Issue - meetings

The Committee considered the report of the External Auditor on the progress to date against the 2015/16 Audit Plan.  The report also included a summary of emerging national issues and developments that might be relevant to the Committee together with a number of challenge questions in respect of these emerging issues.

The Interim Chief Accountant drew the Committee’s attention to proposals to bring forward the audit deadline for 2017/18 to the end of July 2018.  She confirmed that in preparation for this it was hoped to close the 2015/16 accounts on a certified basis by 31 May 2016 rather than 30 June 2016, with Member approval by the end of September 2016.

In response to questions by Members, the Officers/representative of the External Auditor explained that:

·  It was recognised that elected Members were very busy, and at the forefront of unprecedented change, both within their own authority and as part of a wider local public sector agenda.  The External Auditor was keen to support Members in their role and had teamed up with the Centre for Public Scrutiny to produce a Member training programme on governance and had published material on its website to help Members ask the right questions on subjects such as devolution and setting up successful local authority trading companies.

·  In terms of the Chancellor’s “devolution revolution” announcement on 5 October 2015, the Council was currently in a pooling arrangement with other local authorities in order to minimise the levy payment due to the Government and thereby maximise the local retention of locally generated business rates.  This had benefitted the Council by an additional £614k above the business rates it was allowed to retain.  The pool was set for another year, but the Government could change the rules.

RESOLVED:  That the External Auditor’s update report, attached as Appendix A to the report of the Head of Finance and Resources, be noted.