Issue - meetings

This report sets out the reports to be considered by the Audit & Governance Committee for the 2021/22 municipal year in order to enable it to fulfil its terms of reference.

The Head of Audit and Management Assurance presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'F' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

The Plan set out the reports to be considered by the Audit and Governance Committee for the 2021/22 municipal year in order to enable it to fulfil its terms of reference.

An additional meeting of the Committee on 3 February 2022 would receive a presentation on the Additional Restriction Grant where Officers from the relevant service would present information about governance arrangements and operational systems in place. The scheduled meeting on 17 March 2022 would receive a presentation on the subject of Tendering and Use of Consultants.

It was agreed that a presentation around the governance arrangements for ‘Future Places’ should be incorporated into the Forward Plan and supplemented by an ‘All Members’ briefing.

The request made at the Council meeting on 11 January 2022 for further consideration of the Constitutional issues around the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny process and function would also need to be built into the Forward Plan although it was recognised that this would need to be a review with a significant council-wide input and not solely something to be undertaken by the Audit and Governance Committee. The target for enactment of any changes was in time for the new Municipal Year commencing in May 2022. Further guidance on this subject would therefore be awaited before a programme of work was developed.

Finally, the Chairman reminded the Committee that he was canvassing Members for specific issues for consideration by the Constitution Review Working Group which would shortly resume its work with a view to making any final Constitution review recommendations to the Council meeting in November 2022.

RESOLVED that, subject as above, the Audit and Governance Committee approves the forward plan set out at Appendix A of the report.

Voting: Unanimous