Issue - meetings

Following receipt of the KPMG internal audit report on the effectiveness of the Corporate Governance and Standards Committee, which was considered by the Committee at its meeting on 24 March 2022, the Council noted that one of the recommendations was that the Committee should report at least annually to the Council on its activities and an assessment of its performance in discharging its responsibilities as defined in the Committee’s terms of reference.

The Council considered the annual report for the municipal year 2022-23, having noted that it had been commended for adoption by the Corporate Governance and Standards Committee at its meeting held on 28 September 2023.

In commending it for adoption, the Committee had made a number of comments, and these had been included at the end of the Annual Report.

Upon the motion of the Chairman of the Corporate Governance and Standards Committee, Councillor Phil Bellamy, seconded by the Vice-Chairman of that Committee, Councillor Bob Hughes, the Council

RESOLVED: That the annual report of the Corporate Governance & Standards Committee for 2022-23, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report submitted to the Council, be adopted.

Reason:

To ensure that the Committee is accountable for its work to the full Council.

The Committee noted that, following receipt of the KPMG internal audit report on the effectiveness of the Committee, considered on 24 March 2022, one of the recommendations was that the Committee should report at least annually to the Council on its activities and an assessment of its performance in discharging its responsibilities as defined in the Committee’s terms of reference.

The Committee considered and reviewed the second of these annual reports setting out details of the Committee’s work during the 2022-23 municipal year, under the main headings within the terms of reference, namely:

·      Audit and Accounts activity,

·      Corporate Governance Activity, and

·      Ethical Standards Activity  

The Committee noted the table in Annex 2 to the Annual Report setting out the types and category of report considered by the Committee during the year.

The Annual Report had demonstrated the importance the Council placed on its governance and audit arrangements, and provided assurance to the Council how the Committee was working towards:

·      fulfilling its agreed terms of reference and adopted recommended practice; and

·      strengthening risk management, internal control and governance arrangements.

The Committee expressed concern that the Annual Report did not recognise the various failures in governance, which had led to some of the issues around the Council’s finances during 2022-23, and that the Council should reflect further on the Committee’s role and terms of reference. 

It was suggested that the failsafe mechanisms within the Council to prevent internal governance failures should be the audit process and this Committee. However, it was acknowledged that, until the external audit of the Council’s accounts was fully up to date, the Committee could not come to any conclusions as to what could have, or should have been done differently.

It was also felt that there needed to be a wider review of the role of corporate governance and standards within the Council to ensure that the key governance issues could be scrutinised in sufficient depth.  The Committee noted that it was proposed to conduct a Constitutional review in the next 12 months, which would include a review of the structure of committees and their terms of reference.

The Committee

RESOLVED: That the Annual report of the Corporate Governance and Standards Committee for the municipal year 2022-23 be commended to full Council for adoption.

Reason:

To ensure that the Committee is accountable for its work to the full Council.

Following receipt of the KPMG internal audit report on the effectiveness of the Corporate Governance and Standards Committee, which was considered by the Committee at its meeting on 24 March 2022, the Council noted that one of the recommendations was that the Committee should report at least annually to the Council on its activities and an assessment of its performance in discharging its responsibilities as defined in the Committee’s terms of reference.

The Council considered the first of these annual reports, for the municipal year 2021-22, having noted that it had been commended for adoption by the Corporate Governance and Standards Committee at its meeting held on 19 January 2023.

Upon the motion of the Chairman of the Corporate Governance and Standards Committee, Councillor Deborah Seabrook, seconded by the Lead Councillor for Climate Change and Organisational Development, Councillor George Potter, the Council

RESOLVED: That the annual report of the Corporate Governance & Standards Committee for 2021-22, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report submitted to the Council, be adopted.

Reason:

To ensure that the Committee is accountable for its work to the full Council.

The Committee noted that, following receipt of the KPMG internal audit report on the effectiveness of the Committee, considered on 24 March 2022, one of the recommendations was that the Committee should report at least annually to the Council on its activities and an assessment of its performance in discharging its responsibilities as defined in the Committee’s terms of reference.

The Committee considered and reviewed the first of these annual reports setting out details of the Committee’s work during the 2021-22 municipal year, under the main headings within the terms of reference, namely:

·       Audit and Accounts activity,

·       Corporate Governance Activity, and

·       Ethical Standards Activity  

The Committee particularly welcomed the table in Annex 2 to the Annual Report setting out the types and category of report considered by the Committee during the year.

Following discussion with the chairman, it was proposed to bring the next Annual Report, for 2022-23, to the September 2023 meeting, and every September thereafter.

The Committee

RESOLVED: That the Annual report of the Corporate Governance and Standards Committee for the municipal year 2021-22 be commended to full Council for adoption.

Reason:

To ensure that the Committee is accountable for its work to the full Council.