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Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, Town Hall, Penrith

Contact: Members Services 

Items
No. Item

AGc/20/09/18

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Jackson and Councillor Lynch.

AGc/21/09/18

Minutes of Previous Meeting

To sign the minutes AGc/14/07/18 to AGc/19/07/18 of the meeting of this Committee held on 26 July 2018 as a correct record of those proceedings (copies previously circulated).

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the minutes AGc/14/07/18 to AGc/19/07/18 of the meeting of this Committee held on 26 July 2018 be signed by the Chairman and confirmed as a correct record of those proceedings.

AGc/22/09/18

Declarations of Interest

To receive declarations of the existence and nature of any private interests, both disclosable pecuniary and any other registrable interests, in any matter to be considered or being considered.

 

Minutes:

No declarations of interest were made at this meeting.

AGc/23/09/18

External Review of the Council's Internal Audit Service pdf icon PDF 284 KB

To consider report F58/18 from the Director of Finance which is attached and which seeks to advise Members of the process to secure the external review of the Council’s Internal Audit service, as required by Public Sector Internal Audit Standards (PSIAS).

 

RECOMMENDATIONS that:

 

1.            The appointment of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy to carry out an External Assessment of the Internal Audit service be noted;

 

2.            The action taken to date and proposed method of assessment and scope of the proposed external assessment be approved; and

 

3.            This Committee will receive the review report at its meeting on 29 November 2018.

Minutes:

Members considered report F58/18 from the Director of Finance which sought to advise Members of the process to secure the external review of the Council’s Internal Audit service, as required by Public Sector Internal Audit Standards (PSIAS).

 

Proposed by Councillor Orchard

Seconded by Councillor Taylor

 

and RESOLVED that:

 

1.            the appointment of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy to carry out an External Assessment of the Internal Audit service be noted;

 

2.            the action taken to date and proposed method of assessment and scope of the proposed external assessment be approved; and

 

3.            this Committee will receive the review report at its meeting on 29 November 2018.

AGc/24/09/18

Annual Review of the Anti-Fraud, Theft, Bribery and Corruption Strategy and Response Plan pdf icon PDF 731 KB

To consider report F60/18 from the Director of Finance which is attached and which seeks to undertake the annual review to the Council’s existing Anti-Fraud, Theft, Bribery and Corruption Strategy and Response Plan.

 

RECOMMENDATION that Members approve the updated draft Anti-Fraud, Theft, Bribery and Corruption Strategy and Response Plan.

Minutes:

Members considered report F60/18 from the Director of Finance which sought to undertake the annual review to the Council’s existing Anti-Fraud, Theft, Bribery and Corruption Strategy and Response Plan.

 

Proposed by Councillor Greenwood

Seconded by Councillor Kendall

 

and RESOLVED that the updated draft Anti-Fraud, Theft, Bribery and Corruption Strategy and Response Plan be approved.

AGc/25/09/18

Internal Audit: Implementation of Recommendations pdf icon PDF 79 KB

To consider report F61/18 from the Director of Finance which is attached and which sets out progress on implementing the agreed recommendations from the internal audit reports.

 

RECOMMENDATION that progress against the agreed recommendations is noted.

Minutes:

Members considered report F61/18 from the Director of Finance which set out progress on implementing the agreed recommendations from the internal audit reports.

 

Proposed by Councillor Greenwood

Seconded by Councillor Orchard

 

and RESOLVED that progress against the agreed recommendations be noted.

AGc/26/09/18

Annual Fraud Report 2017-2018 pdf icon PDF 86 KB

To consider report F66/18 from the Director of Finance which is attached and which seeks to give Members an update on how the Council has sought to detect and prevent fraud in 2017-2018, and also includes information that meets the mandatory disclosure requirements of the Local Transparency Code 2015.

 

RECOMMENDATION that the report be noted.

Minutes:

Members considered report F66/18 from the Director of Finance which sought to give Members an update on how the Council has sought to detect and prevent fraud in 2017-2018, and also included information that met the mandatory disclosure requirements of the Local Transparency Code 2015.

 

Proposed by Councillor Taylor

Seconded by Councillor Greenwood

 

and RESOLVED that the report be noted.

AGc/27/09/18

Complaints and Compliments - Ombudsman's Annual Report and the Council's own Procedure pdf icon PDF 2 MB

To consider report G87/18 from the Deputy Chief Executive which is to attached and which advises Members of the contents of the annual report which has been received from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (the Ombudsman) upon complaints relating to the Council for the year ended 31 March 2018 and on complaints raised under the Council’s own procedure.

 

RECOMMENDATION that Members note the comments made by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman in the Annual Report

Minutes:

Members considered report G87/18 from the Deputy Chief Executive which advised Members of the contents of the annual report which had been received from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (the Ombudsman) upon complaints relating to the Council for the year ended 31 March 2018 and on complaints raised under the Council’s own procedure.

