Agenda

RECOMMENDED that the minutes of the meeting held on 1 February

2019 be confirmed and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

External Auditor's Certification Report for information and noting.

The purpose of the report is to update the Governance and Audit and Standards Committee on the Internal Audit Performance for 2018/19 to 22 February 2019 against the Annual Audit Plan, highlight areas of concern and areas where assurance can be given on the internal control framework.

The 2019/20 Audit Plan has also been drafted and presented for approval and is attached as Appendix C.

RECOMMENDED that Members

(1)  Note the Audit Performance for 2018/19 to 22^nd February 2019.

(2)  Note the highlighted areas of control weakness from the 2018/19 Audit Plan

(3)  Endorse the Audit Plan for 2019/20.

The purpose of this report is to obtain the Council’s approval of the updated Treasury Management Policy Statement (attached) which includes the Annual Investment Strategy.

RECOMMENDED

1a that the treasury management indicators contained in Appendix D be approved;

1b that the attached Treasury Management Policy Statement including the Treasury Management Strategy, and Annual Investment Strategy for 2019/20 be approved;

1c that the following changes compared to the previous Annual Investment Strategy be noted:

(i) That a new category of non-specified investments be added to permit investment in pooled investment vehicles including equity funds, property funds, supply chain finance funds and multi asset funds with a limit of £50m per fund

(ii) That the maximum limit of an investment in a subsidiary company be increased from £20m to £30m

1d the Director of Finance and Information Technology (Section 151 Officer) and officers nominated by him have delegated authority to (paragraph 3.2 of Treasury Management Policy Statement):

(i) invest surplus funds in accordance with the approved Annual Investment Strategy;

(ii) borrow to finance short term cash deficits and capital payments from any reputable source within the authorised limit for external debt of £737m approved by the City Council on 12 February 2019;

(iii) reschedule debt in order to even the maturity profile or to achieve revenue savings;

(iv) to buy and sell foreign currency, and to purchase hedging instruments including forward purchases, forward options and foreign exchange rate swaps to mitigate the foreign exchange risks associated with some contracts that are either priced in foreign currencies or where the price is indexed against foreign currency exchange rates.

1e that the Chief Executive, the Leader of the City Council and the Chair of the Governance and Audit and Standards Committee be informed of any variances from the Treasury Management Policy when they become apparent, and that the Leader of the City Council be consulted on remedial action (paragraph 17.1 of Treasury Management Policy Statement)

The purpose of the report is to seek approval for proposed changes to the constitution for the Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB). The changes are recommended to improve the effectiveness of the HWB as it fulfils its leadership role across the health and wellbeing system locally.

RECOMMENDED that Governance and Audit and Standards Committee

(1)  Support the changes to the constitution for the Health and Wellbeing Board set out below and

(2)  Recommend these to Council on 19 March 2019.

The purpose of this information only report is to update members on the 2019 training programme for councillors.

Purpose - To report significant performance issues, arising from Q3 performance monitoring, to Governance and Audit and Standards committee and highlight areas for further action or analysis.

RECOMMENDED that theGovernance and Audit and Standards Committee is asked to:

1)        note the report;

2)        note the continued  improvement in quality of reports from directorates; 

3)        agree if any further  action is required in response to performance issues highlighted

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 to the report 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 appendices are 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

Local Democracy Officer at the conclusion of the meeting for

shredding.)

Item                                                                            Exemption Para No.*

11.Procurement Management Information

(Exempt Appendices  4 and 5 only)                              3

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

particular person (including the authority holding that

information).

The purpose of this information only report 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.