The Procedures Committee virtually met on 5 September 2025 to discuss updates to the council's written questions procedure and financial regulations. The committee was also scheduled to review its programme of work.

Written Questions Procedure

The committee was scheduled to consider proposed changes to the council's written question procedure. A report in the meeting pack noted that at a meeting on 19 June 2025, the Procedures Committee discussed the written question procedure and its recent use. Proposed changes for consideration were:

• Restrictions on Number, Frequency and Form The report pack stated that the committee expressed a view that there should be a restriction so that a Councillor may only submit one written question in a six-month period. The report pack also noted that the proposed changes include provision that the question may comprise a series of component parts and may include a short introduction or narrative to provide context for the question.
• Supplementary Questions The report pack stated that it was the view of the majority of the Procedures Committee that supplementary questions were unnecessary when the question can comprise of component parts ensuring clarity. Accordingly, the mechanism for asking a supplementary question is proposed to be deleted.
• Content Restrictions The report pack stated that the committee agreed that some further clarity on content restrictions would be beneficial.
  • Relevant and Competent Business within the authority of the Council The report pack stated that the existing provision does ensure that questions are relevant and competent however the Committee were clear that this should be within the Council's remit and authority, and not of general interest to the Council in the same way that a Notice of Motion can be.
  • Public Interest The report pack stated that the Committee expressed a clear view that any written question should be in the public interest.
  • Repetition The report pack stated that no question should be repeated within a period of 12 months, including questions that are similar in nature even if not identical.
  • Prohibited Matters The report pack stated that there are certain matters that should not be the subject of Written Questions, including any questions relating to any quasi-judicial proceedings including individual planning or licensing matters, or personal issues such as employment or staffing concerns including any negative remarks regarding employees performance, conduct or capability. Additionally, questions must not be defamatory, frivolous, vexatious, offensive nor require the disclosure of confidential or exempt information.

The report pack included the current written question procedure, proposed changes to the written question procedure, and draft new written question guidance.

Financial Regulations Update

The committee was scheduled to discuss proposed changes to the Financial Regulations following a review by officers. The report pack stated that following discussion at the previous meeting of Procedures Committee on 19 June 2025, and comments received from Elected Members, further amendments are proposed. These were detailed in the report pack, with a revised document, with additional changes highlighted in blue.

Proposed amendments included:

• Introduction – Scope and Observance Amendments to reflect that the Integrated Joint Board (IJB) is covered by the Council's Scheme of Governance, but isn't a Council Committee, and to provide clarity on the specific responsibilities for ensuring that the incurring of expenditure meets the legal powers of the Council.
• Introduction – Roles and Responsibilities Minor amendments to wording to provide clarity on different roles and responsibilities.
• Introduction – Review of Financial Regulations Amendment to emphasise the fact that Financial Regulations are approved by Full Council.
• Financial Planning and Management – Revenue Budget Preparation Various minor wording amendments to clarify the different roles and responsibilities for approving the Council's revenue budget.
• Financial Planning and Management – Revenue Budget Control, Monitoring and Management A change to the introductory paragraph in this section to amend 'monitoring and reviewing' to 'managing and delivering' to make this a more pro-active process that requires active management and ownership, and to amend the section on internal charges to make it clearer that this requires to be considered as part of the budget setting process, following agreement with the relevant Chief Officers.
• Financial Planning and Management – Changes to Approved Budgets – Virement Elements of the definitions are to be removed as it is felt that they do not require explicit inclusion as it is a specific amount. A minor amendment is also proposed to clarify approval at Policy Committee in terms of reserves.
• Financial Planning and Management – Year End Flexibility An amendment to clarify that requests for the carry forward of underspends are dependent on the financial position of the Council as a whole, rather than any one individual budget line, and to clarify that any unspent funds carried forward are time limited and require to be spent within 3 months.
• Financial Planning and Management – Capital Budget Preparation, Monitoring and Management Along with some minor wording changes, it is proposed to amend this section around reporting requirements around capital projects that are expected to exceed the approved budget, to include a cap value – proposal would be to require Full Council reporting if budgets are anticipated to exceed approved levels by 25% or £500,000.
• Financial Planning and Management – Accounting Policies and Annual Accounts This section has been amended to make clear the reporting requirements for the Council's Unaudited Annual Accounts, as set out in legislation.
• Financial Planning and Management – Partnerships and Other External Arrangements It is proposed to include the definition of a Partnership, as set out in the Partnership Policy, within the introduction to this section, and to expand 7.7.27 and 7.7.28 to make it clear that approvals are required for Sponsorship, and also what should be specified in agreements, and the distinction between agreed and indicative funding.
• Risk Management An amendment to make clearer that, although Risk Management ultimately is under the remit of the Head of Finance, Health & Safety risks are under the Head of Legal and People, and to clarify the processes for managing financial losses.
• Internal Control and Authorisation Amendments to highlight specific training that is required to be undertaken, and to highlight that approvals can be electronic, as well as in paper form.
• Charges, Income, Cash and Banking Some minor changes in wording have been proposed throughout section 9.
• Payroll and Expenditure Some minor changes in wording have been proposed throughout section 10, along with an addition to an additional paragraph to clarify the arrangements for Elected Members pay.
• Purchasing, Tendering and Contracts Some minor changes in wording have been proposed throughout section 11.

The report pack also included a draft Financial Regulations lite version.

Programme of Work

The committee was scheduled to consider updates to the programme of work. The report pack included a table with updates on the following items:

• Consideration of Area Committee Schedule
• Review of Financial Regulations
• Asset Disposal Policy
• Annual Review of the Scheme of Governance
• Consideration of Written Question Procedure