List of Greater London Council committee chairs

The Greater London Council's political leadership was in the hands of a Leader and a number of committees. Detailed policy proposals in the service areas were set by the committees, with the leadership nominating the Chairs who also had a degree of executive responsibility outside of meetings. The Chairs of the Committees also formed an unofficial Cabinet which advised the Leader on policy and through which the Leader could take political soundings.

Formally the committees were divided into Standing Committees and Special Committees. Eventually the cabinet was formed as the 'Leader's Committee' which was a Special Committee.

Fiske administration (1964–1967)

Committee	Chairman	Date	Notes
Standing Committees
Alexandra Park and Palace	Louis Vitoria	13 June 1966	Set up in 1966.
Ambulance	Florence Cayford	29 May 1964
Ambulance	George Palmer	22 April 1966
Establishment and Supplies	Norman Prichard	28 May 1964	Committee abolished, 6 April 1965
Establishment	Sidney Melman	29 April 1965	Set up in 1965.
Finance	Reg Goodwin	2 June 1964
Fire Brigade	Ellis Garton	29 May 1964
General Purposes	Victor Mishcon	8 June 1964
Highways and Traffic	Richard Edmonds	5 June 1964
Highways and Traffic	Jane Phillips	9 April 1965
Housing	Evelyn Denington	3 June 1964
Licensing	Alec Grant	14 April 1965	Set up in 1965.
New and Expanding Towns	Jane Phillips	27 May 1964
New and Expanding Towns	Richard Edmonds	7 April 1965
Parks and Smallholdings	Sidney Melman	29 May 1964
Parks and Smallholdings	Peggy Jay	30 April 1965
Planning and Communications	Christopher Higgins	2 June 1964
Public Health Services	Albert Samuels	27 May 1964
Staff Appeals	Harry Lamborn	4 May 1965	Set up in 1965.
Supplies	Samuel Boyce	4 May 1965	Set up in 1965.
Special Committees
Selection	Bill Fiske	27 April 1964	Nominated members to the other committees.

Plummer administration (1967–1973)

Committee	Chairman	Date	Notes
Standing Committees
Alexandra Park and Palace	Reginald Marks	2 May 1967	Abolished, 23 July 1968.
Ambulance	Robert Mitchell	28 April 1970
Ambulance	Andrew Jardine	4 May 1971
Arts and Recreation	Harold Sebag-Montefiore	23 July 1968	Set up in 1968.
Covent Garden Joint Development	The Countess of Dartmouth	4 May 1971	Set up in 1971.
Covent Garden Joint Development	Robert Mitchell	13 September 1972
Environmental Planning	Robert Vigars	28 April 1970	Set up in 1970.
Environmental Planning	Richard Brew	4 May 1971
Establishment	Sir Graham Rowlandson	2 May 1967
	Maurice Gaffney	9 October 1969
	Leslie Freeman	28 April 1970
Finance and Scrutiny	Sir Graham Rowlandson	28 April 1970	Set up in 1970.
Finance and Supplies	Sir Louis Gluckstein	2 May 1967
	Roland Freeman	14 May 1968
	Sir Graham Rowlandson	30 September 1969	Abolished, 28 April 1970.
Fire Brigade	Robert Mitchell	28 April 1970	Set up in 1970.
Fire Brigade	Andrew Jardine	4 May 1971
Fire Brigade and Ambulance	Robert Mitchell	2 May 1967	Abolished, 23 July 1968.
General Purposes	Leslie Freeman	2 May 1967
	Sir Percy Rugg	12 May 1969
	Frank Abbott	28 April 1970
	Geoffrey Chase-Gardner	7 February 1972
Highways and Traffic	Robert Vigars	2 May 1967	Abolished, 23 July 1968.
Housing	Horace Cutler	2 May 1967
	Geoffrey Chase-Gardner	28 April 1970
	Bernard Perkins	3 February 1972
Licensing	Harold Sebag-Montefiore	2 May 1967	Abolished, 23 July 1968
New and Expanding Towns	George Everitt	2 May 1967	Abolished, 28 April 1970
Parks and Smallholdings	Gordon Dixon	2 May 1967	Abolished, 28 April 1970
Planning and Communications	Geoffrey Aplin	2 May 1967
Planning and Communications	Thomas Scott	13 May 1968	Abolished, 23 July 1968
Planning and Transportation	Robert Vigars	23 July 1968	Set up in 1968; abolished, 28 April 1970.
Policy and Resources	Horace Cutler	28 April 1970	Set up in 1970.
Policy Steering	Desmond Plummer	23 July 1968	Set up in 1968; abolished, 28 April 1970.
Public Health Services	Peter Black	2 May 1967	Abolished, 23 July 1968
Public Services	Peter Black	23 July 1968
	Maurice Gaffney	28 April 1970
	Peter Black	7 June 1971
Scrutiny	Harold Mote	23 July 1968	Set up in 1968; abolished, 28 April 1970.
Strategic Planning	Dr Gerard Vaughan	23 July 1968
Strategic Planning	Robert Vigars	4 May 1971
Thamesmead	Seton Forbes-Cockell	2 May 1967	Died, 19 September 1971
Thamesmead	David Harris	13 October 1971
Town Development	George Everitt	28 April 1970
	Peter Black	4 May 1971
	Bernard Brook-Partridge	7 June 1971
Special Committees
Staff Appeals	Robert Turner	2 May 1967	Died 27 September 1968.
Staff Appeals	Sir Louis Gluckstein	2 May 1969
Procedure	Desmond Plummer	5 July 1967	Abolished, 28 April 1970.
Leader's Council	Desmond Plummer	23 July 1968

