The Chair paid tribute to the important contribution Sue Murphy had made to the city and to the Council. Members and all those present observed a minute’s silence in remembrance of Councillor Sue Murphy.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 5 March 2020.

Decision

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 5 March 2020 as a correct record.

Report of the Director of City Centre Growth & Infrastructure and Director of Inclusive Economy attached.

This report provides a brief summary of the current situation in the city in relation to COVID-19 and an update on the work progressing in Manchester in relation to areas within the remit of this committee.

The Committee considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer, which set out a summary of the current situation in the city in relation to COVID-19 and an update on the work progressing in Manchester in relation to areas within the remit of the committee.

The main points and themes within the report included: -

·                Detailing the overall economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic both nationally and at a Manchester level;

·                Detailing the financial support packages available to residents, workers and businesses in Manchester;

·                The impact of the crisis on the various sectors of Manchester’s economy and the Councils delivery of Affordable Housing targets in regards to existing and future plans;

·                Detailing the consequences of the pandemic on the city’s transport and infrastructure ;

·                The impact that COVID-19 had already had on the labour market and the unprecedented rise in the number of Manchester working age residents claiming out of work benefits; and

·                Recovery planning to support business and sector growth and the response to the rise in unemployment, including a reset of the Our Manchester Strategy.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:-

·                Thanks and appreciation was to be placed on record to all Officers for the work they had undertaken during the crisis and the preparation of recovery and also to all the key workers across the city in coping with unprecedented levels of uncertainty;

·                What work was ongoing in securing sources of funding to support the green economy and what success had been made to date;

·                How was the UK’s exit from the EU impacting on the ability to secure funding for the Green economy;

·                What businesses were entitled to a support grant and what additional support where they in need of;

·                How was the Council supporting businesses to look at their business models in light of a potential second wave of the pandemic to ensure they are prepared for its impact;

·                Who would be part of the business led Sounding Board;

·                With the move to more remote working arrangements for businesses, what impact would his have on office accommodation in the city;

·                What support would be offered to ensure the viability of businesses within the culture sector as many businesses were Council funded;

·                Did businesses across the whole city and across various sectors receive the bulletin about how to access support, guidance and updates during the COVID-19 pandemic or was this just city centre businesses and where there any gaps in sectors;

·                How did city centre hospitality venues know what to ask for in terms of the use of outdoor space and did they know how to ask for it from the Council;

·                Was there a risk of job losses resulting in the automation of some services as part of the city’s economic recovery and what could be done to mitigate this/upskill the workforce;

·                How long could the Council to continue to provide financial support to businesses before it faced its own difficult financial decisions and what was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24.

Report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit attached

This report provides the Committee with details of key decisions that fall within the Committee’s remit and an update on actions resulting from the Committee’s recommendations.

The report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit which contained key decisions within the Committee’s remit and responses to previous recommendations was submitted for comment.

Decision

The Committee notes the report.