Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Head of Audit Risk Assurance providing the Committee with a summary of the proposed 2017/2018 Risk Based Internal Audit Plan 2017/2018 as required by the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 and the Public Sector Internal Audit Standards (PSIAS) 2016.

The Committee considered the report of the Head of Audit Risk Assurance providing the Committee with a summary of the proposed 2017/2018 Risk Based Internal Audit Plan 2017/2018 as required by the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 and the Public Sector Internal Audit Standards (PSIAS) 2016.

The Head of Audit Risk Assurance summarised key areas of the report commenting that the plan included an audit of the Councillors Community Fund following a suggestion from the Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources.

The Chair encouraged Members of the Committee to continue to put forward any areas of work that they considered appropriate for the Internal Audit function to review.

Councillor Stephens welcomed the report and the inclusion of the Complaints Policy as an area of focus. He commented that it would be useful if the Internal Audit team were able to explore the use of multiagency working and the role of Members within the feedback process. He suggested that it would also be helpful if a review of the implementation of the business rates reform were conducted to ensure that this was being applied correctly.

The Management Accountant explained that following the announcement of the business rates reform by the Government in the Spring 2017 budget, Civica had begun promptly to identify and write to all business affected.

In response to Councillor Melvin’s query whether the press had been approached to help advertise the changes to Business Rates, the Management Accountant explained that this had not been explored. He confirmed that the finance team would continue to liaise with Civica on the most appropriate way to alert affected businesses to the changes.

The Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources (Councillor David Norman) congratulated officers on their prompt action following the announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the 8^th March 2017. He considered that it would be appropriate to continue to allow Civica to contact all affected businesses and if necessary advertise using the media after an allotted period.

The Chair requested that a management update of the progress of implementation of Business Rates reform be timetabled into the Audit and Governance work programme. He congratulated officers from the Civica revenues and benefits for the speed in which the implementation had been progressed.

RESOLVED:

1.    Agree that the Internal Audit Plan for 2017/2018 reflects the risk profile of the Council;

2.    Approve the Internal Audit Plan 2017/2018 as detailed in Appendix 1.

3.    A progress update of the business rates reform be timetabled into the Audit and Governance Work Programme.