Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED – That the decisions of the meeting held on 13 September 2012 be approved as a correct record.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Hugh Rayner (Councillor Stephen Sowerby substituting), Councillor Alex Brodkin (Councillor Arjun Mittra substituting) and Mr Richard Harbord.

The Committee agreed that a letter be sent to Mr Harbord expressing sympathy to him and his wife regarding her present ill health and hospitalisation together with their best wishes for her recovery.

There were no declarations.

Details are appended of the questions asked of, and the answers given by the Chairman.  Verbal responses were given to supplementary questions at the meeting.

There were no Members’ Items.

The Assistant Director Financial Services and also Mr Paul Hughes of Grant Thornton LLP introduced the report.  The Committee discussed the report and raised questions on areas on which they required additional information.

RESOLVED - That the External Auditors Annual Audit letter for 2011/12 be accepted as a reasonable statement on the Council’s position in respect to the Audit of the Accounts, Financial Performance, Value for Money and Financial Resilience

The Assistant Director Financial Services and also Mr Paul Hughes of Grant Thornton LLP introduced the report. 

RESOLVED – That Grant Thornton’s planned external audit fee for 2012/13 be noted.

The Assistant Director Financial Services and also Mr Paul Hughes of Grant Thornton LLP introduced the report.  The Committee discussed the report and raised questions on areas on which they required additional information.

RESOLVED –

(1)               That the matters raised by the External Auditors relating to the grants submission and certification process be noted.

(2)               That the Officer response to the matters raised by the External Auditors be noted.

The Head of CAFT introduced the report.

RESOLVED - That the Committee endorses the Corporate Anti Fraud Team (CAFT) Interim Report for 2012.

The Assistant Director of Finance - Audit and Risk Management introduced the report.  The Committee discussed the report and asked questions to the relevant Director(s) or their representatives on the recommendations that were rated at limited assurance.  With regard to the regeneration programme, which had received a no assurance, the Committee put questions to the Assistant Director, Strategy and Regeneration and the Leader of the Council, who had attended the meeting on the invitation of the Chairman.

RESOLVED –

(1)               That the Committee note the progress against the Internal Audit Plan for 2012-13 to 30^th November 2012 and the actions being taken to address some cases of non implementation of high priority recommendations.

(2)               That it be noted that the reporting of the Procurement Controls and Monitoring Action Plan to the Audit Committee is now complete.

There were no such items.