Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Council’s External Auditor KPMG.

Rob Andrews, Audit Manager from KPMG presented the report which supplemented the Audit Fee Letter 2017/18, which was presented to the Audit and Governance Committee in April 2017, detailed KPMGs appointment by the Public Sector Audit Appointments Ltd (PSAA).

He provided a summary of the financial statements explaining that there had been no change to the Code of Practice on Local Authority Accounting. He discussed the materiality for planning purposes which had been set at £1.9 million, and the uncorrected omissions or misstatements set at £0.095 million. The delivery of budgets and procurement under the value for money at the Council highlighted that the in the last two years work had been undertaken to address procurement arrangements at Exeter City Council and the need to strengthen them in the Annual Governance Statement. Significant risks were also discussed which included the valuation of PPE, pension liabilities, faster close and management override controls.

In response to Members’ questions, the Chief Finance Officer explained that:-

·         There has always been one in-house procurement officer in post and currently there is an interim procurement officer in housing, despite the full team not being appointed. Further interim arrangements were coming into place, whilst a recruitment of the rest of the team takes place. A full team was expected to be in place within six months;

The Audit and Governance Committee noted the External Audit Plan.