Due to the absence of Cllr Mrs Pound the Vice-Chair Cllr Reed took the Chair with Cllr Mrs Murphy voted in as Vice-Chair. 

Apologies were received from Cllr Mrs Pound with Cllr Tumbridge substituting, Cllr Hirst with Cllr Middlehurst substituting and from Cllr Chilvers. 

The minutes of the meeting held on 19 September 2016 were approved and signed as a true record subject to Min. 157 being amended to reading “RESOLVED”. 

The report presented the Committee with the Annual Audit Letter issued by the external auditors, Ernst & Young, following the completion of the audit of the 2015/16 accounts. 

A motion was MOVED by Cllr Reed and SECONDED by Cllr Mrs Murphy.

A vote was taken by a show of hands and it was RESOLVED:

1.    That the contents of the Annual Audit Letter were noted. 

Reason for recommendation

A system of sound financial control and governance arrangements underpinned all of the services and priorities of the Council. 

The report detailed the progress to date against the 2016/17 internal audit plan that was agreed by the Audit and Scrutiny Committee in March 2016.

The following reports had been completed since the last Committee and a summary of the findings were included in the progress report:

·         Local Development Plan (moderate assurance)

·         Affordable Housing (moderate assurance)

·         Commercialisation and Cost Savings

·         Contract Management and Cost Savings (limited assurance)

The full reports were available on request.

A motion was MOVED by Cllr Reed and SECONDED by Cllr Mrs Murphy.

A vote was taken by a show of hands and it was RESOLVED:

1.    That the Committee received and noted the contents of the report. 

Reason for Recommendation

To monitor the progress of work against the internal audit plan. 

The report updated Members of the Committee on the status of the Council’s 2016/17 Strategic Risk Register and the progress being made across Services in delivering Operational Risk Registers. 

A motion was MOVED by Cllr Reed and SECONDED by Cllr Mrs Murphy.

An AMENDMENT was MOVED by Cllr Tumbridge and SECONDED by Cllr Bridge that the monitoring of Council Services and Democratic Services in particular those that are outsourced are added to the Strategic Risk Register. 

A vote was taken on the amended MOTION by a show of hands and this was UNANIMOUSLY AGREED.

A vote was taken by a show of hands on the substantive MOTION and it was RESOLVED:

1.    That Members agreed the amendments to the Strategic Risk Register and that the risk scored recorded for each risk accurately represented the current status of each risk.

2.    That Members agreed the risk exposure changes to the Operational Risks. 

3.    To add to the Strategic Risk Register monitoring of Council operations and Democratic Services, with the particular noting of outsourcing arrangements. 

Reason for Recommendations

Risk Management continued to be embedded quarterly within the Senior Management Team reports, where Service Heads discussed the top level risks for their service areas to ensure that the risks were updated to reflect the ongoing changes. 

In addition, the Risk & Insurance Officer would continue to work with risk managers to maintain the good progress to date and further development of a consistent application of risk management considerations across all operations of the Council. 

At the meeting of 13 June 2016, the Audit and Scrutiny Committee agreed that a Member Working Group would be formed to review the arrangements for Members appointed to be representatives on outside organisations (Minute 43).   

The Member Working Group consisted of Cllrs Aspinell, Bridge, Keeble, Murphy and Wiles. 

The working group met on the 27^th September 2016 and considered the current process and possible future options as set out in the report attached as Appendix A of the report, culminating in the recommendations set out in the report. 

Cllr Reed MOVED and Cllr Mrs Murphy SECONDED the recommendations in the report subject to 2.2 being deleted.

A vote was taken by a show of hands and it was RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY:  

1.    That the Audit and Scrutiny Committee recommended to the Council’s Constitution Working Group (CWG) that the Constitution was amended so that appointment of outside representatives was undertaken by Ordinary Council in June each year. 

2.    That the proposed agreed process for appointing outside representatives as set out in Appendix A of the report was followed.

3.    That a review of the effectiveness of outside bodies was undertaken on a bi-yearly basis. 

Reason for recommendation

To ensure the Council met the requirements of the Constitution. 

The work of the Audit and Scrutiny Committee would be delivered both by Members working in groups and through formal committee reports.  The Audit and Scrutiny Committee would make recommendations to decision making committees and Council as necessary.  Audit and Scrutiny Committee were invited to consider its 2016/17 work programme. 

A motion was MOVED by Cllr Reed and SECONDED by Cllr Mrs Murphy.   

A vote was taken by a show of hands and it was RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY:

1.    That the Audit and Scrutiny amended work programme 2016/17 at Appendix A be approved.  

Reason for recommendation

The Constitution required that the Audit and Scrutiny Committee agreed its work programme at each meeting of the Committee. 

There were no items of urgent business.

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