The Governance, Ethics and Standards Committee of Derbyshire County Council met on Thursday 25 June 2026 to discuss proposed updates to the council's Financial Regulations and Council Procedure Rules. The committee also reviewed the Members' Allowances Scheme and the Chairman's Annual Report for 2025/26.

Updated Financial Regulations

The committee was scheduled to consider proposed amendments to the council's Financial Regulations. These regulations, last reviewed in 2024, are intended to ensure good financial management practices and accord with the Council's Constitution and relevant legislation. Key changes proposed for discussion included:

• Allowing the Chief Executive to authorise exceptions for an Interim Executive Director not employed by the Council to control revenue budgets.
• Clarifications and changes regarding third-party and external arrangements.
• Confirmation that severance payments must comply with statutory guidance.
• Authority for Cabinet members to accept external funding offers for activities aligned with the Council plan or service plan.
• Clarification that any remaining balance for a Capital Scheme would require Cabinet approval.
• Changes to delegations in the risk and insurance section to reflect the insurance policy and delegate authority to the Risk and Insurance Manager.
• An updated reference to government-provided school insurance, replacing a previous offer.

The report recommended that the Committee approve the updated Financial Regulations and refer them to the full Council for approval and inclusion in the Constitution.

Revisions to Council Constitution: Review of Council Procedure Rules

A review of the Council Procedure Rules, which form part of the Council's Constitution, was scheduled for discussion. These rules govern the proceedings and business of council meetings. The proposed amendments, developed in conjunction with the Chairman of the Governance, Ethics and Standards Committee and a cross-party working group, aimed to ensure the smooth, effective, and efficient running of council business. Key proposed changes included:

• Clarifying business for the Annual Meeting, including the election of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman, and the Leader of the Council.
• Ensuring clarity regarding Ordinary, Extraordinary, and Special Council meetings, with a minimum number of Ordinary meetings specified.
• Adding prayers and adjourned business as specific agenda items for Ordinary meetings.
• Granting the Chair discretion to extend meetings beyond three hours without a vote.
• Refining provisions for public and member questions, including requirements for written responses in advance, grounds for rejection (vexatious, relating to individuals, or statements), deadlines for advance publication of answers, and time limits for supplementary questions.
• Removing specific references to questions for the Fire Authority, as it is a separate legal entity.
• Amending time limits for speeches, with the proposer having 10 minutes and others 5 minutes, unless the Chairman agrees otherwise.
• Providing the Chairman with discretion to adjourn a debate to allow councillors sufficient time to consider amendments to motions.

The recommendation was for the Committee to agree these proposed Council Procedure Rules and refer them to full Council for approval and inclusion in the Constitution.

Members' Allowances Scheme

The committee was scheduled to consider a report from the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) regarding the Members' Allowances Scheme. This followed a decision by the Council on 25 March 2026 to amend the Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) for the Leader of the Main Opposition Group and transfer the resulting savings to the Member's Community Leadership Scheme (MCLS). The Council also decided to forgo a recommended cost-of-living increase to the basic allowance, transferring those funds to the MCLS. The Chair of the IRP had expressed concerns that these changes were not considered by the Panel. Meetings were held with the Leader of the Council and the Leader of the Main Opposition Group to gather views, and the Panel also considered the allowance for the Cabinet Support Member. The report presented the Panel's findings and recommendations for the Committee to consider and recommend to the full Council.

Governance, Ethics and Standards Committee Chairman's Report 2025/26

The committee was due to consider the annual report of the Chairman of the Governance, Ethics and Standards Committee for the 2025/26 municipal year. This report, required by the Committee's terms of reference, provides an overview of the Committee's work, including discussions on gifts and hospitality, compliments and complaints, member conduct, and amendments to the constitution. The report highlighted the committee's engagement with various topics, including the government's code of conduct review and reports from the Independent Remuneration Panel. The Chairman expressed satisfaction with the level of engagement and constructive debate from committee members and officers. The report also outlined the proposed work programme for the next municipal year, including continued review of the Constitution, oversight of corporate complaints, and monitoring legislative changes related to the standards regime. The recommendation was for the Committee to endorse the report and support its presentation to full Council.

Minor Change to the Constitution: Member Pensions

The committee was scheduled to note changes made to the Council's Constitution under delegated powers by the Director of Legal and Democratic Services and Monitoring Officer. These changes were to reflect that councillors are now eligible to join the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). The Local Government Pension Scheme (Amendment) (Elected Member Pensions) Regulations 2026, which came into force on 1 April 2026, allow elected councillors to opt into the LGPS from 11 May 2026. The amendments to Appendix 13 of the Constitution explicitly clarify that councillors may opt into the LGPS. The report noted that the required amendments had been authorised and completed by the Monitoring Officer.