Agenda and minutes

Members made the following general declarations of interest:

Councillor Ian Corkin, declaration, as a board member of Graven Hill Village Development Company.

Councillor Nigel Randall, declaration, as a shadow board member for Cherwell Community Build

There were no petitions or requests to address the meeting.

There were no items of urgent business.

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 23 March 2016 and 17 May 2016.

The minutes of the meetings of the Committee held on 23 March 2016 and 17 May 2016 were agreed as correct records and signed by the Chairman.

To receive communications from the Chairman.

There were no Chairman’s announcements.

Report of Chief Finance Officer

Purpose of report

To receive Ernst Young’s report briefing on Value for Money audit – Code of Audit Practice 2015 and Council Annual fee letter 2016/17.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

1.1         To note the briefing on Value for Money audit – Code of Audit Practice 2015 and Council Annual fee letter 2016/17 from Ernst Young.

The Chief Finance Officer submitted Ernst Young’s report briefing on Value for Money audit – Code of Audit Practice 2015 and Council Annual fee letter 2016/17.

Resolved

(1)          That the briefing on Value for Money audit – Code of Audit Practice 2015 and Council Annual fee letter 2016/17 from Ernst Young be noted.

Report of Chief Finance Officer

Purpose of report

To inform members of the response to the Ernst Young letter to the Chairman of this Committee.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

1.1         To approve the response to external audit’s request for management assurances from Those Charged With Governance (Appendix 1).

The Chief Finance Officer submitted a report to inform members of the response to the Ernst Young letter to the Chairman of this Committee.

Resolved

(1)          That the response to external audit’s request for management assurances from Those Charged With Governance be approved.

Report of Chief Finance Officer

Purpose of report

To receive PwC’s annual report for 2015/16 and progress report summarising their internal audit work for 2015/16 and for 2016/17 to date and the Internal Audit Charter.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

1.1         To note the 2015/16 annual report.

1.2         To note the 2016/17 progress report.

1.3         To note the Internal Audit Charter.

The Chief Finance Officer submitted PwC’s annual report for 2015/16 and progress report summarising their internal audit work for 2015/16 and for 2016/17 to date and the Internal Audit Charter.

Resolved

(1)          That the 2015/16 Internal Audit annual report, progress report and Internal Audit Charter be noted.

Report of Chief Finance Officer

Purpose of report

To provide members of Accounts, Audit and Risk Committee with an update on the joint Corporate Fraud team including an end of year report for 2015-2016 and a new business plan for 2016-2017 and to ask members to endorse the joint Whistleblowing and Anti-Fraud and Anti-Corruption Policies which have been reviewed and to endorse the new Fraud Response Plan Policy.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

 1.1        To note the contents of the report including the end of year report and the new business plan for 2016-2017.

 1.2    To endorse the policy changes and the new Fraud Response Plan. 

The Chief Finance Officer submitted a report to provide members of Accounts, Audit and Risk Committee with an update on the joint Corporate Fraud team including an end of year report for 2015-2016 and a new business plan for 2016-2017. The report also asked members to endorse the joint Whistleblowing and Anti-Fraud and Anti-Corruption Policies which have been reviewed and to endorse the new Fraud Response Plan Policy.

In the course of discussion members thanked officers for the amended policy wording and requested that future reports should also include the number of properties rebilled as a result of investigations.

Resolved

(1)          That the contents of the report including the end of year report and the new business plan for 2016-2017 be noted.

(2)          That the changes to the joint Whistleblowing and Anti-Fraud and Anti-Corruption Policies and the new Fraud Response Plan Policy be endorsed. 

Report of Director - Strategy and Commissioning

Purpose of report                                                                       

To update the Committee on the management of Strategic, Corporate and Partnership risks during the fourth and final quarter of 2015/16; to present the 2016/17 Risk & Opportunities Management Strategy review; and to provide an update on the Risk Training programme.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

 1.1        To review the quarter four Strategic, Corporate and Partnership Risk Register and identify any issues for further consideration or referral to Executive.

