Issue - meetings

Report of the Consortium Secretary.

The Committee received a report of the Consortium Secretary outlining the proposal to reduce the number of Finance and Audit Subcommittee meetings from four to two per annum. A copy of the report, marked ‘Agenda Item 10’, is filed with these minutes.

The proposal to reduce the number of Finance and Audit Subcommittee meetings had arisen from comments from members at the meeting of the Subcommittee early in the year. Members were advised that from 2016 onwards there would be two meetings to consider key financial documents such as the Medium Term Financial Strategy. However members would be able to request an additional meeting if they felt it was needed.

RESOLVED:

That the proposal to reduce the number of Finance and Audit Subcommittee meetings to two per annum be approved.

Report of the Consortium Secretary.

The Subcommittee received a report of the Consortium Secretary outlining the proposed changes to the frequency of Subcommittee meetings. A copy of the report, marked ‘Agenda Item 8’, is filed with these minutes.

At the previous meeting of the Subcommittee it was felt that ESPO was in a much better position than when its present governance arrangements had been implemented. Owing to the increasingly stretched resources of the member authorities, it was hoped that reducing the number of meetings members needed to attend would contribute toward making these savings.

It was proposed that the number of Subcommittee meetings be reduced from four to two per year to coincide with key dates in the financial calendar. Should the proposals as outlined in the report be approved by the Management Committee, the new meeting cycle would be implemented in January 2016.

RESOLVED:

That the proposals as outlined in the report be recommended for approval at the Management Committee at its meeting in December.