Agenda item

Discussion took place on possible review topics for the forthcoming Municipal Year.

Members were provided with a brief background paper which provided details of possible areas which the Committee could review.

These included:

·        The Audit Committee – How effective were the terms of reference of the Audit Committee over the last four years?

·        The Compact and Third Sector Commissioning – The Compact was an agreement between the statutory and voluntary and community sectors which sets out the principles of a good working relationship. This Compact was important, particularly in the present economic climate where local authorities were making cut backs and the voluntary and community sector had been suggested as an alternative to local service delivery.

·        Big Society – How this Council and its strategic partners can work to create a climate which empowered local people and communities to build a big society which would improve peoples’ lives, putting more power in peoples’ hands by transferring power from Government to communities?

Members agreed that the first major review which the Committee should undertake should be looking at the Effectiveness of the Terms of Reference of the Audit Committee. This review would be timely in view of the Department for Communities and Local Government consultation on the future plans for local audit after the Audit Commission was disbanded. This impending legislation was proposing changes to the composition of Audit Committees which would increase the number of Independent Members and also involve Audit Committees in the appointment of external auditors.

A draft scoping report was asked to be produced, together with a background paper which would include information on the performance of the Audit Committee since its inception, the successes, the failures, the appropriateness of the Committee’s Terms of Reference, the reporting structure for Internal Audit and the role of External Auditors.

Members were also informed that the next meeting of the Audit Committee was to take place on 27 June 2011 which Members were invited to attend. To assist Members in the forthcoming review a copy of the Annual Audit Letter on this Council’s 2010 audit, together with the existing Terms of Reference for the Audit Committee would be sent to Members of this Committee.

The Committee asked that officers produce briefing reports and draft scoping reports for the next meeting on both The Compact and Third Sector Commissioning and on the Big Society and what this Council and its strategic partners can do to fulfil this. 

Another possible area for a review was around Procurement and Members asked that the Head of Procurement be asked to provide a paper at the next meeting on the procurement process of this Council together with a draft scoping report on a potential review.

Discussion also took place on the recent power failure in the Civic Centre on 17 May 2011 and the failure of the back-up generator which resulted in chaos within the Civic Centre for staff and visitors. Officers were asked to brief Members at their next meeting on the events of the day, what went wrong, the details of the evacuation procedures and information on what testing was carried out in relation to the back up generator.

RESOLVED-

1.       That approval be given to the actions outlined above.

2.  That the first major review of this Committee would be to look at the Effectiveness of the Terms of Reference of the Audit Committee.