1.2                     To note the revised Risk and Opportunities Management Strategy for 2016/17.

The  Director - Strategy and Commissioning submitted a report to update the Committee on the management of Strategic, Corporate and Partnership risks during the fourth and final quarter of 2015/16, to present the 2016/17 Risk & Opportunities Management Strategy review and to provide an update on the Risk Training programme.

Resolved

(1)          That the quarter four Strategic, Corporate and Partnership Risk Register and  the revised Risk and Opportunities Management Strategy for 2016/17 be noted.

** Please note the appendices to this report are exempt. Exempt Appendix 2 will follow as it is currently being reviewed and finalised **

Report of Chief Finance Officer

Purpose of report

To receive information on treasury management performance and compliance with treasury management policy for 2015/16 as required by the Treasury Management Code of Practice.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

 1.1        To note the contents of the final Quarter Treasury Management Report.

1.2       To note the contents of the Icelandic redemption (exempt Appendix 2).

The Chief Finance Officer submitted a report on treasury management performance and compliance with treasury management policy for 2015/16 as required by the Treasury Management Code of Practice.

Resolved

(1)          That the contents of the final Quarter Treasury Management Report be noted.

(2)          That the update of the Icelandic redemption be noted.

**Appendix 1 to this report will follow as it is currently being reviewed and finalised **

Report of the Chief Finance Officer

Purpose of report

To report the Annual Governance Statement. The Annual Governance Statement will be considered at the same time as the Statement of Accounts for 2015/16.

Recommendations

The Committee is recommended:

1.1         to consider and endorse the Annual Governance Statement 2015/16 (Appendix 1 to follow).

The Chief Finance Officer submitted the Annual Governance Statement, which would be considered at the same time as the Statement of Accounts for 2015/16.

Resolved

(1)          That the Annual Governance Statement 2015/16 be noted and endorsed.

** The report and appendices for this item will follow as they are currently being reviewed and finalised **

Report of Chief Finance Officer

Purpose of report

To consider and endorse the pre-audit Statement of Accounts for 2015-16.

The Chief Finance Officer submitted a report to consider and endorse the pre-audit Statement of Accounts for 2015-16.

In the course of discussion it was confirmed that the capital programme would be submitted to a future meeting of the Committee for consideration.

Resolved

(1)          That the carry forward of budget underspends from 2015/16 to 2016/17 (annex to the Minutes as set out in the Minute Book) be approved.

(2)          That the balances on capital schemes which had slipped in 2015/16 to be carried forward into the 2016/17 capital programme (annex to the Minutes as set out in the Minute Book) be approved.

(3)          That the Statement of Accounts be noted.

(4)          That the verbal update on the outcomes from the informal review of the Statement of Accounts undertaken on 30 June immediately prior to the formal meeting at 5.00pm be noted.

To review and note the Committee Work Programme.

The Committee considered its work programme for 2016/17.

Resolved

(1)          That the work programme be noted.

The following reports contain exempt information as defined in the following paragraph of Part 1, Schedule 12A of Local Government Act 1972.

3– Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

Members are reminded that whilst the following item(s) have been marked as exempt, it is for the meeting to decide whether or not to consider each of them in private or in public. In making the decision, members should balance the interests of individuals or the Council itself in having access to the information. In considering their discretion members should also be mindful of the advice of Council Officers.

Should Members decide not to make a decision in public, they are recommended to resolve as follows:

“That under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that, if the public and press were present, it would be likely that exempt information falling under the provisions of Schedule 12A, Part I, Paragraph 3 would be disclosed to them, and that in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.”

Resolved

That the press and public be excluded as exempt information as defined in the paragraph 3 of Part 1, Schedule 12A of Local Government Act 1972 is likely to be made known.

** Exempt Appendix 2 will follow as it is currently being reviewed and finalised **

Resolved

(1)          That the exempt appendices be noted.

** The appendix to this report will follow as it is currently being reviewed and finalised **

Exempt Report of Chief Finance Officer

The Chief Finance Officer submitted an exempt report which presented an update to the Finance Improvement Plan, which was an outcome of the KPMG Review of NNDR Overpayment report adopted by this Committee on 20 January 2016.

Resolved

(1)          That the progress made thus far in delivering the Finance Improvement Plan and the remaining actions be endorsed.