Issue - meetings

2.45 p.m.

Report by Monitoring Officer.

The Audit & Governance Committee has the responsibility of approving the Council’s Annual Governance Statement (AGS) each year. 

Local authorities are required to prepare an AGS to be transparent about their compliance with good governance principles.  This includes reporting on how they have monitored and evaluated the effectiveness of their governance arrangements in the previous year and setting out any planned changes in the coming period.

This year, the coronavirus pandemic has affected both the timing and the content of the AGS.  The timetable to produce the AGS was extended nationally. The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting has also advised that Statements should make specific reference to implications of the coronavirus pandemic for our governance. 

Consequently, the AGS before you today sets out those implications and how the Council has addressed them. The Committee is asked to approve the AGS.

The Audit & Governance Committee is RECOMMENDED to approve the Annual Governance Statement 2019/20, subject to the Monitoring Officer making any necessary amendments in the light of comments made by the Committee, after consultation with the Leader of the Council, the Chief Executive and the Section 151 officer.

Recommendation agreed.

Glenn Watson introduced the report and noted that this is an update on actions listed as priorities for 2019/20.  It has been reviewed by the Audit Working Group at their June meeting and actions taken from that have been reflected in this report as follows:

• The number of actions listed is not extensive and does not reflect the amount of work undertaken, however is there to give transparency to any new actions that are not visible.
• Increased milestones on these actions will reflect the work undertaken.

Officers responded to members queries as follows:

• The statement of opinion shows that the systems and governance framework are functioning well, that all key strands of work are included, and internal audit is effective.  It also satisfies that the Audit & Governance Committee has the oversight required to operate effectively in order to undertake its delegated responsibility.
• There is no evidence of any systematic issues that would cause members to make ill-informed decisions from not receiving timely information, and scrutiny and this own Committee are effective at holding people to account.
• There are links between CGAG, CEDR and A&G, and the diagram represents the importance of key governance areas identified and monitored within these groups.
• The report demonstrates how we connect up CEDR etc in a more granular and involved format.
• Whilst CGAG is the lead body for actions identified for 2020/21, these are referred to this Committee in the first instance.  Timescales can be shifted to ensure the Committee is given adequate time to review as this is not an action plan in itself, rather a description of works to be undertaken.
• Agendas for the coming year will be planned accordingly to ensure the Committee have full oversight of all actions recorded as governance issues.

RESOLVED to approve the Annual Governance Statement 2019/20, subject to the Monitoring Officer making any necessary amendments in the light of comments by the Committee, after consultation with the Leader of the Council, the Chief Executive and the Section 151 Officer.