Agenda and minutes

This meeting is to be webcast. The Chairman will read the following announcement:

“I would like to remind everyone present that this meeting will be broadcast live to the internet (or filmed) and will be capable of repeated viewing (or another use by third parties).

If you are seated in the lower public seating area then it is likely that the recording cameras will capture your image and this will result in the possibility that your image will become part of the broadcast.

This may infringe your human and data protection rights and if you wish to avoid this then you should move to the upper public gallery.

Could I please also remind Members to activate their microphones before speaking”.

The Chairman made a short address to remind everyone present that the meeting would be broadcast live to the internet, and would be capable of repeated viewing, which could infringe their human and data protection rights.

To declare interests in any item on the agenda for the meeting of the Committee.

There were no declarations of interest made pursuant to the Council’s Members’ Code of Conduct.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 13 Febuary 2023.

          RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 13 February 2023 be taken as read and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

To consider any matters arising from the minutes of the previous meeting of the Committee.

There were no matters arising form the minutes of the previous meetings which warranted further discussion.

To consider the attached work programme for the Committee for 2022/23.

The Committee noted its Work Programme for 2022/23.

To consider and comment on the Internal Audit Progress Report.

The Chief Internal Auditor, S Marsh, presented the Internal Audit Monitoring Report and updated the Committee on the work completed by internal audit since the previous meeting. The audit of the sundry debt system had been finalised and a reasonable level of assurance had been given. The recommendation tracker remained stable and there were no issues of concern to bring to the attention of the Committee.

Resolved:

(1)            The Committee noted the summary of the work of Internal Audit and the Corporate Fraud Team for the period February to March 2023

To consider the Internal Audit Strategy and Audit Plan 2023/24.

The Chief Internal Auditor, S Marsh outlined the Internal Audit Strategy and Audit Plan 2023/24 report. and highlighted that Internal Audit supported and contributed to the achievement of the Council’s objectives by supporting good governance. Internal Audit provided assurance to the Committee.  The outcomes from Internal Audit work fed into the Annual Governance Statement. The Internal Audit Strategy and Plan for 2023/24, the indicative work programme the years 2024/25 and 2025/26 set out priority areas and how this would be achieved.

Resolved

The Committee: 

(1)    Considered the effectiveness and contribution of the Internal Audit Strategy and Plan within the Council’s assurance framework, and

(2)    Approved the Internal Audit Strategy and Plan for 2023/24.

To review the current risk register.

The Strategic Director Corporate and Section 151 Officer, A. Small outlined the risk management framework was under review by the Senior Leadership Team, New corporate risk templates and matrices had been rolled out and the corporate risk register, format and risk naming convention was as detailed in the report.

The Committee acknowledged the improvements in the approach to risk management and their role in monitoring risk and ensuring accountability for specific risks. 

The Committee were advised that the risk associated overall size of borrowing would be taken back to the officer group and brought back to a future Committee.

The Committee

Resolved:

The Committee reviewed and endorsed the corporate risk register.

Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972 requires that the permission of the Chairman be obtained, after prior notice to the Chief Executive, before urgent business not specified in the agenda (including a supplementary agenda of which the statutory period of notice has been given) may be transacted.

No other business was raised for consideration by the Committee.

Exclusion:

To consider whether, under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press should be excluded from the meeting for the items of business set out below on grounds that they will involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the following paragraph(s) of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act (as amended) or are confidential under Section 100(A)(2):

The Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006, which came into effect on 1 March 2006, requires the Council to consider whether maintaining the exemption listed above outweighs the potential public interest in disclosing the information. Any member who considers that this test should be applied to any currently exempted matter on this agenda should contact the proper officer at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.

Background Papers: 

Article 17 of the Constitution (Access to Information) define background papers as being documents relating to the subject matter of the report which in the Proper Officer's opinion:

(a)        disclose any facts or matters on which the report or an important part of the report is based;  and

(b)        have been relied on to a material extent in preparing the report and does not include published works or those which disclose exempt or confidential information and in respect of executive reports, the advice of any political advisor.

The Council will make available for public inspection one copy of each of the documents on the list of background papers for four years after the date of the meeting. Inspection of background papers can be arranged by contacting either the Responsible Officer or the Democratic Services Officer for the particular item.

RESOLVED:

The Committee noted that there was no business which necessitated the exclusion of the public and press from the meeting.