Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Paul Stuart and Paul Hayes, deputised by Councillors Jean Robinson and Tom Anderson respectively.

Members are asked to consider whether they have any disclosable pecuniary interests and/or any other relevant interest in connection with any item(s) on this agenda and, if so, to declare them and state the nature of the interest.

Members were asked to consider whether they had any disclosable pecuniary interests and/or any other relevant interest in connection with any item(s) on this agenda and, if so, to declare them and state what they are.

No such declarations were made.

To approve the accuracy of the minutes of the meeting held on 29 September 2022.

Resolved – That the accuracy of the minutes of the meeting held on 29 September 2022 be agreed

The Chair reported that there had been no public questions, statements or petitions submitted.

The Head of Legal Services introduced the report which detailed the recommendations of the Audit and Risk Management Committee in respect of the revised Code of Corporate Governance, which was last reviewed in

2018. The Code communicated the Council’s governance and decision-making processes and the principles underlining them, and had been updated to reflect the Council’s current operating model and procedures and the change on the Council’s governance arrangements in 2020 to a Committee system.

The Head of Legal Services noted a correction in Appendix 2 of the report. Under “Monitoring, Review and Reporting” it states: “All Policy and Committee Chairs will be represented on Finance and Policy Committee”, this should read as: “All Policy and Committee Chairs will be represented on Policy and Resources Committee”

Councillor P Gilchrist noted that in the table under Appendix 2 of the report there are multiple references to an “entity” and asked to confirm if this was referring to Council. The Head of Legal Services confirmed that this was the case and that the word “Council” would replace any reference to an “entity” in the final version of the Code of Corporate Governance.

Resolved – That

(1)  the revised Code of Corporate Governance be approved subject to the corrections above; and

(2)  Committee recommend to Full Council the adoption of the revised Code of Corporate Governance and the framework detailed therein as part of the Council’s Constitution.