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

Council’s Final Accounts for 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20.

Peter Robinson, interim Assistant Director of Finance, submitted a report providing an update on the completion of the Council’s Final Accounts for 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20.  The report stated that the Audit of the 2017/18 Accounts was almost complete and it was anticipated that they would be signed off by the end of October 2020.  The update by Ernst and Young (EY), the Council’s external auditors (see also Minute 11 below) provided further information on the residual steps required to enable the 2017/18 Accounts to be signed off.  Additionally, the draft 2018/19 Accounts were complete and had been handed over to the Auditors in mid-February 2020.  Preliminary pieces of work relating to the Audit of this set of Accounts had now commenced with the planning meeting having taken place on 28 September 2020.  Finally, the Committee was advised that officers had also almost completed the 2019/20 accounts.  At this stage, it was anticipated that the draft 2019/20 accounts would be completed and handed over to EY by the end of October 2020 and available for public inspection shortly thereafter.

Resolved:

(1)               That the progress made in relation to the Audit of the 2017/18 Accounts, be noted and that they be circulated to the Committee once they were finalised;

(2)               That the Executive Director for Resources, in consultation with the Chairman of the Audit & Governance Committee, be authorised to sign off the final accounts for 2017/18 on behalf of the Council;

(3)               That the progress being made in closing the 2019/20 Accounts, be noted;

(4)               That the Audit of the 2018/19 Accounts had commenced in September 2020, be noted.