This report updates the Committee and reports that the draft 2025/26 Statement of Account has been published on the Council’s website by the statutory deadline of 30 June 2026, the formal public inspection period will run from 1 July – 11 August 2026 and the Government has set a backstop date of 31 January 2027 for the external audit opinion to be issued on the 2025/26 Statement of Accounts.

This report presents the annual assurance report of the Chief Auditor required by the Accounts and Audit Regulations and the Public Sector Internal Audit Standards.

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

This report sets out a summary of progress against the management actions to address the internal audit recommendations for audits assigned a ‘limited’ or ‘no assurance’ opinion.

Further to Minute 24 of the meeting of the Audit and Governance Committee on 21 January 2025, this report updates Committee on steps taken to introduce centralised and regularly updated registers of Officer Declarations of Interest and Gifts and Hospitality.

This report fulfils the requirement in the Treasury Management Strategy to produce an Annual Outturn Report to review the Treasury Management activity which took place from 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2026.

A report on the draft Annual Governance Statement for 2025/26 for

publication with the Council’s financial statements.

To consider the annual report, associated action plan, and detailed feedback on the Audit & Governance Committee’s performance and to endorse that the report represents a fair reflection of the year, prior to its submission to Council.