Agenda item

Councillor R Newcombe, Chairman of the Audit and Governance Committee introduced the annual report prepared to inform the Council of the work carried out by the Council’s Audit and Governance Committee during the 2021/22 financial year. The content and presentation of this report met the requirements of the CIPFA Audit Committees Guidance 2018 to report to full Council on a regular basis on the Committee’s performance in relation to the terms of reference and the effectiveness of the Committee in meeting its purpose.

The report included information:

-                     That the Committee had met six times during the year.

-                     That the Risk Management Group, a sub-group of the Audit and Governance Committee, had met seven times during the financial year to review the strategic and key directorate risks facing the authority and the internal controls and governance in place to manage those risks to demonstrate how risk management is embedded within Services.

-                     On the Committee’s Work Programme which sought to look at levels of risk and the priorities of the Council in then approving the programme audit and assurance work undertaken in the highest risk areas.  For example, the Audit Manager had continued leading on the assurance arrangements over the Covid-19 grants received by Buckinghamshire Council, and the Investigations Team have assisted with the controls over the payments of business grants.

-                     That throughout the year, the Committee had continued to receive valued professional reports, support and advice from Corporate Finance, Treasury Management, Risk Management, Procurement, Internal Audit and from our External Auditors.

-                     That the Committee was responsible for approving and monitoring the Council’s Whistleblowing Policy, Anti-Fraud and Corruption Policy and Money Laundering Policy, as well as approving the Council’s Financial Statements and Annual Governance Statement.

-                     That the Committee approved the terms of reference for Internal Audit (Internal Audit Charter), the Business Assurance Strategy including the Annual Internal Audit Plan, and the Counter Fraud Plan.

-                     That the Committee provided challenge to the external auditors to ensure the Council was receiving value for money.  There had been increased requirements put on external auditors by the Financial Reporting on Council in recent years following some failures within both the public and private sector which had compounded the delay.  This had been part of that reason that only 9% of authorities across the country completed their accounts by the due date.

-                     That during 2021/22 the Committee had considered a motion, referred by full Council, relating the Climate Change risk management.  It had been agreed by the committee that the Council had already acknowledged the importance of climate change and that the Strategic Risk Register already reflected the risks to the Council’s responsibilities associated with climate change.

-                     That the Committee undertook the scrutiny role for the development of the Treasury Management strategy prior to its presentation to Council for approval. It received mid-term and annual reports on the extent of compliance with the approved Treasury Management strategy and an analysis of the performance against the targets set.  During the year it recommended the Treasury Management strategy and performance monitoring reports for Council approval.

Councillor Newcombe reported that the Annual Statement of Accounts 2020/21 had not yet been completely audited for reasons as detailed in the report, although in addition to these reasons, there was very recently an additional national issue concerning highways issues which meant that auditors were unwilling to sign off any further statements of accounts until the issue was resolved. The earliest this was now expected would be June.

Councillor Newcombe placed on record his thanks to the Chief Auditor and the Business Assurance team, highlighting the opinion of CIPFA that highlighted the good practice of the internal audit service in establishing practices as part of the formation of a new authority alongside the issues that arose as a result of Covid.

Following comments raised, it was clarified that the Councils statement of accounts were not linked to any published ‘rich lists’ and Councillor Newcombe agreed that Community Boards should be internally audited at the earliest opportunity as they were a new concept, with funding responsibilities.

RESOLVED –

That the Audit and Governance Committee Annual Report be NOTED.