The Internal Audit Consortium Manager presented a report summarising the internal audit reports issued during the period 17 August 2019 to 1 November 2019, in respect of reports issued relating to the 2019/20 internal audit plan.

It was noted that nine reports had been issued during this period and had been given the following levels of assurance:

-      ‘Substantial Assurance’ – 1

-      ‘Reasonable Assurance’ – 7

-           ‘Limited Assurance’ – 1

The committee was informed that no fraud had been discovered.

The Town Centre Operations Manager attended to discuss the audit report carried out on Car Parks Income. It was clarified that the Limited Assurance status was due to the recommendations from the previous audit, in 2017, not having been implemented.

The Town Centre Operations Manager gave an update on each recommendation including the steps taken and the future plans. The Chair requested that a progress report be submitted to the January meeting of the committee and then a full report be presented to the April meeting.

It was suggested that the date of the previous audit would be a useful inclusion in the report for the new members of the committee.

The Town Centre Operations Manager was also asked to give an update on a recommendation from a previous audit report concerning procurement at the Market Hall Café. It was explained that a central procurement exercise was underway across all the council’s catering outlets to achieve cost savings through rationalisation and to increase operating profits. The tenders would be processed through the DSFS system with key consideration given to customer preferences, quality and cost.

* RESOLVED –

That the report be noted.