Summary of top discretionary spending by the council
Received 2 April 2026
I would like to request the following information for the most recent full financial year available:
- The three highest individual areas of expenditure that the council classifies as discretionary or non-statutory (i.e. services or spending not required by law), ranked by total annual spend.
- For each of these three areas, please provide:
- The name or description of the service/project
- The total amount spent in that financial year
- A brief description of what the expenditure relates to
- Please provide the total amount spent by the council on alcohol, including:
- Alcohol purchased for events, functions, or hospitality
- Alcohol purchased using council funds, expenses, or procurement systems
If possible, please also provide a breakdown of this figure by category (e.g. events, civic hospitality, staff functions).
If the council does not hold a specific category for alcohol expenditure, please provide the closest available information, such as hospitality or event catering costs where alcohol is included.
Clarification requested 13 April 2026
I have been asked by the Finance Department for clarification on your request. Can you please clarify what you determine to be ‘discretionary’ or ‘non-statutory’ spend. Is this specifically for functions for example?