Issue - meetings

Committee’s approval was sought for the Annual Governance Statement which would be incorporated within the Council’s Statement of Accounts for 2021/22 as the Council was required to do.

Preparation of the Statement needed to be undertaken in line with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) / Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers (SOLACE) framework, which set out the fundamental principle of corporate governance that needed to be addressed. 

Members were advised that some final changes may be required to the Annual Governance Statement before the Statement of Accounts was authorised for issue by the Section 151 Officer.  It was therefore recommended that delegated powers be given to the Section 151 Officer, in consultation with the Chair or Deputy Chair of ACOSC, to agree any final changes which would relate to amendments agreed with the Council’s external auditors Mazars.

Moved by Councillor Graham Parkin and seconded by Councillor Chris Kane

RESOLVED that (1) the draft Annual Governance Statement as set out in Appendix 1 to the report be noted,

(2)  having reviewed the effectiveness of the Governance Framework, Members are satisfied that the Council’s governance and internal control arrangements are fit for purpose,

(3) delegated powers be granted to the Section 151 Officer, in consultation with the Chair or Deputy Chair of ACOSC, to agree any changes which may be necessary in order to ensure the finalisation of the external audit currently being concluded by the Council’s external auditors Mazars, to ensure completion of the Statement of Accounts by the statutory deadline of 30th September 2022.

(Section 151 Officer)