Agenda and minutes

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Contact: Parvi Diyar  Democratic Services Officer

Items
No. Item

38.

Declarations of Interest

To receive from Members, declarations of the existence of any disclosable pecuniary, or non-pecuniary, interests and the nature of those interests in relation to any agenda item. Please see Agenda Notes.

Minutes:

Councillor Taylor declared a prejudicial interest in agenda item 7, Annual Governance Statement Action Plan 2014-15, as a Director of Gloucestershire Airport Ltd and left the meeting during the consideration of that item.

39.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 127 KB

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 8 September 2014.

 

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 8 September 2014 were approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

40.

Public Question Time

To receive any questions from members of the public provided that a question does not relate to:

 

·         Matters which are the subject of current or pending legal proceedings, or

·         Matters relating to employees or former employees of the Council or comments in respect of individual Council Officers

Minutes:

There were no questions from members of the public.

41.

Petitions and Deputations

To receive any petitions and deputations provided that no such petition or deputation is in relation to:

 

·         Matters relating to individual Council Officers, or

·         Matters relating to current or pending legal proceedings

Minutes:

There were no petitions or deputations.

42.

Audit and Governance Committee Action Plan pdf icon PDF 136 KB

To consider the Action Plan.

Minutes:

The Committee considered the Audit and Governance Committee Action Plan.

 

Councillor Noakes noted that the reference to Minute 6 of the meeting on 26 June 2014 required further information to make sense.

 

The Chair was advised that in reference to Minute 32, Internal Audit Plan and the Docks Catering Service, the requested Follow - Up audit to ensure all agreed recommendations had been implemented had been put on hold as the service was now part of the Regeneration Service Review which would be reported to Organisational Development Committee later in November and the implementation of the actions would be dependent on the outcome of that review.

 

RESOLVED that the Audit and Governance Committee Action Plan be noted.

43.

Annual Governance Statement Action Plan 2014-15 Update

To receive a verbal update from the Head of Finance updating members on the Annual Governance Statement Action Plan.

Minutes:

Councillor Taylor having declared a prejudicial interest as a Director of Gloucestershire Airport Ltd left the meeting for the consideration of this item.

 

The Head of Finance provided an oral update on the Annual Governance Statement Action Plan which included governance arrangements for Gloucestershire Airport Ltd.

 

The Head of Legal and Policy Development advised that an exempt report would be presented to Council on 20th November that detailed progress on the implementation of the governance arrangements for Gloucestershire Airport Ltd previously approved by the Council.

 

She confirmed that it was not considered appropriate for the Councillors who were Airport Board members to see the report at this stage. When the report had been approved by Council a copy would be sent to Gloucestershire Airport Ltd.

 

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

44.

Peer Review Action Plan pdf icon PDF 346 KB

To receive a verbal update from the Head of Finance updating members on the Peer Review Action Plan.

Minutes:

The Committee considered the Peer Review Action Plan. Members expressed concern at the method of application of the RAG (red, amber, green) system.

 

They called for the report to be reviewed, closed matters to coloured blue and target dates incorporated.

 

Councillor Haigh enquired about the purpose of the Corporate Director’s weekly blog identified in Section 4 of the report. The Head of Finance advised that it contained a personal element while highlighting current issues. It tried to be informative while highlighting activities and key issues of the current week.

 

The Head of Finance undertook to ensure that the report would be revised to address the Committee’s concerns for the next meeting when an appropriate Officer would be in attendance.

 

RESOLVED that the Action Plan be noted.

 

45.

Gloucester City Council Annual Audit Letter 2013-14 pdf icon PDF 94 KB

To receive the Annual Audit Letter 2013-14 from KPMG.

Minutes:

The Committee considered the Annual Audit Letter for 2013-14 prepared by KPMG.

 

The Chair questioned the proposed fee for 2015-16 and Mr Gilbert (KPMG) advised that details of the anticipated fee would be presented with the Audit Plan early in the Financial Year.

