Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillor Anne Kelly, Louise Gaskell and Gill Smith.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the previous meeting.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 19^th July 2018 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To receive the Annual Audit letter for the year ending 31^st March 2018.

The Committee received for information the Annual Audit letter for the year ending 31^st March 18 which summarised the key findings of the audit.

Mark Heap from the external auditors explained that Committee had received a summary of the audit at its July meeting and this letter now confirmed those audit conclusions which demonstrated that the Council had in place proper arrangements to ensure economy, efficiency and effectiveness in the use of its resources and that no issues had been identified.

The external auditors thanked Council staff for their assistance and co-operations provided during the audit and for the timely manner in which working papers had been provided.

IT WAS AGREED

That the Annual Audit letter 2017/18 be noted.

To inform members of the appointment of an external auditor for the Housing Benefit Subsidy Grant Claim 2018/19.

The Internal Audit Manager present the report which explained that the Housing Benefit Subsidy Grant claim was no longer automatically assigned to the Council’s external auditor and that there was now a requirement to go out to tender for the work.

The Council’s management team had considered the time frame, the expected value of the work and had undertaken market testing suitable to a single year’s appointment in line with its standing orders for contracts and had appointed Grant Thornton for one year for the 2018/19 audit.  Officers would then review this arrangement in early 2019 with an aim to appoint over a longer period.

Councillor Townsend asked about the financial implications which he would have expected to have been detailed in the report.  The Internal Audit Manager said that the external auditors were currently preparing the grant claim for 2017/18 which would be finalised by November and that costs for 2018/19 could vary depending on the audit findings but that it would be in the region of £10k.

IT WAS AGREED:

That the report be noted.

To receive information on the work undertaken by Internal Audit for the period 1st April to 30^th June 2018.

The Committee received information about the work undertaken by Internal Audit for the period 1^st April to 30^th June 2018.

The report detailed the recent staffing changes which had led to a delay in the audit plan for 2018/19.  Audits which had not been completed during the 2017/18 financial year had been carried over and would be combined into 2018/19 plan.

Four audits had been completed: the annual audit opinion on Burnley Leisure, the annual governance statement and statement of accounts 2017/18 and an audit of the May 2018 election.

The Internal Audit Manager had been appointed as the Council’s Data Protection Officer in line with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018.

A discussion took place on GDPR and the mechanisms for dealing with any data breaches.  The Internal Audit Manager said that the Executive would receive information about any serious data breaches via the Head of Policy and Engagement.  If there were any internal control issues identified then this Committee could be asked to consider any risks identified. 

IT WAS AGREED:

That the report be noted.

To provide members with an update of authorisations issued under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (“RIPA”).

The Committee received an update of authorisations issued under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000(RIPA) and the outcome of the latest inspections by the Office of Surveillance Commissioners (OSC) which ensured the Council’s policies and procedures were operated in a lawful manner.

The report had been brought to Committee following a recommendation made by the OSC that reports on RIPA activity should be made periodically to members.

The report confirmed that there had been no surveillance activity necessitating authorisation in the 2017/18 financial year.

A discussion took place on the remit of RIPA which regulated the Council’s use of directed surveillance to prevent and detect serious criminal activity. 

IT WAS AGREED:

That the report be noted.

To consider the Work Programme for the current year.

The work programme for 2018/19 was noted.