Agenda and minutes

Councillors Raymond Graham and Richard Lewis declared Personal Interests in Agenda Item 5 – First Major Review – Effectiveness of the Audit Committee and its Terms of Reference – Consideration of draft final report, as they were both Members of the Audit Committee. They both remained in the room and took part in discussions.

Agreed as an accurate record.

To confirm the items of business marked Part I will be considered in public and that the items marked Part II will be considered in private.

It was agreed that all items of business would be considered in public.

Consideration was given to a draft of the Committee’s final report on their review into the effectiveness of the Audit Committee and its Terms of Reference.

Discussion took place on the draft recommendations contained in the final report and the following issues were raised:

·        In relation to Independent Members of the Audit Committee, discussion took place on the remuneration of Independent Members and Members were informed that there were differences in terms of payment for inner London Boroughs to outer London Boroughs. Hillingdon. The present Independent Chairman of this Council’s Audit Committee received £2,854. As way of comparison the third Independent Member of the Council’s Standards Committee received a remuneration of £1,037.

·        The Committee agreed that the review should recommend that the Audit Committee membership comprise of 8 Members (6 Councillors and 2 Independent Members). This would bring the Audit Committee membership in line with the Council’s Policy Overview Committee in terms of membership numbers.

·        Reference was made to substitutes for the Audit Committee and Members asked that consideration be given to increasing the number of substitutes on the Audit Committee to 5, to ensure that there were sufficient numbers of Members skilled in Audit.

·        Members asked that consideration be given to the production of job descriptions for Members of the Audit Committee.

·        In relation to the recommendation that a skills audit be carried out for Members of the Audit Committee, it was asked that consideration be given to asking the Whips that this be extended to all Members of the Council.

·        Members asked that a training session on the Audit Committee be included in a future Member Development Day.

·        Reference was made to the powers which were contained within Part 4, Schedule B of the Council’s Constitution whereby the Audit Committee could require relevant Cabinet Members and officers to attend the Committee to answer questions. Members were informed that this was where the Committee had not been satisfied with the implementation of outstanding audit recommendations and had not received satisfactory assurance levels. Members asked that this be included in the Audit Committee’s Terms of Reference.

·        Reference was made to the role that the Audit Committee had in relation to the effective scrutiny of the Council’s Treasury Management strategy and policies and the Committee asked that this be a recommendation and be included in the Audit Committee’s Terms of Reference.

·        Members were assured that the Terms of Reference of the Audit Committee, as with other Council Committees, were kept under review and updated when necessary.

RESOLVED -

1.      That the draft final report of this Committee’s review into the effectiveness of the Audit Committee and its Terms of Reference be amended to reflect the issues outlined above.

2.      That approval be given to the submission of the final report to the Cabinet for their consideration.

3.      That officers be asked to take forward the issues which were raised during discussions. 

The Committee noted the work programme for the rest of the Municipal Year and noted that presentations would be heard on the work of the Corporate Fraud Team (January), the work of the Enforcement Team (February) and officers would be asked to provide information on the heating problems within the Civic Centre at the meeting in February. 

RESOLVED -

1. That the report and updates be noted.

Noted.