Agenda item

To consider the report of the Director Finance.

The Director Finance presented the report accompanying the Annual Governance Statement setting out key issues, the responses and a summary of action.  The Annual Governance Statement would accompany the Council’s Statement of Accounts for 2022/23. The Governance Statement was a statutory requirement and reported on the Council’s performance against the Council’s Code of Corporate Governance which was last approved on 8 March 2023.

In response to a Member’s questions, the Director Finance advised the following:-

·           the Governance Statement included what happened last year, as well as a summary of actions for 2023/24.

·           the Risk Register would continue to be presented to the Audit and Governance Committee

A Member raised a number of issues on the circulated Statement under the Review of Effectiveness section and in relation to a reference on appropriate updates of the Council’s Constitution referred to the Governance Review Group and sought an explanation of why the Group had been disbanded, and what was proposed to be put in its place. There was now, no apparent mechanism for Members to feedback on any proposed changes to the Constitution or the operation of Standing Orders. The Group had included Members from all political parties, who had made a number of representations and constructive comments, and she now wished to make a formal requestto the Executive or appropriate body for the reinstatement of the Governance Review Group. A Member also made a request for the minutes of a number of those meetings held to be circulated to Members.

In response to a comment on the lack of mechanism to put an item on the agenda of this Committee, they were advised that any concerns or a request for review of a service area of the Council could be made to the Internal Audit Manager. It was noted that a review of the operational requirements and arrangements in relation to officer responsibility was also included in the Scheme of Delegation report and considered annually by the Executive.

The Member also commented on the reference to the work of Customer Focus and Strategic Scrutiny Committees who monitor the overall financial performance of the Council; she referred to the financial performance of the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) which was reported to the Council Housing and Advisory Development Group (CHAD) but not to the Customer Focus Scrutiny Committee. The CHAD Group was not a Council Committee, but operated in an advisory capacity to the Executive and the Scrutiny Committee could include regular budget monitoring.

The Director Finance referred to the review process of the Council’s Constitution which was not Member driven and also included regular updates in respect of officer responsibilities. The reference in the Statement was not intended to be in the form of a review that the Member had suggested.

A Member offered a copy of a letter from the Minister of Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DHLUC) sent on 28th June relating to the issue of governance review and suggested that it be shared with Members.

Following the earlier discussion, a Member proposed that a formal request to the Executive or appropriate body be made for the reinstatement of the Governance Review Group. A Member also made a request for the minutes of a number of those meetings held to be published.

The proposal was seconded and agreed following a vote.

RESOLVED that the Audit and Governance Committee approve the Annual Governance Statement of Accounts for 2022/23 and be signed (at the earliest possible convenience) by the Director Finance and the Chair of the Audit and Governance Committee and included within the Council’s Annual Statement of Accounts for 2022/23.

RECOMMENDED to Council to note and approve the following:-

(1)        Annual Governance Statement included within the Council’s Annual Statement of Accounts for 2022/23, and

(2)        a request for the Executive or appropriate body to consider the reinstatement of the Governance Review Group, and for the minutes of the meetings to be published.