Agenda and minutes

To note the names of apologies given and Deputy Members who are attending the meeting in place of appointed Members.

Councillor Cunningham (Standing Deputy for Councillor Stallard)

To receive any disclosure of interests from Members and Officers in matters to be discussed.

Note: Councillors are reminded of their obligations to declare disclosable pecuniary interests, personal and/or prejudicial interests in accordance with legislation and the Council’s Code of Conduct.

If you require advice, please contact the appropriate Democratic Services Officer, prior to the meeting.                                                                                                                       

Councillor Huxstep declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in respect of items under consideration which may have a Hampshire County Council involvement due to his role as County Councillor.  However, as there was no material conflict of interest regarding these items, he had a dispensation granted on behalf of the Standards Committee to participate and vote in all matters which might have a County Council involvement.

The Chairman thanked the officers for the training on the Annual Financial Report which had preceded the meeting.

Following a brief discussion, the Committee agreed to give consideration at its next meeting to the future requirement to the Audit (Governance) Sub Committee and whether to request Council that it be discontinued as its business could be transacted by the Audit Committee itself.

RESOLVED:

            That Councillor Huxstep be appointed Vice Chairman of the Committee for the 2018/19 Municipal Year.

RESOLVED:

            That the timetable of meetings for 2018/19 be agreed as set out on the agenda

RESOLVED:

            That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 8 March 2018 be approved and adopted.

This Group was appointed at Council on 11 October 2017 (following recommendation from Audit Committee) with membership as follows:

·         Finance Manager (Capital And Treasury)

·         Portfolio Holder (Finance)

·         One Other Cabinet Member

·         Chair Of The Audit Committee

·         One other Member from the Administration of the Council from the Audit Committee

·         Shadow Portfolio Holder

(The Section 151 Officer, as final decision maker, would not be a member of the TIG).

It is necessary to reappoint to this Group.

Cabinet, at its meeting held on 17 May 2018 nominated 2 Cabinet members to the Group – the Portfolio Holder for Finance (Councillor Ashton) and Councillor Miller.  The remaining members of the Group are to be appointed by the Audit Committee.

The Committee noted that this item had not been notified for inclusion on the agenda within the statutory deadline.  The Chairman agreed to accept the item onto the agenda as a matter requiring urgent consideration to enable appointments to be made to the Treasury Management Group at the earliest opportunity.

RESOLVED:

That the Chair of the Audit Committee (Councillor Cutler), one other Member from the Administration of the Council from the Audit Committee (Councillor Burns) and the Shadow Portfolio Holder (Councillor Prince) be appointed by the Audit Committee to the Treasury Management Group.

To receive and note questions asked and statements made from members of the public on matters which fall within the remit of the Committee.

There we no statements made or questions put from members of the public.

Members raised questions regarding Procurement and Contract Management in respect of Street Markets and also the details of Partnership Working (which had received a limited assurance) and the officers provided an update of the current situation.  It was additionally explained that the Local Government Association Peer Review would now take place in September 2018 rather than October 2017.

RESOLVED:

That the content of the Report and the progress against the Annual Governance Statement Action Plan in Appendix 1 be noted.

Mr Pitman from the Southern Internal Audit Partnership presented this item.

The officers provided responses to questions raised by Members in respect of the on-going performance monitoring of Working in Partnership and the update of the Business Continuity Plans.

RESOLVED:

That the Chief Internal Auditor’s Annual Report and Opinion for 2017 - 18 attached as Appendix 1 to the Report be accepted.

RESOLVED:

That the indicative annual audit fee for 2018/19 be approved.

The Chairman requested that members of the Committee give consideration to possible matters that they may wish to have considered at the November meeting of the Committee.

RESOLVED:

That the Audit Committee Work Programme for 2018/19 be approved.

The Committee noted that the Report had not been notified for inclusion on the agenda within the statutory deadline.  The Chairman agreed to accept the item onto the agenda as a matter requiring urgent consideration to enable consideration of the pre-audit statement of accounts, which would be signed by the responsible financial officer and be published by the 31 May 2018.

The Committee additionally noted that this Report was open to the public and did not contain and Exempt Appendix as stated on the Agenda for the meeting.

The Committee requested at a further briefing on the Annual Financial Report be held before the next meeting of the Committee on 31 July 2018.

Following questions from Members on the content of the Report and its appendix, the Committee requested that consideration be given to moving the first meeting of the Audit Committee for the 2019/2020 Municipal Year to early June to allow Members additional time to give advance consideration to the content of the Annual Financial Report.

RESOLVED:

1.          That the Statement of accounts for 2017/18 be noted.

2.               That the draft Annual Governance Statement in the Annual Financial Report for 2017/18 be noted.

3.               That consideration be given to moving the first meeting of the Audit Committee for the 2019/2020 Municipal Year to early June.