Agenda item

In response to Members questions, the following points were raised:

      a.            A Member raised concern that the reference to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) judicial review set out on page 41 did not do justice to the case won by parents on substantial grounds and had not been referred to within the Significant Governance Issues section of the Annual Governance Statement.

      b.            It was noted that the Audit Committee had approved the Annual Governance Statement in July of the previous year, and approval of the draft accounts had been deferred pending a review by external auditors.

       c.            Grant Thornton confirmed that the auditor’s report referred to the entirety of the financial statements and supporting information contained within the Narrative Report, this included the Annual Governance Statement and the Significant Governance Issues. 

      d.            The Legal Officer advised that independent members had no right to vote on the approval of the accounts.

      e.            The Chair called for a vote on the recommendation in the report that Audit Committee approved the Statement of Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2019.

        f.            Before being put to the vote two Members sought an amendment to the wording at Note 5 of the Notes to the Statement of Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2019. 

      g.            Members proposed that the wording which states,

‘…the liability arising from the Council’s Parent Company Guarantees, is likely to be significantly impacted at the end of March 2020.’

Should be amended to say,

‘…the liability arising from the Council’s Parent Company Guarantees, is likely to be materially impacted at the end of March 2020.’

      h.            The Legal Officer advised Members that Audit Committee had no power to amend reports without notice.

        i.            The S151 Officer advised Members that the current wording had been recommended by Grant Thornton after undergoing its own internal quality assurance process.

        j.            The Chair noted Officers comments and proceeded to move to a vote.

On being put to a vote, Members RESOLVED (4 for, 2 against, 1 abstention):

That the wording at Note 5 of the Notes to the Statement of Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2019 be amended.

       k.            The Legal Officer confirmed that as Committee did not have the power to amend the accounts, they could not now vote on the accounts as amended. 

        l.            In discussion, Members confirmed that they were seeking to amend the report recommendation to approve the accounts, and that on this basis they had agreed to the Amendment. It was confirmed that the vote could proceed on this basis.

On being put to the vote Members RESOLVED (6 for, 1 abstention)

To approve the Statement of Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2019 as amended.

    m.            The Chair referred to the concerns raised by Members that there should be parity with Scrutiny with respect to access to exempt papers on Audit agendas.

On being put to the vote, Members unanimously AGREED

That Audit Committee is a key part of the Authority’s governance and must have potential access to all papers without restriction.  It is inappropriate to restrict access or make access more difficult than would be the case for other Members of Council.