Issue - meetings

Corporate Governance Committee (Audit Panel): Terms of Reference and Future Reporting Arrangements

Meeting: 26/09/2007 - Audit and Corporate Governance Committee (Item 18)

18 Committee's Terms of Reference pdf icon PDF 117 KB

Minutes:

The Chairman invited the Committee to suggest any amendments to its terms of reference, to be submitted to the Constitution Review Working Party. It was noted that a minor descriptive change would be required.

 

Allocation of audit days of external audit

It was understood that every year the Committee would consider the programme of work to be performed by external audit and the draft audit time budget. John Golding explained that it would not be a sensible use of the Committee’s resources to discuss the amount of time that external audit spent analysing the statutory responsibilities of the Council.

 

The Committee noted its terms of reference.


Meeting: 22/03/2007 - Council (Item 8)

AUDIT PANEL: FURTHER REVISION TO TERMS OF REFERENCE

Council previously resolved that approval of the Statement of Accounts be delegated to the Audit Panel. It is necessary to add this provision to Part 3 of the Constitution.

 

RECOMMENDATION

 

That the Terms of Reference of the Audit Panel be extended to incorporate approval of the Statement of Accounts and the Constitution updated accordingly.

Decision:

Council RESOLVED that the Terms of Reference of the Audit Panel be extended to incorporate approval of the Statement of Accounts and that the Constitution be updated accordingly.

Minutes:

Council RESOLVED that the Terms of Reference of the Audit Panel be extended to incorporate approval of the Statement of Accounts and that the Constitution be updated accordingly.


Meeting: 25/01/2007 - Council (Item 10)

10 Terms of Reference and Future Reporting Arrangements for the Audit Panel (Constitution Review Working Party, 12 January 2007) pdf icon PDF 72 KB

The Constitution Review Working Party RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL:

 

 (1) That the following changes be approved with effect from the 2007-2008 Civic Year and that Article 6 (Scrutiny and Overview Committee) and Part 3 (Responsibility for Functions) of the Constitution be amended accordingly:

(a)   That the Audit Panel report directly to Council.

(b)   That membership of the Panel be no longer restricted to Members of the Scrutiny and Overview Committee.

(c)   That Cabinet Members be not eligible to sit on the Panel.

(d)   That the Chairman of the Scrutiny and Overview Committee be not eligible to Chair the Panel.

 

(2) That revised Terms of Reference, attached to this Agenda, be approved with effect from the 2007-2008 Civic Year.

 

The changes supported by the working party have been incorporated as an addition to Table One of Part 3 of the Constitution (Responsibility for functions). The document is attached to this Agenda.

Decision:

Council RESOLVED:

 

(1)               That the following changes be approved with effect from the 2007-2008 Civic Year and that Article 6 (Scrutiny and Overview Committee) and Part 3 (Responsibility for Functions) of the Constitution be amended accordingly:

 

(a)               That the Audit Panel report directly to Council.

(b)               That membership of the Panel be no longer restricted to Members of the Scrutiny and Overview Committee.

(c)               That Cabinet Members be not eligible to sit on the Panel.

(d)               That the Chairman of the Scrutiny and Overview Committee be not eligible to Chair the Panel.

 

(2)               That revised Terms of Reference, attached to the Agenda, be approved with effect from the 2007-2008 Civic Year.

Minutes:

Council RESOLVED:

 

(1)               That the following changes be approved with effect from the 2007-2008 Civic Year and that Article 6 (Scrutiny and Overview Committee) and Part 3 (Responsibility for Functions) of the Constitution be amended accordingly:

 

(a)               That the Audit Panel report directly to Council.

(b)               That membership of the Panel be no longer restricted to Members of the Scrutiny and Overview Committee.

(c)               That Cabinet Members be not eligible to sit on the Panel.

(d)               That the Chairman of the Scrutiny and Overview Committee be not eligible to Chair the Panel.

 

(2)               That revised Terms of Reference, attached to the Agenda, be approved with effect from the 2007-2008 Civic Year.


Meeting: 18/01/2007 - Scrutiny and Overview Committee (Item 9)

Future reporting arrangements for the Audit Panel

CIPFA best practice states in its “Audit Committees: Practical Guidance for Local Authorities” (2005):

 

Ideally, audit committees should be separate from executive and scrutiny arrangements, and chaired independently from both these functions.

 

It is expected that the Constitution Review Working Party, which meets on 12 January 2007, will have made a recommendation to Council by the time of the Scrutiny and Overview Committee meeting. The Committee is invited to discuss this matter before Council determines the issue.

 

Minutes:

The Committee noted the proposed changes to the terms of reference for the Audit Panel, which would be determined at the next meeting of Council on 25 January 2007.