Agenda item

Report of the Chamberlain

The Sub Committee considered a report of the Chamberlain requesting changes to the Procurement Code which would take effect from 1^st April 2020.  The main changes related to:

·       Procurement thresholds and processes (Rule 15)

·       Contracts lettings thresholds (Rule 16)

·       Waiver process (Rule 25)

·       Contract changes (Rules 30-33)

·       Prompt payment (Rule 43)

·       Responsible Procurement Policy (Rule 46)

·       Social Value Panel (Rule 48)

During the course of debate and in response to questions from Members, the Sub Committee was advised that the proposed increase in the threshold under Rule 15 would also apply to waivers (Rule 25) and that many of the changes proposed were to align with other requirements such as EU and contract letting thresholds.

Following concerns raised by Members in respect of the removal of Rule 43, Officers gave assurances that the removal of this rule would not impact on the current practice of prioritising payments for SMEs but would reduce internal bureaucracy.  Members were pleased that payments to SMEs would continue to be prioritised and requested that payments to SMEs be included as a target in future Quarterly Progress Reports in order to maintain oversight of performance in this area.  Officers were supportive of this approach as a way of monitoring performance in this area whilst assessing the impact of the removal of Rule 43.

RESOLVED – That the proposed changes to the Procurement Code with effect from 1 April 2020 be approved.