To receive any public questions, statements or petitions submitted in accordance with the Constitution. Further information on the requirements for submitting these is available to view at the following link:-
https://democracy.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CommitteeID=151&Info=1&bcr=1
The deadline for the submission of public questions is midday on Friday 10 October 2025 [midday 3 clear working days before the meeting].
The deadline for the submission of a statement is midday on Wednesday 15 October 2025 [midday the working day before the meeting].
The deadline for the submission of a petition is Thursday 2 October 2025 [10 working days before the meeting].
Minutes:
The following public issues were received:
Public Questions
Agenda Item 12 – Internal Audit Quarterly Audit Plan Update - Question from Mr Alex McKinstry:
Re agenda item 12, page 207: "Significant issues arising". Can you confirm, in total, how much council tax revenue has been recovered through investigations into erroneous or fraudulent single person's discount claims since Internal Audit began this work in December 2024?
Can you also confirm what additional sum has been raised, again in total since December 2024, by way of related penalties; and what is this latter money being used for - is it ringfenced for any specific purposes?
Response read out by Chair:
Internal Audit did not begin reviewing Single Person Discounts in December 2024 as the questioner suggests. They performed reviews of Single Person Discounts from November 2023 to December 2024, the results of which were within the Chief Internal Auditor’s Annual Opinion Report 2024/25 which was presented to the 24 July 2025 Audit & Governance Committee. From December 2024, Internal Audit passed the review of Single Persons Discounts to the Council Tax Department.
With regards to the 2nd question, since December 2024 over £284,000 has been raised from discounts being removed and £22,000 of penalties levied.
Once a discount has been removed or a penalty levied, the customer is billed appropriately, and the account enters our normal recovery process if the instalments are not paid. Any sums raised and recovered form part of the Council’s normal income and are not ring-fenced for specific purposes.
Agenda Item 14 – Forward Plan (refresh): Question from Mr Alex McKinstry:
The forward plan notes that a meeting on 24 September 2025 was devoted to the FuturePlaces interim report (albeit only Parts 1-4 of it); why have the draft minutes of that meeting not been presented to the Committee tonight for approval?
Can you also explain why debate on the final report has been deferred to a newly-arranged meeting, to be held on 6 November 2025?
Response read out by Chair:
The Chair has agreed with the committee that the Future Places investigation will next be discussed at a single agenda item meeting on 6th November, similar to the meeting of 24th September. This approach is intended to allow appropriate time for committee discussion rather than condense the item into a core meeting of the committee with multiple agenda items.
The draft minutes of that meeting on 24 September have not been presented to this meeting as they have not yet been published. While Democratic Services always endeavour to publish minutes in a timely manner, a number of committee meetings were required to be rearranged due to the pre election period for the recent by election in the Talbot and Branksome Woods ward, resulting in a highly condensed schedule of meetings to be serviced during the second half of September. The Chair is aware that the minutes will be published with the agenda for the next meeting on 6 November and will therefore appear as a clear reference point alongside other related items for the Future Places investigation meeting
Public Statements
Agenda item 6 – External Auditor – Audit Progress & Sector Update
Statement 1 from Philip Gatrell:
LOCAL AUDIT AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT 2014:
REGISTERED LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTORS’
ANNUAL ACCOUNTING INFORMATION REQUEST RIGHTS 2024/25
A local authority ensures appropriate legislation applies to those in the community receiving services and benefits.
Specific statutes also provide rights - including 2014 Act Sections 26 and 27 - to ensure an independent component of compliance by councils.
It may assist this regulatory Committee to remind concerning those rights:
• Section 26 - Obtain from a council within a limited public inspection period information regarding the annual draft Statement of Accounts. This also enables electors to ask questions of the external auditor whose duties are determined by the 2014 Act.
• Section 27 - Raise objections with the auditor regarding the Accounts.
• Rights must be exercised within the inspection period to secure the auditor’s substantive response to electors but Council Officers have previously repeatedly contravened their obligation to respond in time.
My following Issue records the position for 2024/25.
Statement 2 from Philip Gatrell:
“2014 ACT” SECTION 26 REQUEST FOR 2024/25
It is important first to dispel possible misconceptions regarding a council’s registered local government electors’ above rights.
Freedom of Information requests are distinct from Section 26 rights which are not subject to potential information providing time-cost limits.
That was established in the prevailing 2021 case of Moss v Royal Borough of Kingston. The case similarly affirmed electors’ existing 2014 Act core rights during the annual public inspection period stipulated by the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015; the Regulations also contain an authority’s fuller obligations.
In view of Council Officers’ previous noncompliance, my earlier Issues emphasised the Moss case decision and its citation of the preceding Veolia case defining electors’ democratic participation as “custodians of” the not infallible “custodian” auditor.
Officer response to my 2024/25 Section 26 information request improved but was received only shortly before the final date. My next Issue refers
Statement 3 from Philip Gatrell:
SECTION 26 REQUEST RESPONSES FOR 2024/25 ACCEPTED
BY THE AUDITOR AS MY SECTION 27 OBJECTIONS INCLUDE:
• The Council’s year end bank account balance £4,794,000 recorded in Accounts Note 16 on page 50 is incorrect with reference to the anomalous negative cash balances £11,565,000. Arising from multifarious individual elements this indicates there was a net overdrawn balance of up to £6,771,000.
• This further denotes that the Trust Funds held by the Council have been wrongly utilised for Council purposes.
• Interest was not applied to the Trust Funds.
• Information received confirms material system and internal control weaknesses affecting the Council’s vulnerable laptop computers.
• This is due to the irrational accounting policy whereby bulk purchases of laptops individually costing less than the £10,000 capitalisation de minimis limit are capitalised and subject to a degree of fixed assets inventory control. Whereas numerically smaller purchase orders of high value in 2024/25 are charged to revenue.