To approve as a true and accurate record the minutes of the meeting held on 21 October 2025.

Public addresses relating to matters of business for this agenda, up to five minutes is available for each public address.

The request to speak accompanied by the full text of the address must be received by the Director of Law, Governance and Strategy by 5.00 pm on Thursday 22 January 2026.

Councillor addresses relating to matters of business for this agenda, up to five minutes is available for each address.

The request should be received by the Director of Law, Governance and Strategy by 5.00 pm on Thursday 22 January 2026.

Report of: The Group Finance Director

Purpose of the report: To present the outcome of the 2024/2025 KPMG external review of Housing Benefit Expenditure.

Recommendation(s): That the Committee resolves to:

1.    Note the report.

Report of: The Group Finance Director

Purpose of the report: To set the “Council Tax Base” for 2026-27 as required by section 33 of The Local Government Finance Act 1992 and the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (England) Regulations 2012.

Recommendation(s): That the Committee resolves to:

1.    Agree that the 2026/27 Council Tax Base for the City Council’s area as a whole is set at 48,724.9 (as shown in Appendix 1)

2.    Agree that the projected level of collection is set at 98%

3.    Agree that the tax bases for the Parishes, and for the Unparished Area of the City (as shown in Appendix 2) be set as follows:

Report of: The Group Finance Director

Purpose of the report: To update the Audit and Governance Committee on corporate and service risks as of 31 December 2025.

Recommendation(s): That the Committee resolves to:

1.    Review the Risk Management report and note its contents.

Report of: The Internal Auditor, BDO

Purpose of report: To update the Audit and Governance Committee.

Recommendation(s): That the Committee resolves to:

1.    Notes and discusses the report.

Report of: The Internal Auditor, BDO

Purpose of report: To update the Audit and Governance Committee.

Recommendation(s): That the Committee resolves to:

1.    Notes and discusses the report.

Report of: The Group Finance Director

Purpose of the report: To submit the Council’s draft Statement of Accounts and Letter of Representations to the Committee to obtain delegated authority for approval and authorisation.

Recommendation(s): That the Committee resolves to:

1.    Approve the latest 2024/25 Statement of Accounts as agreed by the Group Finance Director and authorise the Chair of the Committee to sign the Accounts incorporating any further changes arising from the ongoing audit.

2.    Agree that a Letter of Representations for 2024/25 incorporating any statements required by the external auditor arising from the ongoing audit be signed and issued by the Group Finance Director and the Chair of the Audit & Governance Committee to enable the external auditor’s opinion to be issued (paragraphs 14 to 15).

Report of: Director of Law, Governance and Strategy (Monitoring Officer)

Purpose of the report: To present the 2024/2025 Annual Governance Statement for approval and to present the refreshed Code of Corporate Governance for approval.

Recommendation(s): That the Committee resolves to:

1.    Approve the Annual Governance Statement for 2024/2025;

2.    Note the action plan appended to the Annual Governance Statement and that progress will reported on in 2026; and;

3.    Delegate authority to the Director of Law, Governance & Strategy to make any typographical changes to the Annual Governance Statement for 2024/25  that may be required before publication on the Council’s website.

Report of: The External Auditor, Ernst & Young

Purpose of report: To update the Audit and Governance Committee.

Recommendation(s): That the Committee resolves to:

1.    Notes and discusses the report.

The Committee is scheduled to next meet at 6.00pm on 9 April 2026.