Issue - meetings

The Annual Governance Statement (AGS) is an important document which provides assurance concerning the council’s governance arrangements, both financial and non-financial. It is prepared on an annual basis for inclusion in the Statement of Accounts. This report seeks the Committee’s approval of the draft AGS 2024-25.

The Annual Governance Statement (AGS) is an important document which provides assurance concerning the council’s governance arrangements, both financial and non-financial. It is prepared on an annual basis for inclusion in the Statement of Accounts. The Committee received a report seeking the Committee’s approval of the draft AGS 2024-25.

The following matters were considered:

a)            Page 101. A Member of the Committee asked if the statement made by the Monitoring Officer, ‘The Council shall be considering the commencement of a Community Governance Review (CGR) at its extraordinary full council meeting scheduled for 26 June 2025,’ could be updated to reflect the fact that the meeting and decision have taken place. The Corporate Governance and Strategy Manager explained that the report has a long lead in time, which explains why the statement references a meeting that has now taken place. The Corporate Governance and Strategy Manager confirmed that the requested change can be made.

b)            Page 102. A Member of the Committee highlighted the final section on page 102, regarding the Council’s External Auditors’ comments, and asked for clarification, as it was their understanding that the statement was untrue. The Chair stated that it was their understanding that the statement is true. The Member quoted the February 2025 External Auditors’ Findings report, ‘We have raised a significant weakness in respect of the Council’s governance arrangements,’ and reiterated that they do not believe the statement in the Annual Governance Statement is correct. The Member also raised their concern that the External Auditors’ findings have been dismissed and not taken seriously by the Council’s Strategic Leadership Team. The Chair noted the comments. The Chair raised that if further amendments are to be made of the Annual Governance Statement, that they can be made and then circulated to Members or return to Committee. The Member stated that the AGS must say explicitly that the External Auditors identified a serious weakness in relation to the Council’s governance.

c)            CIPFA Principle G. A Member of the Committee raised that they were unhappy with the green light being given for implementing good practices in transparency. The Member expressed that this is inappropriate and unacceptable given the External Auditors’ finding of a significant weakness in the Council’s governance arrangements. The Chair noted the comments and raised that the issues raised would be taken back to Officers and the AGS rereviewed.

d)            Page 115. A Member of the Committee asked why there are no actions listed on the AGS Action Plan which relate to transparency and taking action to improve it. The Member quoted the comments of the previous Director of Corporate Services (S151) at the February 2025 meeting, ‘expressed that the Strategic Leadership Team acknowledge the recommendation of the external auditors to the Council and take it on board and fully understand the need for transparency and appreciate there is more work to be done to provide that as much as possible,’ and the March 2025 meeting, ‘informed the Committee that the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8