Agenda and minutes

The Committee is asked to confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 5th June 2018.

The minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 5th June 2018 were confirmed as a correct record and signed.

No disclosures were made.

No questions were submitted.

No questions had been submitted.

Report of the External Auditors.

A report of the External Auditor was submitted summarising the key issues identified during the External Auditor’s audit of the Council’s financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2018 and the External Auditor’s 2017/18 assessment of the Council’s arrangements to secure value for money (item 5 on the agenda filed with these minutes). 

T. Crawley and V. Patel, representing the External Auditor, attended the meeting to assist the Committee with the consideration of this item. 

The Chair of the Committee thanked the External Auditors on behalf of the Committee for their work over the contract period.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

Reason

The Committee was content with the report and had no specific areas of concern or actions that it wished to include as part of its decision.

Report of the Head of Finance and Property Services.

A report of the Head of Finance and Property Services was submitted setting out the Council’s Statement of Accounts 2017/18 (item 6 on the agenda filed with these minutes).

The Strategic Director of Corporate Services and the Head of Finance and Property Services attended the meeting to assist the Committee with the consideration of this item. 

The Committee was advised that the Chair had asked questions and was satisfied with the response.

The Chair thanked the Head of Finance and Property Services on behalf of the Committee for the hard work of the team in producing the accounts two months earlier to meet the new deadline.

            RESOLVED

1.         that the Statement of Accounts for the year ended 31st March 2018, as submitted at appendix A to the report, be approved and that the Chair (as presiding person) be authorised to sign the accounts on behalf of the Committee.

2.         that the Letter of Representation, as submitted at appendix B to the report, be approved for signature by the Chair of the Audit Committee and the Chief Financial Officer;

3.         that authority be delegated to the Chair and Vice-chair of the Committee to agree any minor amendments or adjustments to the 2017/18 Statement of Accounts with the Chief Financial Officer following the meeting, should any such changes be necessary and subject to those being circulated to other members of the Committee beforehand.

            Reasons

1.&2.   To comply with the Accounts and Audit (England) Regulations 2015.

3.         To enable any such minor amendments or adjustments to be made without the requirement for a further decision/meeting of the Committee.

Report of the Head of Strategic Support.

A report of the Head of Strategic Support was submitted setting out the Annual Governance Statement 2017/18 and the results of the annual review of the Council’s Code of Corporate Governance (item 7 on the agenda filed with these minutes).

The Head of Strategic Support attended the meeting to assist the Committee with the consideration of this item.    

RESOLVED

1.         that the Annual Governance Statement, as included in the Statement of Accounts, be approved;

2.         that the Code of Corporate Governance, as submitted at appendix A to the report, be noted, with no amendments required.

Reasons

1.         To enable the Annual Governance Statement to be finalised and signed by the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive in accordance with the required timescales.

2.        To ensure that the Code of Corporate Governance is kept up to date and complies with best practice.