 

RESOLVED that the Annual Audit Letter 2013-14 be received.

46.

Annual Risk Management Report pdf icon PDF 208 KB

To consider the report of the Audit, Risk and Assurance Manager which provides members with an update on the Council’s risk management activities from the past year to date and future planned actions.

 

 

Minutes:

The Audit, Risk Management and Value for Money Officer outlined the report which provided Members with an update on the Council’s risk management activities from the past year to date and confirmed future planned actions.

 

The Chair asked if there was a central log of risk registers. He was advised that a log was currently held, confirming that service registers were in place for the Council’s 26 services units. This log will be extended to cover significant partnerships and projects, such as the King’s Quarter development and the housing stock transfer, to confirm whether risk management arrangements are in place for these areas and to enable risk management support to be directed to areas of need.

 

RESOLVED that the risk management arrangements in place for the past year be endorsed and the proposals for future development be noted.

47.

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) - Annual Review of Procedural Guide pdf icon PDF 135 KB

To consider the report of the Head of Paid Service concerning the Annual Review of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) Procedural Guide.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Legal and Policy Development introduced the report which reviewed and updated the Council’s procedural guidance on the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 together with minor amendments to the list of Authorised Officers.

 

The Chair noted that authorisations for direct surveillance were now restricted to offences that would carry a minimum prison term of six months and most offences prosecuted by local authorities did not carry custodial sentences.

 

RESOLVED that the proposed changes to the Council’s Regulation of Investigatory Powers be noted.

48.

Treasury Management Update Quarter 2 Report 2014-15 pdf icon PDF 241 KB

To consider the report of the Head of Finance updating members on treasury management activities covering Quarter 2, 1st July 2014 to 30th September 2014.

Minutes:

The Management Accountant introduced the report which provided Members with an update on treasury management activities for Quarter 2, 1 July – 30 September 2014.

 

He confirmed that the wording of Appendix 4 had been supplied by Capita.

 

RESOLVED that the report be noted and that no changes are required to the prudential indicators.

49.

Audit and Governance Committee Work Programme pdf icon PDF 84 KB

To consider the Committee’s Work Programme

Minutes:

The Committee considered the Audit and Governance Committee Work Programme 2014-15.

 

The Chair was advised that the Whistleblowing Policy and Anti-fraud and Corruption Strategy would be included on the March 2015 meeting agenda.

 

RESOLVED that the Work programme be noted.

50.

Exclusion of Press and Public

To resolve:-

 

“That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during the following item of business on the grounds that it is likely, in view of the nature of business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the press and public are present during consideration of this item there will be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended”.

 

Agenda Item No.                Description of Exempt Information

 

15                                            Paragraph 3:  Information relating to the financial

                                                or business affairs of any particular person

                                                (including the Authority holding that information).

 

                                                Paragraph 7:  Information relating to any action

                                                taken or to be taken in connection with the

                                                prevention, investigation or prosecution of crime.

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during the following item of business on the grounds that it is likely, in view of the nature of business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the press and public are present during consideration of this item there will be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended”.

 

Agenda Item No.                Description of Exempt Information

 

15                                            Paragraph 3:  Information relating to the financial

                                                or business affairs of any particular person

                                                (including the Authority holding that information).

 

                                                Paragraph 7:  Information relating to any action

                                                taken or to be taken in connection with the

                                                prevention, investigation or prosecution of crime.

 

51.

Update on Council IT System Issues

To consider the report of the Senior Information Risk Officer relating to the governance issues arising out of recent issues with the Council’s IT systems.

 

 

Minutes:

The Committee considered the exempt report of the Senior Information Risk Officer which provided an update on Council Information Technology systems issues.

 

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

52.

Date of Next Meeting

Monday, 19 January 2015 at 6.30pm.

Minutes:

Monday, 19 January 2015 at 6.30pm.