Contact: Share D'All, (01962) 846634; [email protected]

1 Summary

1.1 The following decisions are therefore sought: as recommendations to Council on 24 May 2007, subject to amendments detailed in decision b):

a) That the proposed changes to the decision making process set out in Appendix 1 are approved.

b) That the financial limits outlined in the table in Appendix 2 are approved subject to the Chief Officer and County Treasurer limit for debt write-off being revised to £5,000 with Executive Member approval from £5,000 up to £50,000; in respect of grants that the officer limit be raised to £5,000 with anything over this amount requiring Executive Member approval (officers to provide Members with regular updates of grants approved); and in respect of tenders, that the text be amended in regard to the EU procurement limit to ensure that Government compliant framework contracts were included in column 1 of the table.

c) That the financial limit for a key decision be raised from £500,000 to £1 million.

2 Reason

2.1 A review of decision making process has been undertaken in order to improve democratic and business processes and to strengthen financial management and internal control.

2.2 Financial limits are subject to regular reviews but changes in the past have tended to be incremental without any major fundamental review, and some limits have remained unchanged for many years. The recommendations in this report are the result of a fundamental review of limits.

2.3 The decisions support the corporate management plan by achieving better value for money and improving capacity in decision making and more effective use of time.

3 Other options considered and rejected:

a) Not to review.

b) Various specific options for processes and limits were considered within the review. The proposals contained in the recommendations within this paper are considered to be the right blend to streamline processes and improve financial management and control.

4 Conflicts of interest declared by the decision maker or other Executive Member consulted - none.

5 Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee - not applicable.

6 Reason(s) for the matter being dealt with if urgent - not applicable.

Approved by: Date:
Councillor T.K. Thornber , CBE - Chairman