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Delegated Authority

Council Ordinance 7

Decisions Devolved to Council Committees

1. Council shall determine those matters on which decision may be reached by its Committees and their actions reported to it. All other matters are reserved to Council for its decision.
   
   
2. The matters in which decision must be made by Council and the areas in which decision may be made by Council committees shall be set out in appendices to the Regulation and shall be kept under annual review.
   
   
3. Council may seek recommendations from its committees on matters reserved to Council for final decision. In making its decision, Council may take account of, but shall not be bound by, the Committee’s recommendations. 
   
   
4. All Council committees shall record in the Minutes all decisions made under powers devolved from Council. The Minutes of the meetings shall be lodged with the Secretary to Council.
    
5. All Council committees shall, annually, consider their terms of reference and review the business transacted over the year and shall consider whether their devolved powers of decision making are appropriate. Where appropriate, committees shall recommend to Council changes in their devolved powers.
   
   
6. The Council shall consider the recommendations from its committees and shall make such amendments to the devolution of decision making as it considers appropriate, bearing in mind its overall responsibilities under the Charter and Statutes, primary legislation, memoranda of understanding with funding agencies or other instruments. 
   
   
7. Finance Committee:
   
   Reserved to Council for final decision
   
   
   1. Terms of reference of Finance Committee and Estates Strategy Group
      
   2. Regulation of University dues (CR6)
      
   3. Approval of a financial strategy setting out the parameters to be taken into account in the development of the annual budget (CR3)
      
   4. Approval of the annual consolidated budget of the University (CR3)
      
   5. Adoption of annual financial statements incorporating Finance Committee’s annual report (CR 3)
      
   6. Approval and amendment of treasury management policy statement (TMPS)
      
   7. Approval and amendment of borrowing framework (TMPS)
      
   8. Approval of assets offered as security for loans (TMPS)
      
   9. Approval of capital expenditure programme within which Finance Committee can make the specific authorisations set out in CR 3)
      
   10. Decisions in principle to dispose of freehold and long leasehold interests
       
   11. Establishment, winding up or disposal of subsidiary companies, acquisition or disposal of other participating interests, nomination of directors to subsidiaries and other entities in which the University has a participating interest, and participation in joint ventures
       
   12. Approval of Financial Forecasts for submission to HEFCE with Annual Operating Statement

   Delegated to Finance Committee with report of action to Council

   1. Contributing a financial framework to the Strategic Plan (CR 3) (but note that Council reserves to itself the final decision on the Plan as a whole)
      
   2. Annual review of financial strategy
      
   3. Authorisation of capital expenditure (CR 3)
      
   4. Setting of income assumptions for the three year budget process
      
   5. Approval of annual budgets for trading activities (including setting of residential rents) and self-financing institutes (CR 3)
      
   6. Approval of procedures pursuant to the Financial Regulations (CR 3)
      
   7. Approval of annual treasury plan (TMPS)
      
   8. Approval of list of approved counterparties and limits (TMPS)
      
   9. Approval of treasury systems document (TMPS)
      
   10. Setting of limits within Council’s borrowing framework for negotiation of borrowing terms by the Director of Finance (CR 3 and TMPS)
       
   11. Setting of limits within Council’s Treasury Management Policy Statement for negotiation of terms of bank and dealing mandates by the Director of Finance (TMPS)
       
   12. Setting of limits within Council’s Treasury Management Policy Statement for negotiation by the Director of Finance of terms of reference of external investment managers (TMPS)
       
   13. Powers to impose exceptional monitoring and control arrangements in the interests of maintaining financial control and ensuring compliance with the HEFCE Financial Memorandum and other funding agreements and legal and contractual obligations (CR 3)
       
   14. Detailed decisions on disposal of freehold and long leasehold interests within limits set by Council’s decision in principle
       
   15. Management of exposure to exchange rate and interest rate fluctuations
       
   16. Periodic market testing in respect of clearing bank, investment management and insurance services and taking action thereon.
       
       
8. Strategic Planning and Resources Committee (SPARC)
   

   Preamble

   Strategic Planning and Resources Committee advises both Council and Senate on matters relating to the development, monitoring and reviewing of the University’s Strategic Plan. This will entail advising on matters such as student number planning, School and Departmental planning issues and overseeing the work of the SPARC Sub-Committees.

   Matters reserved to Council for final decision
   

   1. Strategic Plan and Implementation Plan
   2. Closure of departments and withdrawal of disciplines
   3. Location of departments, both academic and physical
   4. Terms of reference of Strategic Planning and Resources Committee

   Matters delegated to Strategic Planning and Resources Committee

   5. Second tier strategies and plans
   6. Allocation of funds within the SPARC control total agreed by Finance Committee
   7. Student numbers, targets and populations
   8. Departmental planning issues
   9. Terms of reference of SPARC Sub-Committees