Councillor Fry was elected Chair of the Committee for the Council Year 2013/14.

Councillor Simmons was appointed Vice-Chair for the Council Year 2013/14

The Committee’s powers and duties are set out in the attachment to this agenda.

Resolved to receive and note the powers and duties (previously circulated, now appended) of the Committee.

The Quorum for this Committee is three Members and substitutes are allowed.

Councillors Fry and Rundle.  Councillor Pressel attended as a substitute for Councillor Fry.

Members are asked to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests they may have in any of the following agenda items.  Guidance on this is set out at the end of these agenda pages.

There were no declarations of interest from councillors present at the meeting.

Report of the Head of Finance.

This report presents for approval the Council’s Statement of Accounts for the financial year ending 31^st March 2013.

The Head of Finance submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended).

Resolved:-

(1)               To note the Statement of Accounts for the financial year 2012/13 as certified by the Section 151 Officer (Head of Finance);

(2)               To restate the Council’s Accounts for the financial year 2011/12 for the reasons described in Section 3 of the report of the Head of Finance;

(3)               In relation to the definitions of Existing Use Value and Market Value given in the notes to the core financial statements, to ask the Head of Finance to review those definitions, to change them if necessary and to provide a fuller explanation of those terms for all members of the Committee;

(4)               To thank the Council’s officers for their work in producing the Statement of Accounts.

Report of the Head of Law and Governance.

This report asks the Committee to consider and approve the Council’s Annual Governance Statement.  The Council is required by the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2011 annually to review its internal controls environment and produce an Annual Governance Statement.  The Statement forms part of the Council’s Statement of Accounts.

The Head of Law and Governance submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended).

Resolved:-

(1)               To approve the Governance Statement for 2012/13 as appended to the report;

(2)               In relation to paragraph 18 of the Statement (Whistleblowing), to record that for the Committee’s part it considered there was merit in whistleblowers being able to approach councillors as well as their line manager or other officer, and to ask officers when they prepare a draft update to the Member/Officer Protocol to consider including a reference to whistleblowing and councillors.

Report of the Council’s internal auditors (PricewaterhouseCoopers).

This report sets out the internal risk assessment and audit plan for the Council for 2013/14.

Pricewaterhousecoopers (the Council’s internal auditors submitted the 2013/14 internal audit risk assessment and annual audit plan for the Council.

Resolved that the plan be accepted subject in relation to audit work item VE4 (Temple Cowley Pool) to discussion as to the precise nature of the audit work and the Service Area primarily responsible.

Report of the Head of Finance.

This report updates the Committee on the progress made on the implementation of internal and external audit recommendations.

The Head of Finance submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended).

Resolved to receive and note the contents of the report.

The Council’s external auditors (Ernst and Young) will give an oral update to the Committee and will formally be reporting the 2013/14 Audit Fee. 

Alan Witty (Ernst and Young, external auditors) submitted a letter (circulated, now appended) concerning the 2013/14 external audit fee and the planned external audit work.

Resolved to note the plan programme and reporting and to agree the external audit planned audit fee.

Report of the Head of Finance.

This report sets out the Investigations Team’s performance for 2012/13.  It also updates the Committee on Fighting Fraud Locally and the potential risk of loss through fraud.

The Head of Finance submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended).

Resolved:-

(1)               To note the contents of the report;

(2)       To ask that in future fraud investigation reports appropriate                   benchmarking data be included.

Minutes of the meeting held on 18^th April 2013.

Resolved that the minutes (previously circulated) of the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 18^th April be approved as a correct record.

The Committee will meet on the following dates in 2013/14 at 6.00pm in the Town Hall:-

Thursday 26^th September 2013

Thursday 28^th November 2013

Thursday 2^7th February 2014

Thursday 24^th April 2014

Resolved to note that the Committee would meet at 6.00 pm on the following dates in the remainder of the current Council Year:-

• Thursday 26^th September 2013
• Thursday 28^th November 2013
• Thursday 27^th February 2014
• Thursday 24^th April 2014