Agenda

RECOMMENDED that the minutes of the meeting held on 10 July 2024 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

Purpose

The purpose of this report is to detail the outcomes of the review of polling districts and polling places recently undertaken and to invite members to consider the recommendations made.

Recommendations

That the Governance & Audit & Standards Committee Recommends to Full Council:

1)      That no changes are made to the current polling scheme for the reasons set out in this report; and

2)      That it be reconfirmed that the Returning Officer has delegated authority to make such variations to polling places as may be necessary arising from the availability of premises for use at a particular election.

Purpose

The purpose of this report is to provide the Governance and Audit and Standards Committee with the background and rationale for the updated Complaints Policy and process, and to seek approval for the new policy.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the new Complaints Policy is approved for implementation from 1 November 2024.

Purpose

The purpose of this report is to inform the committee of any data security breaches and enable them to determine whether any trends appear and whether any further actions should be recommended.

Recommendation

RECOMMENDED that the Governance & Audit & Standards Committee notes the breaches that have arisen.

Purpose

The purpose of the report is to inform members and the wider community of the Council’s Treasury Management position, i.e., its borrowing and cash investments at 30 June 2024 and of the risks attached to that position.

Whilst the Council has a portfolio of investment properties and some equity shares which were acquired through the capital programme; these do not in themselves form part of the treasury management function.

Recommendations

(i)             That the Council's Treasury Management activities have remained within the Treasury Management Policy 2024/25 in the period up to 30 June 2024; and

(ii)           the actual Treasury Management indicators as at 30 June 2024 set out in Appendix A be NOTED

Purpose

The purpose of the report is to provide the Committee with an overview of the significant upcoming changes to public sector procurement that will arise when the Procurement Act comes into force on 24^th February 2025, along with a summary of the direct impacts this will have on the council.

Recommendation

RECOMMENDED that the Governance & Audit & Standards Committee:

(i)    Gives approval to the City Solicitor, with support from the Council's Procurement Service, to draft the revisions required to bring the Council's CPRs into compliance with the new legal requirements set out within the Procurement Act;

(ii)   That subject to no further delays to the introduction of the act being announced by central government - the revised CPRs are scheduled for review and endorsement at the 5^th February 2025 Committee meeting;

(iii)  That, subject to no further government delays to commencement of the act and endorsement by the Committee, the revised CPRs are scheduled for approval at the 18^th March 2025 Full Council meeting; and

(iv)That subject to no further government delays to commencement of the act and approval at Full Council that the revised rules are formally adopted into the constitution from 1^st April 2025.