Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Parker.

None.

If you have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest* in an item of business:

§  if it is not yet on the council’s register, you must declare both the existence and details of it at the start of the meeting or when it becomes apparent;

§  you may choose to declare a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest that is already in the register in the interests of openness and transparency. 

In both the above cases, you must leave the room without participating in discussion of the item.

If you have a personal interest in an item of business and you intend to speak or vote on the item you must declare both the existence and details of it at the start of the meeting or when it becomes apparent but you may participate in the discussion and vote on the item.

*(a)     Employment, etc - Any employment, office, trade, profession or vocation carried on for profit or gain.

(b) Sponsorship - Any payment or other financial benefit in respect of your expenses in carrying out duties as a member, or of your election; including from a trade union.

(c) Contracts - Any current contract for goods, services or works, between you or your partner (or a body in which one of you has a beneficial interest) and the council.

(d) Land - Any beneficial interest in land which is within the council’s area.

(e) Licences- Any licence to occupy land in the council’s area for a month or longer.

(f) Corporate tenancies - Any tenancy between the council and a body in which you or your partner have a beneficial interest.

 (g) Securities - Any beneficial interest in securities of a body which has a place of business or land in the council’s area, if the total nominal value of the securities exceeds £25,000 or one hundredth of the total issued share capital of that body or of any one class of its issued share capital. 

This applies to all members present at the meeting.

All Councillors declared an interest in Item B3, Elected Member Pensions.  The Committee noted the legal advice, that a dispensation was not required for this item and members were able to discuss and vote on the matter.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting of the Audit Committee and Audit Committee (Advisory) held on the 19 June 2014 be confirmed as an accurate record of proceedings and the Chair be authorised to sign them.

It was noted that a report regarding Individual Electoral Registration was to be submitted to the Audit Committee in January 2015 and that additional days had been set aside for the audit priorities on data protection, leaseholder service and major works charges and the joint review on public health.

The external auditors, KPMG, reported that they had issued an unqualified audit opinion on the financial statements and VFM conclusion.

The Committee noted the comments of the external auditor that working papers supplied during the audit were of a high quality and officers dealt efficiently with audit queries and within the planned timescales.

RESOLVED that:

1) The 2013/14 Statement of Accounts and the accompanying Annual Governance Statement be approved;

2) The auditor’s Annual Governance Reports and value for money conclusion be noted;

3) The action plan in Appendix 1 of the Annual Governance report be agreed;

4) The letter of representation set out in Appendix B be approved.

5) The Chief Accountant and his team be thanked for their excellent work on the Statement of Accounts.

The Committee noted that the trade unions had received a copy of the draft report and no comments had been received.

It was also noted that there was no significant financial loss in retaining the current discretionary policies and policies agreed could be changed if considered necessary at a later stage.

RESOLVED

That the following policy statements be agreed:-

1) Regulation 16(2)(e) and 16(4)(d) – funding of additional pension

Not to fund additional pension either by way of regular on-going contributions or by way of a one off lump sum payment, as is the current approach.

2) Regulation 30(6) – flexible retirement.

To continue with the council’s existing provision for flexible retirement.

3) Regulation 30(8) – waiving of actuarial reduction.

To consider the early release of pension benefits without actuarial reduction on the grounds of redundancy/efficiency but not on compassionate grounds, as is the current policy.

4) Regulation 31 – Award of additional pension.

To continue with the current policy.

5) Additional discretions.

i) Not to switch on the 85 year rule for those who retire before the age of 60 as is the current policy.

ii) to consider the early release of pension benefit for leavers post 31 March 2008 and pre 1 April 2014 in line with discretions enacted in the relevant policies in force pre 1 April 2014.

6)  the policy discretions in respect of Regulation 30(8), where the council is the administering body and a former employer has ceased to be a scheme employer be agreed as detailed in resolutions minute no.15, 1-5 above.

The Audit Committee noted that the Local Government Association was to meet on the 9 October 2014 to consider options for pension provision for elected members.

RESOLVED that:

1) the current position regarding membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme for elected members and the advice contained in the report be noted;

2) the matter be considered further once the outcome of the Local Government Association discussions regarding member pensions was known.

It was noted that the OSC inspection was in November 2013 although the update to Audit Committee was not submitted until September 2014.

RESOLVED that:-

1) The OSC report, following the inspection on the 15 November 2014, be noted.

2) The Council’s Action Plan to address the recommendation so the OSC report be noted.

3) The level and nature of covert surveillance undertaken by the Council be noted.

4) future updates be submitted to the next available Audit Committee following the OSC inspection report, rather than on an annual basis.

RESOLVED that the Internal Audit Charter be noted.

RESOLVED that the exempt appendix be noted.