Agenda, decisions and minutes


Venue: Bodicote House, Bodicote, Banbury, OX15 4AA

Contact: Sharon Hickson, Democratic and Elections  Email: democracy@cherwellandsouthnorthants.gov.uk, 01295 221554

Items
No. Item

50.

Declarations of Interest

Members are asked to declare any interest and the nature of that interest which they may have in any of the items under consideration at this meeting.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

51.

Petitions and Requests to Address the Meeting

The Chairman to report on any requests to submit petitions or to address the meeting.

Minutes:

There were no petitions or requests to address the meeting.

52.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 67 KB

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 20 November 2019.

Minutes:

The Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 20 November 2019 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

53.

Chairman's Announcements

To receive communications from the Chairman.

Minutes:

There were no Chairman’s announcements.

54.

Urgent Business

The Chairman to advise whether they have agreed to any item of urgent business being admitted to the agenda.

 

Minutes:

There were no items of urgent business.

55.

Internal Audit - Progress Report 2019/20 pdf icon PDF 72 KB

Report of the Executive Director of Finance (Interim)

 

Purpose of report

 

To receive CWAS’s progress report summarising their internal audit work to date.

 

Recommendations

 

The meeting is recommended:      

       

1.1     To note the contents of the 2019/20 progress report from CWAS.

 

Additional documents:

Decision:

Resolved

 

(1)          that the contents of the 2019/20 progress report from CWAS be noted.

Minutes:

The Executive Director – Finance (Interim) submitted a report which presented the CW Internal Audit Services progress report for 2019/20.

 

A revised appendix was circulated to the Committee. The Audit Manager, CW Audit Services highlighted the changes to the figures in section 2, the Executive Director, Finance (Interim) reassured members that there were no concerns regarding the numbers contained in the summary table on Implementation of agreed actions and that these were expected to reduce again by the time the next report was considered.

 

Resolved

 

(1)          That the contents of the 2019/20 progress report from CW Internal Audits Services be noted.

56.

Draft Capital, Investment and Treasury Management Strategies 2020-21 pdf icon PDF 82 KB

Report of the Executive Director of Finance (Interim)

 

Purpose of report

 

To submit the draft capital, investment and treasury management strategy reports for 2020-21. These reports were presented as draft to AARC on 20 November 2019 and have subsequently been updated.

 

Recommendations

            

The meeting is recommended:

 

1.1     To recommend the draft strategies for 2020-21 to Council for adoption.

Additional documents:

Decision:

Resolved

 

(1)          That the draft Treasury Management Strategies 2020/21 be recommended to Council for adoption.

 

Minutes:

The Executive Director Finance (Interim) submitted a report which presented the draft, capital, investment and treasury management strategies for 2020-21.

 

These reports were presented in a draft version to the Committee at the meeting on 20 November 2019 and had subsequently been updated following comments from Members and advice from the Council’s treasury management advisers, Arlingclose. They had also been updated with figures from the 31 December 2019 monitoring reports.

 

Resolved

 

(1)          That the draft Treasury Management Strategies 2020/21 be recommended to Council for adoption.

 

(Councillor Sean Woodcock requested that his abstention in the vote be recorded in the minutes)

57.

Work Programme pdf icon PDF 183 KB

To consider and review the Work Programme.

Decision:

Resolved

 

(1)          That, having given due consideration the Work Programme 2019/20 and 2020/21 be noted.

 

Minutes:

The Committee considered it’s work programme for the remainder of 2019/20 and the indicative work programme for 2020/21.

 

The Assistant Director – Finance (Interim), highlighted the meeting entry for 24 June 2020, explaining that this would only take place if the accounts for 2019/20 were ready for sign off.

 

Resolved

 

(1)          That, having given due consideration the Work Programme 2019/20 and 2020/21 be noted.

 

58.

Exclusion of Press and Public

The following reports contain exempt information as defined in the following paragraphs 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).

 

7 – Information relating to any action taken or to be taken in connection with the prevention, investigation or prosecution of crime.

 

Members are reminded that whilst the following items 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, Paragraphs 3 and 7 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.”

 

 

Minutes:

Resolved

 

That under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following item(s) 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, Paragraphs 3 and 7 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.

 

59.

Progress of Counter Fraud Service

Exempt report of the Senior Investigation Officer – Corporate Fraud Team

 

Decision:

Resolved

 

(1)          That the exempt report be noted.

Minutes:

The Senior Investigation Officer - Corporate Fraud Team submitted a report which provided an overview of the progress of the counter fraud response following the delegation of authority in July 2018 to Oxford City Council.

 

 

Resolved

 

(1)          That the exempt report be noted.

60.

Closure of Account 2018/19 Update

Exempt Verbal Update by Executive Director Finance (Interim) and Assistant Director (Interim) Finance.

Decision:

Resolved

 

(1)          That the exempt verbal update be noted.

Minutes:

The Executive Director of Finance (Interim) provided an exempt verbal update on the Closure of Accounts 2018/19.

 

Resolved

 

(1)          That the exempt verbal update be noted.

61.

Executive DIrector Finance (Interim)

Minutes:

The Chairman advised the Committee that this was the last meeting of the Committee that the Executive Director, Finance (Interim) would be attending as she was leaving Cherwell District Council at the end of February to take up a new role at another local authority.

 

The Chairman also advised the Committee that the Engagement Partner, Ernst & Young, External Audit was moving roles within the company and therefore this would be his last meeting.

 

Members thanked both the Executive Director, Finance (Interim) and the Engagement Partner, Ernst and Young for their hard work supporting the Committee and wished them well in their new posts