Goodwin administration (1973–1977)

Committee	Chairman	Date	Notes
Standing Committees
Ambulance	Tony Judge	4 May 1973	Abolished, 14 May 1974.
Arts and Recreation	Ellis Hillman	4 May 1973
Covent Garden Joint Development	Tom Ponsonby	4 May 1973
Covent Garden Joint Development	Jean Merriton	13 May 1975
Fire Brigade	John Henry	4 May 1973
General Purposes	Dr Stephen Haseler	4 May 1973
General Purposes	Tony Banks	13 May 1975
Housing Administration	Marie Jenkins	4 May 1973	Abolished, 14 May 1974.
Housing Development	Gladys Dimson	4 May 1973
Housing Development	Richard Balfe	13 May 1975
Housing Management	Tony Judge	14 May 1974	Set up in 1974.
Planning	Edward Bell	4 May 1973
Planning	Norman Howard	14 May 1974
Policy and Resources	Illtyd Harrington	4 May 1973
Public Services	Arthur Edwards	4 May 1973
Thamesmead	Richard Balfe	4 May 1973
Thamesmead	William Simson	13 May 1975
Town Development	Robert Crane	4 May 1973
	Edward Bell	14 May 1974
	Stephen Hatch	13 May 1975
Transport	Evelyn Denington	4 May 1973
Transport	Jim Daly	13 May 1975
Special Committees
Leader's Council	Sir Reg Goodwin	4 May 1973
Staff Appeals	Anna Grieves	4 May 1973

Cutler administration (1977–1981)

Committee	Chairman	Date	Notes
Standing Committees
Arts	Bernard Brook-Partridge	24 May 1977
Arts	Fredk. Weyer	16 May 1978
Covent Garden	Alan Greengross	24 May 1977
Covent Garden	Dr Mark Lister Patterson	16 May 1978
Finance and Establishment	Alan Hardy	24 May 1977
Fire Brigade	Tom Ham	24 May 1977
General Management	Geoffrey Seaton	24 May 1977
Historic Buildings	William Bell	24 May 1977
Housing Development	Geoffrey Aplin	24 May 1977
Housing Development	Lawrence Bains	18 June 1979
Housing Management	Jean Tatham	24 May 1977
Housing Management	David Ashby	13 February 1979
Housing Policy	George Tremlett	24 May 1977
Industry and Employment	Mervyn Scorgie	24 May 1977
Legal and Parliamentary	James Lemkin	24 May 1977
	David Ashby	16 May 1978
	John Reveley Major	13 February 1979
London Transport	Harold Mote	24 May 1977
	Dr Gordon Taylor	16 May 1978
	Harold Mote	19 December 1979
Open Spaces and Recreation	Sydney Ripley	24 May 1977
Planning, Central Area	Herbert Sandford	24 May 1977
Planning, North Area	William Clack	24 May 1977
	Alan Greengross	16 May 1978
	John Putnam	18 June 1979
Planning, South Area	Joan Wykes	24 May 1977
Planning and Communications Policy	Shelagh Roberts	24 May 1977
Planning and Communications Policy	Alan Greengross	18 June 1979
Policy and Resources	Richard Brew	24 May 1977
Professional and General Services	Robert Mitchell	24 May 1977
Professional and General Services	Cyril Taylor	18 June 1979
Public Services and Safety	Dr Gordon Taylor	24 May 1977
	Bernard Brook-Partridge	16 May 1978
	Stanley Bolton	7 February 1979
Recreation and Community Services Policy	Peter Black	24 May 1977
Thamesmead	Victor Langton	24 May 1977
Town Development	Frank Smith	24 May 1977
Special Committees
Leader's	Horace Cutler	24 May 1977
Scrutiny	Sir Malby Crofton, Bt.	24 May 1977
Scrutiny	James Lemkin	16 May 1978
Staff Appeals	Muriel Gumbel	24 May 1977
Construction Branch Contracts Review	Horace Cutler	15 May 1979	Set up in 1979.
Local Government Bill	Richard Brew	14 January 1980	Set up in 1980.
Housing Bill	George Tremlett	5 February 1980	Set up in 1980.

