Agenda item

Report of the Chamberlain.

The Committee considered a report of the Chamberlain which outlined the new Purchasing Card Policy 2015, which replaced interim purchasing card guidance which had been provided to Chief Officers and departments in February 2015.

Members asked that further controls be placed in to the Policy regarding the returning of Purchasing Cards when the user leaves the Corporation, and requested that reference be made to the Leavers’ Policy in relation to this. The Chamberlain confirmed that this was included within the Policy and assured Members that Purchasing Cards were cancelled when users left the Corporation.

Members queried the clause within the Policy regarding the sharing of users’ personal information with Lloyds Bank. The Chamberlain advised that this clause had been included on the advice of the Comptroller and City Solicitor’s Department on the basis of the contract between the Corporation and Lloyds Bank.

Members queried who was responsible for signing off Chief Officer transactions. The Chamberlain explained that he signed off all Chief Officer transactions with the exception of his own, which were signed off by the Town Clerk. Members were not entirely content with the arrangement that the Town Clerk sign off the Chamberlain’s transactions and that the Chamberlain sign off the Town Clerk’s transactions, although the Chairman noted that it would be difficult to create a perfect system in this respect.

The Committee agreed that the Policy should be reviewed on an annual basis.

RESOLVED – That the Committee approves the City of London Corporation Purchasing Card Policy 2015, to be effective from 1^st October 2015.