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APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE |
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Minutes of the meeting of the Audit Committee held on 27 November 2024, as circulated, to be confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chair. |
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DISCLOSURE OF MEMBERS' INTERESTS Unless already entered in the Council’s Register of Members’ interests, members are required where a matter arises at a meeting;
a. Which directly relates to Disclosable Pecuniary Interest (‘DPI’) as set out in Appendix B, Table 1 of the Code of Conduct, to disclose the interest, not participate in any discussion or vote and not to remain in room. Where members have a DPI or if the matter concerns an executive function and is being considered by a Cabinet Member with a DPI they must notify the Monitoring Officer and arrange for somebody else to deal with the matter.
b. Which directly relates to the financial interest or well being of a Other Registrable Interest as set out in Appendix B, Table 2 of the Code of Conduct to disclose the interest and only speak on the matter if members of the public are also allowed to speak at the meeting but otherwise must not take part in any discussion or vote on the matter and must not remain the room.
c. Which directly relates to their financial interest or well-being (and is not DPI) or the financial well being of a relative or close associate, to declare the interest and members may only speak on the matter if members of the public are also allowed to speak. Otherwise, the member must not take part in discussion or vote on the matter and must leave the room.
d. Which affects the financial well-being of the member, a relative or close associate or a body included under the Other Registrable Interests column in Table 2, to disclose the interest and apply the test set out at paragraph 9 of Appendix B before deciding whether they may remain in the meeting.
e. Where Members have or a Cabinet Member has an Other Registerable Interest or Non Registerable Interest in a matter being considered in exercise of their executive function, they must notify the Monitoring Officer and arrange for somebody else to deal with it.
NB Any member needing clarification must contact monitoringofficer@northumberland.gov.uk. Members are referred to the Code of Conduct which contains the matters above in full. Please refer to the guidance on disclosures at the rear of this agenda letter. |
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REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR TRANSFORMATION AND RESOURCES Annual Report of the FPS Local Pension Board for 2023/24
To provide the 2023/24 Annual Report of the FPS Local Pension Board to the Audit Committee. |
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REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF LAW AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) Policy 2025
To advise members of the requirements of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 and to ask Audit Committee to simply review the policy under this legislation following on from approval on the 31st January 2024.
There are no amendments to the current policy. Additional documents: |
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REPORTS OF THE CABINET MEMBER FOR CORPORATE SERVICES |
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Statement of Accounts 2024-25 - Timetable and Policies The purpose of this report is to provide Audit Committee with: a) An overview of the timetable for publishing the 2024-25 Statement of Accounts. b) An update on the Accounting Policies to be applied in the preparation of the 2024-25 Statement of Accounts. Additional documents: |
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Changes to the Code of Practice for Local Authority Accounting in the UK for 2024-25 The purpose of this report is to provide the Audit Committee with a summary of the key accounting changes in the latest edition of the Code of Practice for Local Authority Accounting in the UK (the Code) which will apply to the 2024-25 Statement of Accounts. Additional documents: |
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Treasury Management Strategy Statement 2025-26 The Local Government Act 2003 requires the Council to set out its Treasury Strategy for borrowing and to prepare an Annual Investment Strategy, which sets out the policies for managing investments and for giving priority to the security and liquidity of those investments. The Council nominates the Audit Committee to be responsible for ensuring effective scrutiny of the Treasury Management Strategy and Policy.
This report sets out the Treasury Management Strategy, Treasury Management Policy Statement, the Annual Investment Strategy for the Financial Year 2025-26, Capital Prudential Indicators 2025-26 to 2028-29 and the Annual Minimum Revenue Provision Policy Statement 2025-26. Additional documents:
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Corporate Risk Management Update The purpose of this report is to provide Audit Committee with an update on the latest position of the corporate risk register following review by Executive Management Team and Cabinet. Additional documents: |
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Corporate Fraud Interim Update The purpose of this report is to update Audit Committee on Corporate Fraud activity undertaken during the period 1 April – 30 September 2024. |
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REPORTS OF HEAD OF INTERNAL AUDIT AND RISK MANAGEMENT |
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Strategic Audit Plan 2024/25 - Interim Monitoring Statement The purpose of this report is to provide Audit Committee with a monitoring statement in respect of the Strategic Audit Plan for 2024/25 following the end of the third quarter of the year (this document is attached as Appendix 1). Additional documents: |
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Approach to preparing the Strategic Audit Plan 2025/26 The purpose of this report is to outline the approach to preparing the 2025/26 Strategic Audit Plan, for consideration and endorsement by the Audit Committee. The report also ensures the Audit Committee, as a key stakeholder of Internal Audit’s work, is engaged at an early stage in the planning process. |
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Global Internal Audit Standards The purpose of this report is to inform Audit Committee of the introduction of new Global Internal Audit Standards (GIAS) and of the implications of the updated standards for the Internal Audit service and Audit Committee. Additional documents: |
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Audit Progress Report
To receive a progress report from the External Auditor. |
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MONITORING REPORT / ACTION LOG 2024-25 The Audit Committee operates under an agreed programme of core business, in accordance with its Terms of Reference as set out in the Council’s Constitution. The Committee is asked to review and note its monitoring report/action log for the 2024/25 council year. |
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URGENT BUSINESS (IF ANY) To consider such other business as, in the opinion of the Chair, should, by reason of special circumstances, be considered as a matter of urgency. |
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DATE OF NEXT MEETING The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 26 February 2025. |
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PART II It is expected that matters included in this part of the Agenda will be dealt with in private. Reports referred to are enclosed for members and officers only, and marked “Not for Publication”. |
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EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC The Audit Committee is invited to consider passing the following resolution:
(a) That under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items on the Agenda as it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A of the 1972 Act, and
(b) That the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure for the following reasons:-
Agenda Item
13 Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding the information).
Disclosure could adversely affect the business reputation or confidence in the person/organisation, and could adversely affect commercial revenue.
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REPORT OF THE CABINET MEMBER FOR CORPORATE SERVICES Corporate Risk Management Update
This confidential appendix relates to item 9 in Part 1 of the agenda above. Unless the Committee are of the opinion when considering the matter under item 9, that they wish to exclude the press and public to allow discussion of the confidential issues, and they pass the appropriate resolution at that point, then the confidential appendix will be taken as read, and the debate will be in public so far as practicable. |