Agenda and decisions

Councillor Mathew in place of Councillor Tim Hallchurch

Councillor John Tanner

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 18 November 2015 (AG3) and to receive information arising from them.

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 18 November 2016 were approved and signed, subject to changing ‘Heathcote’ to ‘Heathcoat’ in the last paragraph of Minute 71/15.

14:10

Report by the Chief Finance Officer (AG5)

The report contains the annual Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Annual Investment Strategy for 2016/17 in compliance with the CIPFA Code of Practice.  The report sets out the borrowing and investment strategies for 2016/17 and relevant background information.

When the report is considered by Cabinet on 26 January it will be RECOMMENDED to RECOMMEND to Council to:

(a)          approve the Prudential Indicators for 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19 as set out in Annex 1;

(b)          approve the Minimum Revenue Provision Policy for 2016/17 as set out in Annex 2;

(c)          approve the Treasury Management Strategy Statement & Annual Investment Strategy 2016/17;

(d)          continue to delegate the authority to withdraw or advance additional funds to/from external fund managers to the TMST;

(e)          approve the continued delegation of changes required to the Annual Treasury Management Strategy Statement & Annual Investment Strategy to the Chief Finance Officer in consultation with the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance;

(f)           approve the Draft Treasury Management Policy Statement as set out at Annex 5.

The Committee noted the report.

14:30

Report by the Chief Finance Officer (AG6)

The report presents the Internal Audit progress report for 2015/16, and includes the updated plans for all the assurance based activity covering Internal Audit, Counter-Fraud, Compliance Audits, and Assurance Mapping.

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to note the report.

Agreed.

14:50

Report by Chief Legal Officer and Monitoring Officer (AG7).

In December 2014, Council received a report from the Independent Remuneration Panel on councillors’ allowances. During the debate on that item, Council endorsed the Panel’s view that overcoming obstacles to wider democratic representation required solutions other than simply revised allowances.

Council therefore asked this Committee to develop potential actions that this Council could take that might encourage a wider demographic representation from the May 2017 elections onwards. The Committee established a cross-party Councillor Profile Working Group comprising Councillors Hards, Bartholomew and Constance to consider overcoming the obstacles and the potential options which may encourage greater diversity of representation.

The Group’s findings and recommendation are contained in their final report which is attached as Annex 1 to this item. The Committee is asked to consider the Group’s report with a view to endorsing the actions recommended at paragraph 17 with the aim of achieving a greater diversity of representation.

The Councillor Profile Working Group RECOMMENDS the Committee to consider its report (Annex 1) and to consider adopting the actions itemised at paragraph 17 of it.

RESOLVED:  (on a motion by Councillor Hards, seconded by Councillor Bartholomew and carried by 5 votes to 1, with 2 abstensions) to approve the recommendations set out in paragraph 17 of the report.

Note: The Committee thanked Andrea Newman for her work supporting the Group.

15:10

Report by the by the Chief Legal Officer and Monitoring Officer (AG8).

On 8 December 2015, Full Council considered a report from the Monitoring Officer on changes already made, or proposed to be made, to the Constitution. In recent years, such a report has been made to Council on an annual basis. 

In the event, Council deferred consideration of the potential further changes to enable this Committee to give a view in principle on them. The changes that were necessary following previous decisions had of course already been made at the request of Council under the Monitoring Officer’s delegated powers. 

The report originally considered by Council is included as an Annex.  The Committee is therefore being asked to do two things:

1) Firstly to note the changes that the Monitoring Officer has already made to the Constitution to implement previous decisions taken by this Council

2) Secondly to review the governance benefits of the proposed changes to two sections of the Constitution so that the Monitoring Officer can determine if and how to take this forward with Full Council.

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)        note that changes have been made to the Constitution to give effect to the Council’s previous decisions on:

(i)           senior management structures (Council Minute Reference 56/15; and

(ii)          senior officer dismissal procedures (Council Minute Reference 43/15);

(b)               comment to Council on the proposed changes outlined in paragraphs 12 and 15 of this report.

Agreed.

15:30

Report by the Chief Internal Auditor (AG9).

The report summarises the matters arising at the most recent meetings of the Audit Working Group (AWG).

RECOMMENDATION

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to note the report.

Agreed.

15:50

To review the Committee’s work programme (AG10).

AGREED, subject to the following additions:

February

Ernst & Young Audit Plans and Sector Briefing

April

Ernst & Young  External Audit Grant Claims Report