Agenda and minutes

Audit, Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Thursday, 22nd October, 2020 6.30 pm

Venue: Virtual Meeting

Contact: Will Baines  43228

Link: View video recording

Items
No. Item

1.

Emergency Evacuation Procedure

The Chairman to inform Members of the Public of the emergency evacuation procedure.

Minutes:

The meeting was held virtually.

2.

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

Apologies received from Councillors Cussons, Keal and Wass

3.

Minutes of the meeting held on 1 October 2020

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

 Decision

 

That the minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny meeting held on 01 October 2020 be approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

 

Voting Record

6 For

0 Against

1 Abstention

 

4.

Urgent Business

To receive notice of any urgent business which the Chairman considers should be dealt with at the meeting as a matter of urgency by virtue of Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

Minutes:

There were no items of urgent business.

5.

Declarations of Interest

Members to indicate whether they will be declaring any interests under the Code of Conduct.

 

Members making a declaration of interest at a meeting of a Committee or Council are required to disclose the existence and nature of that interest.  This requirement is not discharged by merely declaring a personal interest without further explanation.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

6.

Chair's Announcements

Minutes:

The Chair gave a vote of thanks for the outgoing Chair and Vice Chair of O & S and thanked them for their hard work.

7.

2019-20 Statement of Accounts

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Considered – Report of the Chief Finance Officer (s151).

 

Anton thanked the Finance team for their hard work in producing the Statement of Accounts 2019/20 and thanked external Audit for their support.

External Audit thanked the Finance team for their co-operation.

 

Decision

 

That members

- note the 2019-20 Statement of Accounts (Appendix A), including the Annual

  Governance Statement

- note proposed letter of representation (Appendix B)

- note the External Auditors’ Audit Findings ISA 260 Document (Appendix C)

 

 

Voting Record

7 For

0 Against

0 Abstentions

8.

Internal Audit and Counter Fraud Annual Report 2019/20

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Considered – Report of the Chief Finance Officer (s151).

 

Anton thanked Connor Munroe and Stuart Cutts for their work on this report.

 

Decision

 

That Members:

a) note the results of the audit and counter fraud work undertaken in 2019/20.

b) note the overall opinion of the Head of Internal Audit regarding the overall

    framework of governance, risk management and control operating within the

    Council.

c) note the significant control issues identified through internal audit work in

    2019/20.

d) note the outcome of the quality assurance and improvement programme and

    the confirmation that the internal audit service conforms with the Public Sector Internal Audit Standards.

 

 

 

Voting Record

7 For

0 Against

0 Abstentions

9.

Internal Audit, Counter Fraud and Information Governance Plans 2020/21

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Considered – Report of the Chief Finance Officer (s151).

 

Decision

 

That the internal audit plan for 2020/21 be approved and the counter fraud

and information governance plans be noted.

 

 

Voting Record

7 For

0 Against

0 Abstentions

10.

Treasury Management Annual Report 2019-20

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Considered – Report of the Chief Finance Officer (s151).

 

Decision

 

That Council is recommended to:

(i) Note the annual treasury management report for 2019/20; and

(ii) Approve the actual 2019/20 prudential and treasury indicators in this report.

 

 

Voting Record

7 For

0 Against

0 Abstentions

11.

Update on Risk Management

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Considered – Report of the Chief Finance Officer (s151).

 

Decision

 

That the Committee notes the contents of this report and comments

on the format and details of the Corporate Risk Register (Appendix 2).

 

 

Voting Record

6 For

0 Against

0 Abstentions

12.

Timetable of Meetings 2021-22

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Considered – Report of the Head of Corporate Governance.

 

 

Decision

 

That the Committee notes the report.

 

 

13.

Call-in: HR Policies

This item was called in by the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 8 October 2020.The Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee has agreed to consider the item again at the next meeting of that committee on 12 November 2020, in the light of further information available since the last meeting, to ensure that the Member appeals panels for dismissal are retained.

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the call in from the Chair of Overview and Scrutiny on 08 October 2020.

 

Decision

The Committee agreed that no further action to be taken .

 

Voting Record

3 For

2 Against

2 Abstentions

14.

Appointment of Corporate Governance Standards Sub-Committee

That a Corporate Governance Standards Sub-committee be established comprising any three members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, with up to three named substitutes, drawn from across the political groups on the Council as far as reasonably practicable.

 

Minutes:

Considered

 

Decision

 

That Cllrs Brackstone, Garbutt Moore and Raper be appointed with Cllrs Middleton and Oxley as substitutes.

 

 

Voting Record

6 For

0 Against

0 Abstentions

15.

Any other business that the Chairman decides is urgent.

Minutes:

The Committee discussed potential areas for future scrutiny and suggested the following to be considered.

·         Universal Credit

·         Covid

·         Internal Appraisal System

·         Business support post Covid

 

There being no other items of urgent business the meeting closed at 8.25pm.