Report of the Director of West Mercia Energy. [Report attached]

Contact: Nigel Evans.

That the updated WME Standing Orders be approved.

Nigel Evans, Managing Director of West Mercia Energy, presented the updated Standing Orders and outlined a number of proposed amendments. He explained that the changes included formally defining the role of the WME Procurement Advisor, updating procurement thresholds to reflect current regulations and incorporating references to modern slavery requirements. He also advised that the Standing Orders had been amended to reflect West Mercia Energy's increased responsibility for managing its own procurement processes through its Delta procurement platform, rather than relying on arrangements hosted by Shropshire Council. Nigel Evans emphasised that the changes were largely administrative and intended to ensure the Standing Orders remained up to date and fit for purpose.

In response, the Chairman welcomed the report and commented that it was reassuring to see the Standing Orders being thoroughly reviewed and updated rather than simply rolled forward each year. He noted the significant amount of work that had gone into maintaining the governance framework and observed that regular review of such policies provided assurance to both members and auditors.

RESOLVED:

That the updated WME Standing Orders be approved.