Issue - meetings

To note the Council’s Annual Governance Statement, as considered by the Executive on 21 June 2018, and included in the Council’s Statement of Accounts for 2017/18.

The Committee received a report on the Council’s Annual Governance Statement 2017/18. It was noted that the Annual Governance Statement was produced in accordance with regulatory requirements and had been endorsed by the Executive on 21 June 2018.

It was identified that the Council’s procedures were considered to provide an adequate and effective governance framework, and that no significant issues or areas for improvement had been identified by the independent opinions of the Council’s internal and external auditors. It was noted that the Council would continue to take actions to ensure that its governance continued to meet these standards.

RESOLVED that the Council’s Annual Governance Statement be noted.

To consider the Annual Governance Statement for 2017/18.

RESOLVED that the Annual Governance Statement, set out in Annex 1 of the report, be endorsed.

Councillor T. Schofield, Executive Member for Finance, explained that the Council was required to publish an annual statement on its corporate governance arrangements as part of the Council’s annual Statement of Accounts. 

It was noted that statutory regulations recommended that the body charged with overall responsibility for governance within the Council (in this case the Executive) should review and endorse the statement prior to its formal signature by the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive.

A statement for the year ended 31 March 2018 was presented to the Executive as an Annex to the report and was based on the following sources of evidence:

-       Annual Internal Auditor Report.

-       External Audit and Inspection Reports.

-       Issues identified from the Council’s Risk Registers.

-       Annual assurance statements signed by the Management Team that confirmed that the Council had achieved ‘best value’ and had complied with all relevant legislation, regulations and codes of practice. 

The statement included reference to the independent opinions of the Council’s internal and external auditors, which provided considerable assurance in respect of the Council’s governance arrangements. These also identified some enhancements to the framework of risk management, governance and internal control that would ensure that it remained adequate and effective.

Overall the Council was confident that it had good governance arrangements in place to ensure that resources were directed toward identified priorities which in turn would seek to ensure continued value for money.

The Executive recognised that there was always room for improvement but overall the control and governance framework had been judged to be sound by all who examined it.

RESOLVED that the Annual Governance Statement, set out in Annex 1 of the report, be endorsed.

Reason for decision: To consider the Council’s Annual Governance Statement before it was included within the annual Statement of Accounts.

Alternative options: To reject or amend the contents of the statement.