1          INTRODUCTION

1.1       Under the legislation which requires the Council to have a Scheme of Executive Arrangements all the functions of the Council are the responsibility of the Executive unless regulations issued by the Secretary of State provide otherwise.  Such regulations have been issued and in very broad terms they provide that the following shall not be the responsibility of the Executive:-

·                     the final approval of those documents which constitute the Council’s policy framework

·                     the final approval of the budget

·                     many of the Council’s regulatory and licensing functions

·                     functions relating to the employment of staff

1.2       The Scheme of Executive Arrangements adopted by the Council provide that, subject to any express provision set out in the Constitution, the Leader may allocate responsibility for Executive functions to the Executive, a Committee of the Executive, individual Members of the Executive or an officer.  As regards non-Executive functions, subject to a very limited number of decisions which are required to be taken by Full Council, the Council may allocate responsibility for functions to a Committee, a sub-Committee or an officer (but not to individual Members).  As regards both Executive and non-Executive functions they may be discharged jointly with another local authority or by another local authority.

1.3       The Executive Arrangements put in place by the Council includes the Scheme of Delegation to officers which encompasses many Executive and non-Executive functions.