee had met.  He asked that a letter be sent to the perpetrator expressing the Council’s disappointment at this break in a longstanding tradition whereby the Lord Mayor Designate was announced following the meeting of the Lord Mayor Selection Committee.

It was proposed by Councillor Fry, seconded by Councillor Churchill, and unanimously agreed that a cordial invitation is extended to Councillor Mrs Pengelly to accept the Lord Mayoralty for the following Municipal Year.

The Chair referred to the current arrangements for speeches at the Lord Mayor’s choosing ceremony and dinner.  He reminded members that prior to 2000 it had been a longstanding tradition for the political party of the incoming Lord Mayor to make a speech at the choosing ceremony and then for the opposition to make a speech at the dinner.  He suggested to members that this tradition be reinstated and asked that the proposal be taken back to their respective groups for discussion.

Members looked at the historic Lord Mayor’s Selection Committee minute book dating back to 1944 and reflected on the activities of past Lord Mayors.

The Committee then waited upon Councillor Mrs Pengelly who expressed her appreciation at the unanimous proposal and her honour and pleasure in accepting the nomination to Office.

Agreed that it is unanimously recommended to Full Council that it approves the appointment of Councillor Mrs Pengelly as Lord Mayor for the ensuing year.

To consider passing a resolution under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the press and public from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that it (they) involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph(s)   of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, as amended by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

There were no items of exempt business.