Constitution and Governance Committee - 1 September 2026

The Constitution and Governance Committee met to consider a series of reports relating to the Council’s governance arrangements. Following the approval of the minutes from the previous meeting, the Committee formally agreed to recommend updated Terms of Reference for the Audit Committee to full Council. The revisions, described as proportionate updates, reflect the introduction of new Global Internal Audit Standards, refine internal audit reporting terminology, and place an increased focus on ethical standards. The Chair of the Audit Committee confirmed that members had been consulted on the changes and were satisfied with the final proposals.

During debate on the Audit Committee changes, members sought clarification on the boundary between the Audit Committee’s extended ethical remit and the work of the Standards Committee and Monitoring Officer. Officers advised that the ethical aspects of audit relate to audit standards and governance arrangements, which are distinct from the statutory ethical standards regime under the Localism Act. They acknowledged some crossover but confirmed that any overlapping issues identified by Internal Audit would be referred through appropriate channels. In response to questions about training, officers noted that an informal session had already been delivered to the Audit Committee, and that ongoing training, briefings, and continuous development would be part of embedding the new standards.

The Committee considered revised arrangements for the scrutiny of the Council’s budget. Having rejected an earlier proposal to remove the Budget Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee (BDOSC), the Committee recommended updated Terms of Reference for both BDOSC and the Corporate Finance and Performance Overview and Scrutiny Committee (CFPOSC) to full Council. The revisions increase BDOSC’s ordinary meetings from two to three per year and recommend that BDOSC adopt an annual work programme. Officers outlined plans for all-Member briefings, joint training sessions, and a Scrutiny Café to support wider Member engagement in the budget process.

Finally, the Committee considered a new Protocol for Member/Member Working Relationships, developed following a review of the Member/Officer Relations Protocol. The Protocol is intended to sit alongside the statutory Code of Conduct to promote mutual respect, effective democratic decision-making, and early informal resolution of concerns. Members expressed broad support for its intent. During debate, several suggested revisions were discussed, including adding a link to the Code of Conduct and Nolan Principles, clarifying email response times in line with the Council’s 10-working-day customer promise, and amending wording in the social media section. The Committee agreed to recommend the Protocol to full Council, subject to incorporating these amendments and a further review of references to political group leaders on the standards adjudication panel.