Agenda and minutes

The following Members’ made declarations of interest at the commencement of the meeting:-

Members noted that the Corporate Risk Action Plan had been minuted as being a standing item on the agenda of future meetings of the Audit Committee, when in fact this should have been recorded as being included at each meeting within the Internal Audit Progress Report.

Members again considered the need for an extra signatory for Disclosure and Barring Service checks. Members requested that a representative from Human Resources attend the next meeting of the Audit Committee, in order to discuss concerns.

RESOLVED:        that the Minutes of the meeting held on the 18 March 2016, be noted.

Members received an update of the circulated report regarding the Closure of Accounts 2015-16, and were pleased to note that the Section 151 Officer had been able to sign off the accounts on 8 June 2016, which was well ahead of the deadline. Members also noted that there was a healthy closing balance of reserves.

Members queried certain spellings and grammar contained within the circulated report.

Members queried interim positions within the Authority, and noted that a report would be brought by Internal Audit Officers to a future meeting of the Audit Committee.

RESOLVED:                  That the report be noted.

Members received an overview of the circulated report, and felt it was very positive.

RESOLVED:                  That the report be noted.

RESOLVED:                  That the report be noted.

RESOLVED:                  That the report be noted.

Members received an overview of the circulated report and were pleased to note that both R64 (National Non-Domestic Rates 2015/16) and R2 (Council Tax) had been given a risk rating of 1 and would now be audited less frequently, due to having good controls in place in all areas, and having no recommendations made by Internal Audit.

Members queried some of the report information concerning R3 (Ysgol Gyfun Blaendulias) in more detail. Members noted a typographical error on page 75 of the report, whereby two of the risk factor spaces had not been filled in, however Members noted that the report would have been approved (in its complete form) by Members at the previous meeting of the Audit Committee.

RESOLVED:                  That the report be noted.

RESOLVED:         that pursuant to Section 100A(4) and (5) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded for the following items of business which involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 14 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the above Act.

Members received an overview of the private circulated report and received details of all audit reports issued since the last Committee which had a risk rating of 3 or 4 as well as an update on current Special Investigations. Members also discussed the Authority’s whistleblowing policy, and requested an update on this in a future meeting of the Audit Committee.

It was suggested that an extra column could be added to future Risk Register reports, detailing which directorate the reports refer to.

RESOLVED:                  That the report be noted.