Issue - meetings

Evolutionary changes to the Council’s Financial Regulations are summarised in this report and shown in red text throughout the document. 

Several minor editing changes have been made to align to BCP Council convention and terminology.

More material changes have been made to Part G, Procurement and contract procedures, incorporating new requirements for commissioning officers and the strategic procurement team to follow which respond to the Council’s climate and ecological emergency declaration and which will result in more ‘sustainable procurement’ activity.

The Head of Audit and Management Assurance and the Head of Strategic Procurement presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'B' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

It was explained that this year, and then every year thereafter, the BCP Council would have a new evolution of its Financial Regulations as set out for the current year in Part 5 of the BCP Council Constitution. Members were advised that the existing version of the Financial Regulations already represented a modernised presentation of a more traditional style in place across Local Government. To achieve this more streamlined approach, complementary procedural explanations and guidance notes had been set out away from the main Regulations document.

The currently proposed evolutionary changes to the Council’s Financial Regulations were accordingly set out and summarised in the report and shown in red text throughout the document.  These included several minor editing changes made to align to BCP Council convention and terminology.

The attention of the Committee was drawn to more material changes proposed within Part G, Procurement and Contract procedures. These changes incorporated new requirements for commissioning officers and the strategic procurement team in response to the Council’s climate and ecological emergency declaration and which would result in more ‘sustainable’ procurement activity.

During discussion, the new provisions relating to sustainability were welcomed by the Committee. Responses were provided to a number of general questions and, in response to a question about operational aspects of lease renewals and annual inspection of properties held by the Council as landlord, the Head of Audit and Management Assurance undertook to provide Members of the Committee with additional information.

RECOMMENDED that The Financial Regulations as shown in Appendix A of the report to the Audit and Governance Committee be approved and adopted as Part 5 of the BCP Council Constitution.

Voting: Unanimous.