Issue - meetings

The Executive Director of Finance and Corporate Resources presented the updated Financial Regulations and Contract Procedure Rules and in so doing explained that this had provided an opportunity to refresh the Council’s rules. As a result of the proposed changes the level at which staff needed to obtain written quotations in line with competition requirements had fallen from quotes over £5,000 to those between £3,001 and £25,000.  Information had also been added to the Contract Procedure Rules setting out requirements in respect of services working with consultants.  The report also clarified that in future virement between staffing budgets would not be permitted.  A formal training process would be introduced to ensure that staff were familiar with the changes.

The frequency with which the Financial Regulations and Contract Procedure Rules should be reviewed was briefly discussed.  Officers advised that these would be reviewed every two to three years, though amendments might sometimes need to be made more frequently in response to legislative changes.  Members noted that it would be useful for an internal audit of the new rules and regulations to be undertaken once they had been embedded to monitor the impact and compliance amongst officers.

Members noted that the report had suggested that the rules should apply from 29^th January 2018.  However, this was the date on which the Council meeting would take place to determine the policy and there was no guarantee that this would occur.  It was therefore agreed that the recommendation from the Executive Committee should be amended to reflect this.

RECOMMENDED that

the updated contract and financial procedure rules be approved. The rules would then apply following Council approval.