Financial regulations

What the regulations are, their scope, compliance and how responsibilities are delegated.

What are the financial regulations

The Financial Regulations set out:

  • financial policies
  • the framework for managing the Council’s financial affairs

Read the financial regulations for financial management (PDF, 1.6 MB)

The Regulations are organised around seven themes:

  1. Financial planning
  2. Financial management
  3. Accounting records and financial systems
  4. Risk management and internal control
  5. Control of resources
  6. Income and expenditure
  7. External arrangements

They seek to make sure that the Council conducts its affairs in a way that complies with specific statutory provisions, generally accepted accounting principles and professional good practice.

Officers and Members are authorised to make decisions in accordance with these Financial Regulations, but they do not authorise any person to make a decision which is contrary to any provision in the Council’s Constitution.

Compliance

All financial and accounting procedures must be carried out in accordance with the Financial Regulations and with any accounting instruction notes and other corporate guidance issued by, or on behalf of, the Executive Director, Corporate Services.

Non-compliance with these Financial Regulations, and with any accounting instruction notes and other corporate guidance issued by the Executive Director, Corporate Services, constitutes a disciplinary matter that will be pursued, as appropriate, in accordance with the Disciplinary Policy.

Scope of the regulations

The Financial Regulations, including advice, guidance and accounting instruction notes issued to underpin the Financial Regulations, apply to all services of the Council.

Scheme of Delegation for financial management

The Scheme of Delegation for financial management is how the responsibilities set out within the financial regulations are reserved or delegated to officers. This must be read in conjunction with the general scheme of delegation to Officers which is set out in the Constitution.