Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 1 - Epsom Town Hall. View directions

Contact: Tim Richardson, 01372 732122  Email: trichardson@epsom-ewell.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

38.

Question Time

To take any questions from members of the Public.

Please note: Members of the Public are requested to inform the Democratic Services Officer before the meeting begins if they wish to ask a verbal question to the Committee.

Minutes:

No questions were asked or had been submitted by members of the public.

39.

Declarations of Interest

Members are asked to declare the existence and nature of any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests in respect of any item of business to be considered at the meeting.

Minutes:

No declarations of interest were made by councillors in items on the agenda for this meeting.

40.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 97 KB

The Committee is asked to confirm as a true record the Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee held on 9 February 2017 (attached) and to authorise the Chairman to sign them.


Minutes:

The Minutes of the meeting of the Audit, Crime & Disorder and Scrutiny Committee held on 9 February 2017 were agreed as a true record and signed by the Chairman.

41.

Order of Business

Minutes:

The Committee agreed to vary the order of business for the meeting, namely: to consider the Internal Audit reports contained within the agenda prior to considering the External Audit Plan.

42.

Internal Audit Monitoring Report pdf icon PDF 101 KB

This report summarises progress against the audit plan for 2016/17

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received and noted a report summarising progress against the audit plan for 2016/17. The following matters were considered:

a)            Audit of PCI compliance. The Committee was informed that the Council was currently not PCI compliant but had agreed actions to become so. The required self-assessment questionnaire had been completed by the end of March 2017. Confirmation of third party compliance was due to be completed by the end of June 2017.

Voice recording of all customer calls had now been ceased to avoid the risk of payment card details being recorded. Following a question regarding this, the Committee was informed that the Council’s current system did not provide functionality for recording to be turned off mid-call if payment details were due to be disclosed, and therefore it had been necessary to turn off the whole system.

b)            Audit of barrier controlled parking project. The Committee was informed that possible typing errors in the key findings of this Audit report had been identified and that officers would discuss these with the auditor who had written it, to seek clarity. The errors were as follows:

·                     that the text “119k higher”  in the first key finding of the Auditor’s report should be amended to read “£79k higher”.

·                     that the text “This added £48k to the cost of these”  in the first key finding of the Auditor’s report should be amended to read “This added £11k to the cost of these”.

The Head of Customer Services and Business Support informed the Committee of the background and key dates of the barrier controlled parking project, including the reasons for additional funding having been required. The project had been initiated in 2011, and the Head of Customer Services and Business Support had taken over its management in 2015, following a review of the Council’s officer structure. It was noted that a number of lessons had been learnt from the implementation of the project and that it was no longer intended to convert the Depot Road or Upper High Street car parks to barrier control. Pay and display parking would be retained in both of these locations.

c)            Audit of Financial Management and Main Accounting. The Committee was informed that officers were confident that the Council’s accounts would be closed on time despite the current staffing difficulties experienced in the Financial Services team. It was noted that the Head of Corporate Governance would provide a verbal update on progress against the actions from the audit at the November 2017 meeting of the Committee. 

43.

Internal Audit Plan 2017/18 pdf icon PDF 94 KB

This report introduces the updated plan for Internal Audit for 2017/18.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received a report providing an updated plan for Internal Audit for 2016/17.

Following consideration, the Committee:

(1)          Endorsed the audit plan for Internal Audit for 2017/18 as prepared by RSM.

44.

External Audit Plan pdf icon PDF 90 KB

This report sets out the approach being taken by the Council’s external auditors, Grant Thornton, to the audit of the accounts for 2016/17.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received a report setting out the approach being taken by the Council’s external auditors to the audit of accounts for 2016/17.

Following consideration, the Committee:

(1)          Endorsed the External Audit Plan Year ended 31 March 2017.

45.

Review of the Arrangements for Publicising and Determining Planning Applications - Update report pdf icon PDF 93 KB

This report updates Members on the progress made to-date in implementing the recommendations of the Scrutiny Review Task Group on the Administrative Arrangements for Publicising and Determining Planning Applications. 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received a report updating it on progress in implementing the recommendations of the scrutiny review task group on the administrative arrangements for publicising and determining planning applications.

Following consideration, the Committee:

(1)          Noted the achievements to date and the proposed future implementation timescales.

(2)          Agreed that another update report be brought to the 23 November 2017 meeting of the Committee.

46.

Annual Report pdf icon PDF 85 KB

This report presents the Annual Report of the Audit, Crime & Disorder and Scrutiny Committee for 2016/17.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received a report presenting its Annual Report for 2016/17.

The following matter was considered:

a)            Scrutiny Review of Routecall. The Committee noted that an update regarding the implementation of recommendations from the scrutiny review of the Routecall service had been circulated to all members of the Committee prior to the meeting. Additionally, the Community and Wellbeing Committee had requested the Audit, Crime & Disorder and Scrutiny Committee to undertake a review of the rebranded service in April 2018. This review would be included within the Committee’s work programme for the year.

Following this consideration, the Committee:

(1)          Approved the Annual Report 2016/17 attached as Annexe 1 to the Committee report.

(2)          Authorised the Scrutiny Officer in consultation with the Chairman to make any amendments or additions necessary to the Annual Report as a result of business transacted at this meeting.

47.

Vote of thanks

Minutes:

The Committee passed a vote of thanks to the Chairman for his work on its behalf over the past year; the way in which he had managed its affairs, and his input and assistance in carrying out the service reviews which had been undertaken.