Agenda and minutes

No declarations of interest were received.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Barnett, Caulfield and Rayner.

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the Meeting of the Standards and Audit Committee held on 10 April, 2015.

RESOLVED –

That the minutes of the Standards and Audit Committee meeting held on 10 April, 2015 be approved as a true record.

Lee Towers, Manager, KPMG LLP Audit, presented the Annual Audit Fee Letter for the year 2015/16 confirming the proposed audit work and fee for the 2015/16 financial year.

The fee proposals were based on the Audit Commission’s Work Programme and Scales of Fees for 2015/16, which were based on a 25% reduction from the 2014/15 fees. The report identified the assumptions on which the fee proposals were based.

*RESOLVED -   

That the Annual Audit Fee Letter for 2015/16 be received.

The Interim Head of the Internal Consortium presented a report summarising the Internal Audit reports issued for the period 14 March, 2015 to 5 June, 2015 in respect of reports issued relating to the 2014/15 and 2015/16 internal audit plans.

The Committee noted that the only audit with an ‘unsatisfactory’ classification was in respect of Data Protection. The Committee asked that an update be provided by September, particularly in respect of the appointment of a Data Protection Officer.

*RESOLVED –

(1)     That the report be noted.

(2)     That progress on the implementation of the audit recommendations in respect of Data Protection be reported to the next meeting of the Committee in September.

The Interim Head of the Internal Audit Consortium presented the Internal Audit Consortium Annual Report in respect of Chesterfield Borough Council for 2014/15.

The report covered:

-        a summary of work undertaken;

-        an opinion on the overall adequacy and effectiveness of the Council’s control environment;

-        any issues for inclusion in the Annual Governance statement;

-        a comparison of actual work undertaken with planned work;

-        comments on compliance with the Public Sector Internal Audit Standards (PSIAS) and other quality assurance results;

-        a review of progress against the Internal Audit Improvement Plan;

-        confirmation of the organisational independence of internal audit;

-        a review of performance of the Internal Audit Consortium against the current Internal Audit Charter.

*RESOLVED –

That the Internal Audit Consortium Annual Report be noted.

The Corporate Management Team submitted a report to review compliance with the Code of Corporate Governance requirements during 2014/15 and to present the Annual Governance Statement and associated action plan.

The report gave details of:

·        The Annual Review of compliance with the Local Code of Corporate Governance requirements for 2014/15 (Appendix 1 to the report);

·        The review of assurances supporting the Annual Governance Statement;

·        The Action Plan arising from the assessment (Appendix 3 to the report);

·        The Annual Governance Statement for the Council, to accompany the Council’s Statement of Accounts for 2014/15 (Appendix 2 to the report).

*RESOLVED -     

(1)     That the documents listed above be noted.

(2)     That the Annual Governance Statement and Action Plan be approved.

(3)     That it be recommended that the Annual Governance Statement be signed by the Leader and Chief Executive.

(4)     That a review of the Code of Corporate Governance be undertaken in 12 months time.

(5)     That progress on the Action Plan be monitored by the Corporate Management Team.