Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Maher and Tonkiss and Councillors Fairclough and S. Mainey (Substitute Members).

Members and Officers are requested to give notice of any personal or prejudicial interest and the nature of that interest, relating to any item on the agenda in accordance with the relevant Code of Conduct.

The following declaration of interest was made:-

Minutes of the meeting held on 29 September 2010

RESOLVED:  

That the Minutes of the meeting of this Committee held on 29 September 2010 be confirmed as a correct record.

Report of the External Auditors, PricewaterhouseCoopers

Mr. P. Chambers from PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Council's external auditors, presented the Council's Annual Audit letter which provided an overall summary of the results of the audit work undertaken on accounting matters and systems of internal control during 2009/10, the unqualified conclusion on the adequacy of the Council's arrangements for its Use of Resources on 26 October 2010, the review of the Council's Annual Governance Statement and an update on the audit fees for 2009/10.

RESOLVED:  

That the Annual Audit letter for 2009/10 be noted.

Report of the External Auditors, PricewaterhouseCoopers

Mr. P. Chambers from PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Council's external auditors, presented a report setting out the audit and inspection work to be undertaken during the 2010/11 financial year, which included an analysis of key risks, the proposed approach to be taken by the external auditors, the reporting and audit timetable and details of the indicative audit fee for 2010/11.

RESOLVED:   That

(1)       the External Audit Plan for 2010/11 be noted; and

(2)       further to Minute No. 35(5) of 25 March 2009 and Minute No. 114 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member - Corporate Services of 29 April 2009, Mr. Chambers be requested to ensure that the Plan takes account of the comments made by this Committee last year about responsibilities and liabilities in relation to electronic communication and the potential for data being lost.

Report of the Interim Head of Corporate Finance and ICT Strategy

The Committee considered the report of the Interim Head of Corporate Finance and ICT Strategy reviewing the Treasury Management activities undertaken in the first half of 2010/11 against the Treasury Management Policy and Strategy document 2010/11.

RESOLVED:  

That the report be noted.

To consider passing the following resolution:

That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act. The Public Interest Test has been applied and favours exclusion of the information from the Press and Public.

RESOLVED:  

That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they would involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.  The Public Interest Test had been applied and favoured exclusion of the information from the press and public.

Report of the Interim Head of Corporate Finance and ICT Strategy

The Committee considered the report of the Interim Head of Corporate Finance and ICT Strategy which provided a summary of internal audit work undertaken during the period April to November 2010.  The report also provided a summary of the work undertaken by the arvato Benefit Fraud Investigation Team during the period September to November 2010.

The Committee was required to be apprised of the Internal Audit and Benefit Fraud Investigation Team work as part of its review of the internal control environment and overall governance arrangements.

RESOLVED:  

That the report be noted.

Report of the Interim Head of Corporate Finance and ICT Strategy

The Committee considered the report of the Interim Head of Corporate Finance and ICT Strategy which provided a summary of the proactive and reactive anti-fraud and investigation work undertaken during the period April to November 2010 by the Internal Audit Team.

RESOLVED:  

That the report be noted.

Report of the Interim Head of Corporate Finance and ICT Strategy

The Committee considered the report of the Interim Head of Corporate Finance and ICT Strategy which provided an update on the Corporate Risk Register.

RESOLVED:  

That the updated Corporate Risk Register be approved.