Issue - meetings

To receive the report of the Director of Resources, (copy enclosed)

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Resources informing the Committee of the External Audit work completed to 31 March 2019 attached at appendix 1, produced by Deloitte LLP and designed to help the Council meet its governance responsibilities in relation to audit.

Mr Craig Wisdom, Lead Audit Partner, took the Committee through the report. He highlighted the key points namely the work on risk assessment, taking into account pertinent documents, minutes of meetings, discussions with officers and also a review of the previous assessors’ audit files. He assured the Committee that the scope was in accordance with the code of audit practice consistent with what had taken place in previous years.

He informed the Committee that the report focussed on three main areas of financial statement as follows: - Management override of controls; Pension Liability and Valuation of Property, Plant and Equipment and Investment Property together with the arrangements for value for money (VFM).  This assessment was ongoing and as it stands no significant risks had been identified. In conclusion he reminded the Committee that he was independent of the Council as required by audit rules. 

A question was raised regarding potential risks around Brexit. Mr Wisdom, in response, said that he had not identified anything significant in relation to the Council.

The Director of Resources reported that the Council had been looking at Brexit risks in detail over the past twelve months, this work had highlighted high risk areas as provision of domiciliary care and waste management. Given that this Council does not manage domiciliary care and that the waste contractor SUEZ no longer employs predominantly EU workers, both those risks were mitigated. She said the main potential risk would be around an increase in prices which could adversely impact the budget. General risks around managing a further election, referendum and /or a general election were also serious considerations.

RESOLVED that Members both reviewed and commented on the External Audit Planning report.