Issue - meetings

With reference to article 4 of the minute of meeting of the Urgent Business Committee of 21 October 2022, the Committee had before it a report by the Director of Commissioning which sought approval of proposed international travel and conference attendance by officers, required to support Tall Ships 2025 activities in 2023/24.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      approve proposed travel as detailed below, and subject to the maximum expenditure as detailed in paragraph 4.1. All approved travel will be reviewed when event schedules and programmes become available to ensure continued adherence to the criteria in paragraph 3.8 before bookings are made:-

(1)    One officer to attend Tall Ships Host Port Seminar in Fredrikstad, Norway between 15 and 18 July 2023 for up to three nights;

(2)    Up to three officers to attend the Tall Ships Conference in Le Havre, France between the 16 and 19 November 2023 for up to three nights; and

(3)    Up to three officers to attend an additional Tall Ships Host Port event in the UK in February or March 2024 for up to two nights.

(b)      delegate authority to the Chief Officer – City Growth to authorise necessary and appropriate travel documentation and associated expenditure for the travel noted in (a), provided the cost does not exceed the budget referred to in Section 4 of this report and that all arrangements are made in line with current Council travel policies;

(c)      agree that the Chief Officer – City Growth will (1) report the outcomes of proposed for 2023/24 trips to the Tall Ships 2025 Organising Committee and (2) provide, by way of a Service Update, an annual Project Update to this Committee.

The Convener, seconded by Councillor Greig, moved:-

that the Committee approve the recommendations contained within the report.

Councillor Malik, seconded by Councillor Macdonald, moved as an amendment:-

that the Committee –

(1)    agree the recommendations contained within the report, noting that two officers attended the Sail Training International (STI) Annual conference in Gran Canaria on 19 November 2022; and

(2)    agree that as part of the next budget process, instruct the Chief Officer – City Growth to make Council aware of how much of the proposed £2.7m financial spend on taking the Tall Ships to Aberdeen is to be the responsibility of the Council and how much is to be the responsibility of our partners.

On a division, there voted:- for the motion (8) – the Convener and Councillors Allard, Bouse, Cooke, Fairfull, Greig, Hutchison and Radley; for the amendment (5) – Councillors Ali, Macdonald, Malik, Massey and Watson.

The Committee resolved:-

to adopt the motion.