 

Proposed by Councillor Godwin

Seconded by Councillor Greenwood

 

and RESOLVED that the comments made by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman in the Annual Report be noted.

AGc/28/09/18

Review of the Constitution pdf icon PDF 61 KB

To consider report G86/18 from the Deputy Chief Executive which is attached and which seeks to enable consideration to be given to carrying out a review of the Constitution.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS that:

 

1.            A review of the Constitution be carried out; and

 

2.            A Panel be established comprising three Members of this Committee to report back with recommendations on any necessary changes to the Constitution.

Minutes:

Members considered report G86/18 from the Deputy Chief Executive which sought to enable consideration to be given to carrying out a review of the Constitution.

 

Proposed by Councillor Taylor

Seconded by Councillor Godwin

 

and RESOLVED that:

 

1.            A review of the Constitution be carried out; and

 

2.            A Panel comprising Councillor Connell, Councillor Greenwood and Councillor Kendall, with Councillor Orchard acting as a substitute, be established and to report back with recommendations on any necessary changes to the Constitution.

 

AGc/29/09/18

Request for Dispensation pdf icon PDF 63 KB

To consider report G88/18 from the Deputy Chief Executive which is attached and which advises Members of a request for a dispensation to a Member who is currently unable to attend any Council meetings due to illness and ask them to endorse the request.

 

RECOMMENDATION that the Committee grants a dispensation for Councillor Trevor Ladhams from attending meetings of the Council by reason of illness for a period of six months commencing on 10 September 2018. Any extension to the dispensation to be subject to a further approval by the Committee at the appropriate time.

Minutes:

Members considered report G88/18 from the Deputy Chief Executive which advised Members of a request for a dispensation to a Member who is currently unable to attend any Council meetings due to illness and asked them to endorse the request.

 

Proposed by Councillor Connell

Seconded by Councillor Orchard

 

and RESOLVED a dispensation be grantedfor Councillor Trevor Ladhams from attending meetings of the Council by reason of illness for a period of six months commencing on 27 September 2018. Any extension to the dispensation to be subject to a further approval by the Committee at the appropriate time.

 

AGc/30/09/18

External Audit Reports pdf icon PDF 673 KB

To consider report F67/18 from the Director of Finance which is attached and which sets out one report from the Council’s External Auditor, Grant Thornton.

 

RECOMMENDATION that the report of the External Auditor be noted.

Minutes:

With the consent of the meeting the Chairman moved this item to after item 12 on the agenda.

 

Gareth Kelly, Grant Thornton arrived at 7.10pm.

 

Members considered report F67/18 from the Director of Finance which set out one report from the Council’s External Auditor, Grant Thornton.

 

Proposed by Councillor Taylor

Seconded by Councillor Orchard

 

and RESOLVED that the report of the External Auditor be noted.

 

The Chairman thanked Gareth Kelly for his attendance at this meeting.

AGc/31/09/18

Internal Audit: Completed Reports and Progress against Annual Plan pdf icon PDF 1 MB

To consider report F65/18 from the Director of Finance which is attached and which seeks to advise Members of the findings and recommendations of reports that have recently been completed by the Council’s Internal Audit Services, and advises Members of progress against the agreed Annual Plan for 2018-2019.

 

RECOMMENDATION that the contents of the report are noted.

Minutes:

With the consent of the meeting the Chairman agreed to move this item to the final item on the agenda to enable discussion of the Part II appendix.

AGc/32/09/18

Any Other Items Which the Chairman Decides are Urgent

Minutes:

No items of urgent business were discussed at this meeting.

AGc/33/09/18

Date of Next Scheduled Meeting

The next scheduled meeting of this Committee to be confirmed as 29 November 2018.

Minutes:

The date of the next scheduled meeting of this Committee was confirmed as 29 November 2018.

 

AGc/34/09/18

Exclusion of Press and Public

To consider whether, in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, members of the public (including the press) should be excluded from the meeting during discussion of the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 to Schedule 12A of the Act

Minutes:

RESOLVED that in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, members of the public (including the press) should be excluded from the meeting during discussion of the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 1 of Part 1 to Schedule 12A of the Act.

AGc/35/09/18

Internal Audit: Completed Reports and Progress against Annual Plan

Minutes:

Members considered report F65/18 from the Director of Finance which sought to advise Members of the findings and recommendations of reports that had recently been completed by the Council’s Internal Audit Services, and advised Members of progress against the agreed Annual Plan for 2018-2019.

 

Following discussion of the Part II appendix, Members agreed to return to open discussion for the approval of the recommendation.

 

Proposed by Councillor Orchard

Seconded by Councillor Godwin

 

and RESOLVED that the contents of the report were noted.