Agenda item

To receive the minutes of the Corporate Governance Committee meeting held on 31 January 2024 (copy enclosed).

The minutes of the Governance and Audit Committee meeting held on the 31 January 2024 were presented for consideration.

Matters of accuracy –

Page 9 – Minutes – the final paragraph ‘terms of reference for

Governance and Audit Committee, Council and Scrutiny Committees in sync’ should read ‘not’ in sync.

Page 17 - Ombudsman Annual Letter 22/23 – the resolution should also include members agreed to receive the report as an appendix to the Annual Complaints report which was due later in the year.

Matters arising –

Page 9 and 10 – Minutes – Mr Nigel Rudd stated he had agreed to provide a note summarising his views at the last meeting and for that note to be circulated to the committee which had been omitted from the minutes. He confirmed he had completed a note and sent to the Chair and officers to pass to Members. The note provided covered a number of items for Members information. The Monitoring Officer confirmed he had been in receipt of the note from Lay Member Nigel Rudd, he apologised he had not circulated the note to Members but would rectify the issue and circulate to Members.

Page 8 – Minutes – Matters arising – The Monitoring Officer informed the committee a meeting would arranged between the Chief Internal Auditor and Monitoring Officer before the Annual Governance Statement was presented to the Committee. The Chief Internal Auditor confirmed he would revise what information was available on local government codes and diarise a meeting with the Monitoring Officer.

Page 8 – Minutes – Matters arising – The Monitoring Officer confirmed a meeting had taken place between the Senior Leadership Team of the Council and various regulators and the director for Social Services and the Monitoring Officer raised the concerns of the council. The concerns raised by the committee were taken on board, it was taken that due to having a face to face meeting there was no need to send a letter to the regulators.

Page 10 – Minutes – Matters arising – The Chair stressed the importance of being aware of the timing of meetings in relation to the budget process. It needed to include the work of the committee on a wider context. It was a reflection of the committee’s role and ability to add value without unnecessary duplicating other processes. The Terms and Reference of the Committee should include the role and function of the committee.

The Monitoring Officer confirmed 170 meetings were arranged annually, the Council’s calendar of meetings would hopefully be presented to County Council in May 2024 for ratification for the following 18 months of timetabling. The comments of the committee would be taken into consideration when the schedule was produced.

Page 12 – Treasury Management – the Head of Finance confirmed the training slides following the Arlingclose training session had been circulated for Members. She also stated an additional session had been arranged for those that could not make the last session.

Work was still undergoing in relation to the commitment to sharing the timescales borrowing from the UK Infrastructure bank. It was hoped it would be available in the new financial year.   

It was confirmed a copy of the Capital report and Capital strategy had been circulated to all Members. In her opinion the scrutiny of those Capital Prudential Indicators should sit within the Capital programme.

Page 14 – Treasury Management – The Head of Finance confirmed she had contacted Arlingclose informing them of the committees raising of the risk of communication between the authority and Arlingclose to ensure they are aware of who to contact if the Head of Finance was not available or the not the appropriate person to contact.

She confirmed a meeting had been scheduled between herself and Arlingclose and she would address the issues raised by the committee at that meeting. Including if they had an opinion on the projected Capital programme.

RESOLVED, subject to the above that the minutes of the Governance and Audit committee held on 31 January 2024 be received and approved as a correct record.