Issue - meetings

REPORT OF THE POLICY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER

For the Finance, Audit & Risk Committee to review the draft Annual Governance Statement (AGS) including Action Plan for the year 2019/20.

RESOLVED: That the draft AGS Action Plan 2019/20 be noted and any further comments on the drafts be provided to the Policy and Community Engagement Manager in order for it to be finalised for approval (in September 2020).

REASON FOR DECISION: The Committee is the legal body with responsibility for approval of the AGS. Reporting the draft AGS and Action Plan at this stage provides an opportunity for the Committee to assess and comment on the draft, before it is finalised and brought back for approval in September 2020.

Audio Recording – 22 Minutes 19 Seconds

The Policy and Community Engagement Manager presented the report entitled Annual Governance Statement 2019/20 and drew Members’ attention to the following:

·                Copies of the draft AGS had been sent to the Shared Internal Audit Service (SIAS), Ernst & Young (External Auditors) and the Shared Anti-Fraud Service;

·                Ernst and Young had asked for comments to be added in relating to the actions that the Council took around the pandemic at the end of March to support residents, businesses and voluntary organisations and the work of the recovery board;

·                The draft AGS had been prepared following an in-depth review/ input and scoring of arrangements by SMT against the Framework 2016 Principles;

·                CIPFA had indicated that the AGS should be a ‘meaningful but brief communication’;

·                Updates on the AGS Action Plan would be provided to the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee twice a year at the September and March meetings; and

·                A finalised version of the AGS would be brought to Members of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee in September 2020.

The Policy and Community Engagement Manager reminded Members that comments could be sent to him by email if they wished.

The following Members asked questions:

·                Councillor Kate Aspinwall.

In response to the Member’s question, the Policy and Community Engagement Manager advised that a substantial amount of report had been completed before coronavirus. The Annual Governance Statement would be revised and would be brought before the Committee in September  and capture the additional Council actions during the coronavirus pandemic , mostly in relation to the support provided to residents, voluntary and community groups and businesses, relaxing of PCN notices, partnership working food parcels, establishment of a community support grant sign posting to Government grants and the development of a district wide recovery plan.

It was:

RESOLVED: That the draft AGS Action Plan 2019/20 be noted and any further comments on the drafts be provided to the Policy and Community Engagement Manager in order for it to be finalised for approval (in September 2020).

REASON FOR DECISION: The Committee is the legal body with responsibility for approval of the AGS. Reporting the draft AGS and Action Plan at this stage provides an opportunity for the Committee to assess and comment on the draft, before it is finalised and brought back for approval in September 2020.