Agenda

RECOMMENDED that the minutes from the meeting held on 8 June 2018 be confirmed and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

The purpose of the report is to update the Governance and Audit and Standards Committee on the completion of the Internal Audit Plan for 2017/18 and provide the Authority with the required Annual Audit Opinion which feeds into the Annual Governance Statement, as required under the Local Government Act 1999.

RECOMMENDED that Members note

(1)  the completion of the Audit Plan for 2017/18

(2)  the Annual Audit Report and Opinion for 2017/18

(3)  the audits completed since the last meeting in relation to the 2017/18 Audit Plan

The purpose of the report is to seek approval from the Governance and Audit and Standards Committee for the council's Annual Governance Statement (AGS) for 2017/18.

RECOMMENDED that the Committee

(1)  Agree the Annual Governance Statement 2017/18 (Appendix 2) and

(2)  Approve the refreshed Local Code of Governance set out in Appendix 1.

The final version of the Statement of Accounts will be tabled on the day for the Chair to sign off. The draft is attached.

(Note that the Annual Governance Statement must be signed off first.)

The purpose of the report is to ask the Committee to consider the Statement of Accounts for 2017/18.

RECOMMENDED

(1)  That the Statement of Accounts be approved

(2)  That authority be delegated to the Chair of the Governance and Audit and Standards Committee to sign an amended 2017/18 Statement of Accounts after 27 July 2018 should this be required following comments by the auditor.

Chair to sign the Letter of Representation.

Portsmouth City Council's Audit Results report for noting.

The purpose of the report is to present the council's risk and assurance management policy to the Governance and Audit and Standards Committee for approval.

RECOMMENDED that the Committee

(1)  Approves the attached Risk and Assurance Management Policy

(2)  Agrees to review the risk management policy in June 2020, including risks current at the time and lessons learnt over the previous year.

The purpose of the report is to inform members and the wider community of the Council’s Treasury Management position at 30 June 2018 and of the risks attached to that position.

RECOMMENDED that the Committee notes

(1)  That there have been no breaches of the Treasury Management Policy 2018/19 in the period up to 30 June 2018.

(2)  The actual Treasury Management indicators for June 2018 in Appendix A.

The purpose of this report is to introduce a revised policy for dealing with corporate complaints, including the management of vexatious and persistent complaints and seeks approval of the new policy.

RECOMMENDED that the revised policy at Appendix 1 is approved.

This item is included to fulfil the requirement to report instances where Standing Order 58 has been used to give effect to an urgent decision rather than taking it through the Governance & Audit & Standards Committee.

Following consultation with the previous Chair and Vice-chair of this committee, the Chief Executive was satisfied that it was necessary to invoke Standing Order 58 to appoint a Data Protection Officer in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).  The reason for urgency was in order to meet the deadline set in the GDPR of 25 May 2018.

In view of the contents of the following item on the agenda the Committee is RECOMMENDED to adopt the following motion:

“That, under the provisions of Section 100A of the Local Government Act, 1972 as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act, 1985, the press and public be excluded for the consideration of the following item on the grounds that the appendices contain information defined as exempt in Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972"

The public interest in maintaining the exemption must outweigh the public interest in disclosing the information.

Under the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) England Regulations 2012, regulation 5, the reasons for exemption of the listed items is shown below.

(NB The exempt/confidential committee papers on the agenda will contain information which is commercially, legally or personally sensitive and should not be divulged to third parties. Members are reminded of standing order restrictions on the disclosure of exempt information and are invited to return their exempt documentation to the Senior Local Democracy Officer at the conclusion of the meeting for shredding.)

Item                                                                            Exemption Para No.*

13. Procurement Management Information

(Exempt Appendices 1, 4 and 5 only)                           3

*3. Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any

particular person (including the authority holding that

information).

(NB Appendices 1, 4 and 5 are exempt and provision has been made on the agenda for the meeting to be moved into exempt session if required)

The purpose of this report (that is for information  and noting only) is to provide evidence to allow the committee to evaluate the extent that Portsmouth City Council is achieving value for money in its contracts for goods, services and works.

The Committee is asked to note the report.