Issue - meetings

Although not a legislative requirement, best practice and a ‘2022 position statement’ by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy (CIPFA) endorsed by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities recommend that audit committees in local government should include at least two co-opted independent members.

Previous BCP Council Audit & Governance (A&G) Committee and Council meetings agreed the in-principle decision to recruit two co-opted independent members to the BCP Council A&G Committee.

A number of local decisions were agreed which enabled a suitable recruitment process, through open advertisement, to the BCP Council A&G Committee.

The recommendations in this report endorse then approve the decisions made by the selection and recruitment panel, which was Councillors Andrews, Herrett and Chapmanlaw respectively.

Full Council need to approve the appointment of co-opted members to a BCP Council committee.

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 'D' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

The report explained that, although not a legislative requirement, best practice and a ‘2022 position statement’ by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy (CIPFA) endorsed by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities recommended that audit committees in local government should include at least two co-opted independent members.

Members were reminded that at the previous Committee and subsequently at Council there had been agreement in-principle to recruit two co-opted independent members to the BCP Council Audit and Governance Committee. The recruitment proposes in the format as agreed had subsequently taken place and the recommendations made by the appointed selection and recruitment Panel of Councillors Andrews, Herrett and Chapmanlaw were set out in the report. Final appointment would need formally to be made by the full Council.

The Chair of the Committee had already welcomed the two prospective Independent Members to the meeting emphasising their attendance only as observers at that stage. Although members of the Committee were supportive of the proposal, an undertaking was given that, in order to ensure that Members were familiar with the details and experience of the individuals proposed, the background information and summary Curriculum Vitae in each case would, with their agreement, be provided to Members before voting on the appointments at Council.

RESOLVED that Audit and Governance Committee endorse the decisions made by theselection and recruiting Panel to appoint two co-optedindependent members to the BCP Council Audit and Governance Committee.

RECOMMENDED that full Council approve the appointment of two co-opted independent members to the Audit and Governance Committee for a period which will end on 31 March 2026 and that Samantha Acton and Lindy Jansen van Vuuren be appointed accordingly.

Voting: For - 7; Against - 0; Abstain - 1