Councillor Evans OBE, (Leader) highlighted the following in his announcements:

·       On behalf of the Cabinet the Leader said that thoughts are with the family and friends of George Floyd;

·       That as a Council we stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and everyone who continues to challenge racism, discrimination and inequality;

·       As a gesture the Council lit some of the landmarks in purple over the weekend;

·       The terrible event in the US illustrated how deeply discrimination and oppression both past and present are felt and it has highlighted once again that Plymouth needs to continue to acknowledge some aspects of its own past;

·       We cannot change history but we can use it as a reminder of the atrocities and as a way of remembering the victims of slavery and oppression;

·       recognised our responsibility for ensuring we condemn the role these figures played in this awful trade and how offensive many people find what they see as their glorification;

·       The Box, which will open later this year, would tell a much fuller story about our city’s seafaring history and would fully acknowledge the terrible role that the likes of Sir John Hawkins played in the slave trade;

·       Understood the feelings of those who find the naming of a square created in the early 1980s after Hawkins offensive, we have listened, and would start the process of renaming the square;

·       Thought it was important to acknowledge and commemorate the victims of the slave trade with a new memorial to those who lost their liberty and lives in the Peace Garden on The Hoe;

·       Would also aim to ensure that where possible existing monuments such as the listed statue of Sir Francis Drake on The Hoe are accompanied by a narrative referring to their role in the slave trade;

·       Important to acknowledge this terrible side of our city’s history and would also remember that Plymouth played an important role in the eventual abolition of the slave trade and that it also had a long and proud history of welcoming oppressed communities;

·       Updated on the important work of the City Council as ‘Economic First Responder’ in supporting well over 4000 businesses.

·       Business Support Rates Deferral immediately offered a 2 months rates deferral;

·       Secured 27 emergency grants from Arts Council;

·       Small Business Grants had given £43m to over 3500 businesses in 6 weeks and our helpline had received over 4000 phone calls;

·       Had been busy lobbying government on Fishing, Gaps in Businesses Support, Cultural funding, Funding and Ports;

·       Call4 Fish provided 1500 fish boxes in its first week and Generated national TV coverage on BBC Country File, This Morning, Sky News, BBC Daily Kitchen Live & ITV news besides wider media coverage in the Times, Guardian etc;

·       Shop4Plymouth had Supported 162 businesses and reached 250,000 people;

·       Last week our discretionary grant fund scheme for Plymouth had launched and we had already seen a high demand. Plymouth had been given about 50% of what we actually need to support businesses in our city and urge businesses to put their applications in as quickly as possible as demand is high;

·       Had been working on recovery since day one with the Chamber, FSB, PMG, DP, Building Plymouth, Plymouth Culture and our BIDs;

·       know it will be tough and we have already developed a plan, built a team and put the resources in place;

·       The Plan was called Resurgam;

·       would continue to work with and through our brilliant sector partnerships to develop a series of action plan;

·       would build on what we had already created – The Box, National Marine Park, Oceansgate, Mayflower 400;

·       Would quickly restart our capital projects to create construction Jobs;

·       Plymouth City Council champion local spend more than ever before in our procurement and challenge partners to do the same.