Agenda and draft minutes

Venue: Remote Meeting

Contact: Eric Dickinson  Democracy Officer

Media

Items
No. Item

58.

Apologies

To receive any apologies for absence.

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Stuart Arnfield, Louise Gaskell, Councillor Kathryn Haworth and Councillor Gill Smith.

59.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 230 KB

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

Minutes:

The minutes of the remote meeting held on Wednesday, 22nd July 2020 were approved as a correct record.

60.

Additional Items of Business

To determine whether there are any additional items of business which, by reason of special circumstances, the Chair decides should be considered as a matter of urgency.

Minutes:

There were no additional items of business.

61.

Declarations of Interest

To receive any declarations of interest from Members relating to any item on the agenda, in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Conduct.

Minutes:

There were no declarationsof interest.

62.

Exclusion of the Public

To determine during which items, if any, the public are to be excluded from the meeting.

Minutes:

There were no items on the agenda requiring members of the public to be excluded from the meeting.

63.

Public Question Time

To consider questions, statements or petitions from Members of the Public.

Minutes:

No questions had been received.

64.

Standards Complaints Update/Code of Conduct Review

To receive a verbal update on complaints about Members of the Council and the Code of Conduct Review.

Minutes:

The Committee was advised that currently, two Standards cases were ongoing and that a report would be presented to the next meeting of the Audit and Standards Committee.

65.

Internal Audit Plan 2020-21 pdf icon PDF 563 KB

To inform on the audit planning process and seek approval from the Committee on the proposed Internal Audit plan for 2020-21 and the Internal Audit Charter and Strategy 2020.

 

 

 

Minutes:

Ian Evenett presented a report advising  the Committee on the audit planning process and seeking approval from Members on the proposed Internal Audit plan for 2020-21 as attached to the report at appendix 1 and the Internal Audit Charter and Strategy 2020 as attached to the report at appendix 2.

 

 

IT WAS AGREED

 

That the Audit and Standards Committee:

 

1.    Approve the Internal Audit Plan for 2020-21; and

 

2.    Approve the Internal Audit Charter

66.

Internal Audit Progress Plan 2020-21 pdf icon PDF 131 KB

To inform the Committee of the work undertaken by Internal Audit for the period 1st April 2020 to 30th June 2020.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Salma Hussain presented a report advising the Committee of the work undertaken by the Internal Audit section for the period 1st April 2020 to 30th June 2020.

 

IT WAS AGREED

 

That the Committee note the report.

67.

Strategic Risk Register pdf icon PDF 119 KB

To update the Committee on the Strategic Risk Register.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Ian Evenett presented a report to update the Committee on the Strategic Risk Register.

 

Ian advised that the impact of the pandemic had continued to dominate the register and that the increase in infections had supported the red risks in terms of finance, economy and the community.

 

Councillor Graham referred to risk reference 8 of the register (Inability to influence key decision makers), stating that she was surprised that this was scored at 6 (medium priority risk) and had anticipated this to be higher due to the recent political changes.

 

Ian Evenett responded that the risk reference relating to this area would be risk reference 4 (Changes in the political landscape).  Ian acknowledged the recent political changes which had occurred following publication of the current Risk Register which had been published on 10th September.  Ian also advised that the recent changes would not prevent the Council from going forward and reminded the Committee of the powers of the Chief Executive to make decisions.

 

Ian further stated that he would recommend that the Management team review risk 4 of the register.

 

Councillor Graham acknowledged that the current risk register had been published prior to the recent political changes that had taken place at Burnley Borough Council.

 

IT WAS AGREED

 

That the Committee note the report.

 

68.

Audit Progress Report and Sector Update - Grant Thornton pdf icon PDF 650 KB

To advise the Committee on progress in the delivery of responsibilities as external auditors of Burnley Borough Council.

Minutes:

Barrie Morris, Engagement Lead at Grant Thornton introduced himself to the Committee and introduced Helen Stevenson, Engagement Manager who was replacing Chloe Edward who had now left Grant Thornton.

 

Helen presented an Audit Progress Report and Sector Update to the Committee.

 

IT WAS AGREED

 

That the Committee note the update.

 

 

69.

External Audit Plan Update - Grant Thornton pdf icon PDF 206 KB

To provide an update to the planned scope and timing of the statutory audit of Burnley Borough Council (`the Authority`) as reported in the Audit Plan dated February 2020, for those charged with governance.

Minutes:

Helen Stevenson presented an update to the Committee on the on the External Audit Plan.

 

IT WAS AGREED

 

That the External Audit Plan update be noted.

 

70.

Work Programme pdf icon PDF 115 KB

To consider the Work Programme.

Minutes:

A copy of the Audit and Standards Committee Work Programme 2020/21 was submitted to the Committee for information.