Livingstone administration (1981–1986)

Committee	Chairman	Date	Notes
Standing Committees
Arts and Recreation	Tony Banks	28 May 1981
Arts and Recreation	Peter Pitt	22 May 1984
Ethnic Minorities	Ken Livingstone	28 May 1981
Finance and General Purposes	Dr Anthony Hart	28 May 1981
	John McDonnell	11 May 1982	Replaced by Michael Ward as Acting Chair, March 1985.
	Alex Mackay	21 May 1985
Greater London Manpower Board	Gareth Daniel	11 May 1982	Set up in 1982. Renamed Greater London Training Board, 3 May 1983.
Housing	Gladys Dimson	28 May 1981
Housing	Anthony McBrearty	11 May 1982
Industry and Employment	Mike Ward	28 May 1981
Legal and General	Harvey Hinds	28 May 1981
Legal and General	John Wilson	3 May 1983
Planning	Ed Gouge	28 May 1981
Planning	George Nicholson	3 May 1983
Police	Paul Boateng	28 May 1981
Policy and Performance Review	Illtyd Harrington	28 May 1981
Policy and Performance Review	Harvey Hinds	22 May 1984	Renamed Policy and Performance, 21 May 1985.
Public Services and Fire Brigade	Simon Turney	28 May 1981
Staff	John Carr	28 May 1981
Technical Services	Alex Mackay	3 May 1983	Set up in 1983.
Technical Services	Sir Ashley Bramall	21 May 1985
Transport	Dave Wetzel	28 May 1981
Women's	Valerie Wise	11 May 1982	Set up in 1982.
Special Committees
Policy Co-ordinating	Ken Livingstone	28 May 1981
Staff Appeals	Harry Kay	28 May 1981
Staff Appeals	John Ward	22 May 1984
Local Government Finance Bill	Ken Livingstone	11 May 1982	Set up in 1982; abolished, 3 May 1983.
Matters relating to the Council's Future Existence and Functions	Ken Livingstone	22 May 1984	Set up in 1984.
	Illtyd Harrington	21 May 1985
Policy and Resources	Ken Livingstone	21 May 1985	Set up in 1985.

References

Minutes of the Greater London Council, County Hall, London SE1.

v t e Greater London Council
Elections	1964 1967 1970 1973 1977 1981 By-elections
Members	Chairmen Committee chairs Members
Leaderships	Bill Fiske Desmond Plummer Reg Goodwin Horace Cutler Ken Livingstone
Electoral divisions (1965–1973)	Barking Barnet Bexley Brent Bromley Camden Croydon Ealing Enfield Greenwich Hackney Hammersmith Haringey Harrow Havering Hillingdon Hounslow Islington Kensington and Chelsea Kingston upon Thames Lambeth Lewisham Merton Newham Redbridge Richmond upon Thames Southwark Sutton Tower Hamlets Waltham Forest Wandsworth Westminster and the City of London
Electoral divisions (1973–1986)	Acton Barking Battersea North Battersea South Beckenham Bermondsey Bethnal Green and Bow Bexleyheath Brent East Brent North Brent South Brentford and Isleworth Carshalton Chelsea Chingford Chipping Barnet Chislehurst City of London and Westminster South Croydon Central Croydon North East Croydon North West Croydon South Dagenham Deptford Dulwich Ealing North Edmonton Enfield North Erith and Crayford Feltham and Heston Finchley Fulham Greenwich Hackney Central Hackney North and Stoke Newington Hackney South and Shoreditch Hammersmith North Hampstead Harrow Central Harrow East Harrow West Hayes and Harlington Hendon North Hendon South Holborn and St Pancras South Hornchurch Hornsey Ilford North Ilford South Islington Central Islington North Islington South and Finsbury Kensington Kingston upon Thames Lambeth Central Lewisham East Lewisham West Leyton Mitcham and Morden Newham North East Newham North West Newham South Norwood Orpington Paddington Peckham Putney Ravensbourne Richmond Romford Ruislip-Northwood St Marylebone St Pancras North Sidcup Southall Southgate Stepney and Poplar Streatham Surbiton Sutton and Cheam Tooting Tottenham Twickenham Upminster Uxbridge Vauxhall Walthamstow Wanstead and Woodford Wimbledon Wood Green Woolwich East Woolwich West
Relevant legislation	London Government Act 1963 London Cab Act 1968 Port of London Act 1970 Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1972 London Cab Act 1973 Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1974 London Regional Transport Act 1984 London Regional Transport (Amendment) Act 1985 Local Government Act 1985
Other topics	County Hall Inner London Education Authority London Transport Executive