Agenda and minutes

Venue: Online Meeting via Microsoft Teams

Contact: Michael Popham - Democratic Services Manager  Email: michael.popham@reading.gov.uk

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting held on 12 October 2020 pdf icon PDF 46 KB

Minutes:

The Minutes of the meeting of 12 October 2020 were confirmed as a correct record and would be signed by the Chairman.

2.

Internal Audit Quarterly Progress Report pdf icon PDF 452 KB

This report provides an update on key findings emanating from Internal Audit reports issued since the last quarterly progress report.

Minutes:

Paul Harrington, Chief Auditor, submitted a reportproviding an update on key findings emanating from Internal Audit reports issued since the last quarterly progress report in October 2020.

The report set out a summary of the audit reports in respect of: Purchase Cards; Records Management; Car Parks (Off Street); Licensing;  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

3.

Annual Treasury Management Review 2019/20 pdf icon PDF 230 KB

This report reviews the Treasury Management activity which took place from 1st April 2019 to 31st March 2020.

Minutes:

Peter Robinson, interim Assistant Director of Finance, submitted a report on the Annual Treasury Management Review 2019/20.  The report stated that the Treasury Management Strategy required an Annual Outturn Report reviewing the Treasury Management activity which had taken place during the year.  This report had been delayed due to the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

4.

Treasury Management Strategy Mid-Year Review 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 114 KB

This report provides an update on the activity of the Treasury Management function during the first half of the year for the period 1st April 2020 to 30th September 2020.

Minutes:

Peter Robinson, interim Assistant Director of Finance, submitted a report on the mid-year review of the Treasury Management Strategy.  The report provided an update on the activity of the Treasury Management function during the first half of the year for the period 1 April 2020 to 30 September 2020.  The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.

Information Governance Quarterly Update pdf icon PDF 49 KB

This report outlines the actions in progress to improve the Council’s policies, systems and processes for better Information Governance.

Minutes:

Mike Graham, Assistant Director of Legal & Democratic Services, submitted a report outlining the actions in progress to improve the Council’s policies, systems and processes for improving Information Governance.  The report referred to the Committee receiving a number of limited assurance reports in this field and identified that work was needed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.

Draft Audit Planning Report 2018/19 pdf icon PDF 6 MB

The report provides members with a basis to review EY’s proposed audit approach and scope for 2018/19.  The Provisional Audit Plan summarises the initial assessment of an effective audit for the Council and outlines EY’s planned audit strategy in response to those risks.

 

Minutes:

Maria Grindley and Adrian Balmer, EY, presented the Provisional Audit Plan summarising the initial assessment of the key risks driving the development of an effective audit for the Council and outlining EY’s planned audit strategy in response to those risks.  The planning procedures were ongoing and the Audit & Governance Committee  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

Independent Review into the Oversight of Local Audit and the Transparency of Local Authority Financial Reporting ("REDMOND REVIEW") pdf icon PDF 85 KB

This report seeks to provide the Audit and Governance Committee with a summary of the Redmond Review report, the recommendations made to the Government, along with the Government’s response.

Minutes:

Paul Harrington, Chief Auditor, submitted a report on an independent review by Sir Tony Redmond of the local audit process and transparency of local authority financial reporting.  The ‘Redmond Review’ examined the effectiveness of local audit and its ability to demonstrate accountability for audit performance to the public.  It also  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

8.

Closing Financial Accounts Update pdf icon PDF 25 KB

This report updates the Committee on progress with the completion of the

Council’s Final Accounts for 2018/19 and 2019/20.

Minutes:

Peter Robinson, interim Assistant Director of Finance, submitted a report providing an update on the completion of the Council’s Final Accounts for 2018/19 and 2019/20.  The report stated that the Audit of the 2017/18 Accounts had been completed and signed off by EY at the end of October 2020.  Additionally,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

9.

Implementation of the Finance Improvement Programme - Progress Update pdf icon PDF 61 KB

This report provides an update on progress of the Programme workstreams and their deliverables against the Plan since the last meeting.

Minutes:

Further to Minute 16 of the meeting held on 12 October 2020, Chris Tidswell, CIPFA, presented a report providing an update on progress of the Finance Improvement Programme (FIP) against the plan for each workstream and their deliverables. The report explained that the FIP had two key phases:  Phase I  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

10.

Implementation of Audit Recommendations Tracker pdf icon PDF 721 KB

This report sets out a summary of those high and medium risk Internal Audit recommendations which remain outstanding together with an updated management response.

Minutes:

Further to Minute 15 of the meeting held on 12 October 2020, Jackie Yates, Executive Director of Resources, presented a report setting out, at Appendix 1, the Implementation of Audit Recommendations tracker report. 

The report explained that each recommendation was marked with a percentage complete which correlated to a red/amber/green  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

11.

Housing Benefit & Council Tax Support Scheme - Risk Based Verification Policy 2021/22 pdf icon PDF 42 KB

This report proposes the continued use of the Council’s Risk Based Verification process in 2021/22.

Minutes:

Sam Wills, Revenues & Benefits Manager, submitted a report recommending that the Council continued to use its Risk Based Verification (RBV) process in 2021/22.  The scheme enabled processing of claims for Housing Benefit payments and Council Tax Support awards to be streamlined, thereby enabling customers to receive payments sooner. The approach  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

12.

Exclusion of Press & Public

The following motion will be moved by the Chairman (if necessary):

 

“That, pursuant to Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) members of the press and public be excluded during consideration of the following items on the agenda, as it is likely that there would be disclosure of exempt information as defined in the relevant Paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A (as amended) of that Act”

 

Minutes:

Resolved:

 

That pursuant to Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), members of the press and public be excluded during consideration of the Items below as it was likely that there would be a disclosure of exempt information as defined in the relevant paragraphs specified in Part  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

13.

Reading Transport Limited

Minutes:

The Committee received a verbal update on the financial implications of COVID 19 on Reading Buses.

Resolved:     That the position be noted.

(Exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3)