Agenda item

Report of the Corporate Director Resources (Section 151 Officer), presented by the Head of Governance and Business Support.

The Corporate Director Resources submitted a report for the committee to review the Financial Regulations and Financial procedures Rules, and to note the proposed changes summarised in paragraph 5.1 of the report, and to approve the updated Financial Regulations and Procedure Rules set out in Appendix 1 of the supplementary agenda.

The Head of Governance and Business Support introduced the report.

She explained to members that there was a need to review the financial regulations on a regular basis, to ensure that it was fit for purpose. The amendments made were mostly to reflect changes in titles to staff and to documents, and also updates to legislation. However, it also included updates to the council’s procurement procedure, which included a due diligence checklist to be completed prior to the award of contracts.

Councillor Leech raised a question on the amendment at Part 4.06.05/8, to reflect that the agreed higher limits of up to £10,000 were for ‘self-authorising’ of goods and services. It was explained that this had been a long-standing element of the council’s policy; there were a handful of users, who were not always managers or Heads of Service, who owing to their role would regularly be inputting orders over £100 but below £10,000. The Audit Team wanted to continue with this as it improves the efficiency of the system, by giving those users a higher form of authority for those purchases.

Councillor Longton raised a question about the proposal to further exempt contract procedure rules where another public authority had, in the last twelve months, procured the same or predominately similar goods, works or services. It was explained that the council wanted to have the flexibility, should they feel the need to piggyback onto the procurement exercise of another local authority.

The committee reviewed the changes and approved the updates rules and procedures.