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Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, Town Hall, Penrith

Contact: Members Services 

Items
No. Item

AGc/16/09/19

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor K Beaty and Councillor D Lawson, Councillor A Ross attended as substitute.

 

AGc/17/09/19

Minutes of Previous Meeting

To sign the minutes AGc/10/07/19 to AGc/15/07/19 of the meeting of this Committee held on 25 July 2019 as a correct record of those proceedings (copies previously circulated).

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the public minutes AGc/10/07/19 to AGc/15/07/19 of the meeting of this Committee held on 25 July 2019 be signed by the Chairman and confirmed as a correct record of those proceedings.

 

AGc/18/09/19

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:

Councillor Eyles gave a personal explanation and stated that he was recording the meeting for his own personal use.

AGc/19/09/19

External Audit Reports pdf icon PDF 703 KB

To consider report F50/19 from the Director of Corporate Services which sets out reports from the Council’s External Auditor, Grant Thornton.

 

RECOMMENDATION that the reports of the External Auditor are noted.

Minutes:

Members considered report F50/19 from the Director of Corporate Services which set out reports from the Council’s External Auditor, Grant Thornton.

 

Proposed by Councillor Orchard

Seconded by Councillor Connell

 

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

 

Councillor Hanley entered the Chamber at 6:57pm.

 

AGc/20/09/19

Internal Audit: Implementation of Recommendations pdf icon PDF 227 KB

To consider report F52/19 from the Director of Corporate Services which sets out progress on implementing the agreed recommendations from internal audit reports.

 

RECOMMENDATION that progress against the agreed recommendations is noted.

Minutes:

Members considered report F52/19 from the Director of Corporate Services which set out progress on implementing the agreed recommendations from internal audit reports.

 

Proposed by Councillor Lancaster

Seconded by Councillor Connell

 

and RESOLVED that progress against the agreed recommendations be noted.

 

AGc/21/09/19

Internal Audit: Completed Reports and Progress against Annual Plan pdf icon PDF 481 KB

To consider report F51/19 from the Director of Corporate Services which advises Members of findings and recommendations of reports that have recently been completed by the Council’s Internal Audit Service and progress against the agreed Annual Plan for 2019/20.

 

RECOMMENDATION to note the contents of the report.

Minutes:

Members considered report F51/19 from the Director of Corporate Services which advised Members of findings and recommendations of reports that had recently been completed by the Council’s Internal Audit Service and progress against the agreed Annual Plan for 2019/20.

 

Proposed by Councillor Orchard

Seconded by Councillor Ross

 

and RESOLVED that the contents of the report be noted.

 

AGc/22/09/19

Annual Fraud Report 2018/19 pdf icon PDF 287 KB

To consider report F48/19 of the Director of Corporate Services which gives Members an update on how the Council has sought to detect and prevent fraud in 2018/19.

 

The report includes information that meets the mandatory disclosure requirements of the Local Government Transparency Code 2015.

 

RECOMMENDATION that the report be noted.

Minutes:

Members considered report F48/19 of the Director of Corporate Services which gave Members an update on how the Council had sought to detect and prevent fraud in 2018/19.

 

The report included information that meets the mandatory disclosure requirements of the Local Government Transparency Code 2015.

 

Proposed by Councillor Connell

Seconded by Councillor Orchard

 

and RESOLVED that the report be noted.

 

AGc/23/09/19

Annual Review of the Anti-Fraud, Theft, Bribery and Corruption Strategy and Response Plan pdf icon PDF 672 KB

To consider report F49/19 from the Director of Corporate Services which undertakes 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 F49/19 from the Director of Corporate Services which undertook the annual review of the Council's existing Anti-Fraud, Theft, Bribery and Corruption Strategy and Response Plan.

 

Proposed by Councillor Ryland

Seconded by Councillor Connell

 

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

 

AGc/24/09/19

Annual Review of the Internal Audit Charter pdf icon PDF 506 KB

To consider report F53/19 which sets out the update of the Internal Audit Charter.  The annual update is reviewed by this Committee.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS that:

 

1.               the update of the Internal Audit Charter (see Appendix A) be agreed; and

 

2.               note continuation of the arrangement whereby the Chief Audit Executive is also the Chief Finance Officer.

Minutes:

Members considered report F53/19 which set out the update of the Internal Audit Charter.

 

Proposed by Councillor Orchard

Seconded by Councillor Lancaster

 

and RESOLVED that:

 

1.               the update of the Internal Audit Charter be agreed; and

 

2.               the continuation of the arrangement whereby the Chief Audit Executive is also the Chief Finance Officer be noted.

 

Members thanked Pete Notley, Assistant Director Finance for his work.

 

AGc/25/09/19

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

To consider report G68/19 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 2019 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 G68/19 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 2019 and on complaints raised under the Council’s own procedure.

 

Proposed by Councillor Orchard

Seconded by Councillor Ryland

 

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

 

AGc/26/09/19

Any Other Items Which the Chairman Decides are Urgent

Minutes:

The Chairman of the Accounts and Governance Committee raised concerned about events surrounding Heart of Cumbria Limited and recent press reports. He stated he had been given assurances by the Monitoring Officer that all actions taken by the Council were lawful and in accord with the rules of the Council’s Constitution.  It was noted that there is no specific mention of the Company in the Constitution.

 

Proposed by Councillor Eyles

Seconded by Councillor Orchard

 

and RESOLVED that a report be brought to this Committee on the position of the Heart of Cumbria Limited at the earliest opportunity, with a view to incorporating changes in the next review of the constitution.

 

AGc/27/09/19

Date of Next Scheduled Meeting

The next scheduled meeting of this Committee to be confirmed as 28 November 2019.

Minutes:

The next scheduled meeting of this Committee was confirmed as 28 November 2019.