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CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY 
Finance Committee Paper 2 27/08/04 

CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY 
FINANCE COMMITTEE

Title: RATIFICATION OF EXPENDITURE 
JUSTIFICATIONS PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED 
AND APPROVED IN PRINCIPLE BY 
CORRESPONDENCE 

Prepared by: ANDY RINNING, HEAD OF CORPORATE SERVICES 

Purpose 

To ratify four expenditure justifications circulated and approved in principle by 
correspondence earlier this month and to agree procedures for future project approvals that 
require action between the quarterly Finance Committee meetings 

Recommendations 

• That the Committee approve and sign the expenditure justifications. 

• That a procedure is agreed for future approvals that need to be given between 
quarterly Finance Committee meetings. 

Executive Summary 

Since the Finance Committee last met on May 7 the following expenditure justifications have 
been circulated and approved in principle by committee members by correspondence and 
formal ratification is now sought: 

Policy for CNPA to contribute funds towards meetings, £5,000 
seminars, workshops or conferences within or concerning the 
Cairngorms National Park. 
Formal recognition for sustainable deer management. £15,000 (over 3 yrs) 
Contract for expert landscape advice £10,000 
Laggan Challenging Off Road Cycle Route £15,000 

To deal with future approvals required between Finance Committee meetings it is proposed 
that, wherever possible, supplementary Finance Committee papers are circulated with 
monthly Board papers in order that Finance Committee members have the opportunity to 
review the proposals and raise any queries or concerns with other Finance Committee 
members. 

Only in extremis will approval be sought between meetings by correspondencel. 

RATIFICATION OF EXPENDITURE JUSTIFICATIONS PREVIOUSLY 
CIRCULATED AND APPROVED BY CORRESPONDENCE 

Discussion 

1. The Finance Committee meets four times a year and part of its remit is the approval of 
expenditure proposals. The timing of expenditure, the need in some cases to go out to 
tender and sometimes, depending on the value of the project, to receive Scottish 
Executive approval means that it is not always feasible to defer expenditure proposals 
until the next available Finance Committee meeting. 

2. Formal ratification is now sought for the four proposals previously circulated and 
approved in principle by committee members. 

3. In future, any decisions requiring action before the next Finance Committee meeting 
will, whenever possible, be circulated as a separate Finance Committee paper with the 
monthly Board papers. This will enable Finance Committee members to raise any 
concerns with other members face-to-face on the day of the Board meeting. The 
quorum for approval of any such decisions remains [a majority of Finance Committee 
members]. 

4. A table of interim decisions made in the above way will be tabled at the next 
scheduled Finance Committee meeting and formally approved. At this meeting it is 
not proposed to circulate the full body of the expenditure justification as this will 
already heave been circulated. 

5. In extremis, matters requiring immediate action will be circulated to Finance 
Committee members by e-mail and approval sought in this way. Park Authority staff 
will be advised that this method is only to be used as a last resort. Any decisions 
taken in this way will be formally tabled at the next Finance Committee meeting with 
full supporting documentation. 

ANDY RINNING 
18 August 2004 

andyrinning@cairngorms.co.uk