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ITEM CA7

 

CABINET – 21 APRIL 2009

 

ANNUAL AUDIT AND INSPECTION LETTER 2008/09

 

Report by Assistant Chief Executive & Chief Financial Officer and

Assistant Chief Executive (Strategy)

 

Introduction

 

1.                  The Audit Commission publish an Annual Audit and Inspection Letter (AAIL) which draws on the most recent Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA), the findings and conclusions from the audit of the Council for 2007/08 and from any inspections undertaken since the last Annual Audit and Inspection.  The Letter is brought to the Cabinet for consideration and is appended to the report.

 

Background

 

2.                  The AAIL was published on 5 March and includes the Council’s overall score (3* and improving well) and service scores.  The draft (and incomplete) Letter was considered by the Audit Committee at its meeting on 4 March when some of the contents were still embargoed.  The Audit Committee referred the Letter to the Cabinet for consideration and:

 

·        was delighted with the Commission’s judgment that the Council was making good progress against most of its priorities, had retained its overall assessment score of 3 and in particular that the ‘Use of Resources’ score had improved from 3 to 4, for which the Committee commended the Cabinet Member for Finance, the Assistant Chief Executive and Chief Finance Officer and all concerned with the outcome;

 

·        considered that it was unclear how data from years other than 2007/08 had influenced the assessment scores for the year which was the subject of this Letter;

 

·        found it difficult to relate the text in paragraph 19 ‘World Class Economy’ with the assessment scores shown in Table 2 on page 18 ‘Quality of services for children & young people’; and

 

·        expressed concern that the Audit Commission had not explained in the draft Letter or to the Committee’s satisfaction at the meeting how the criteria for Cogges Museum had contributed to the overall re-assessment of the ‘Culture’ score.

 

 

RECOMMENDATION

 

3.                  The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to comment on the AAIL and agree any action in response to its contents.

 

 

 

SUE SCANE

Assistant Chief Executive & Chief Finance Officer

 

STEPHEN CAPALDI

Assistant Chief Executive (Strategy)

 

Background papers:             AAIL 2008/09

 

Contact Officer:                     Tracy Luck, Head of Strategy, Tel: 01865 816383

 

March 2009

 

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