Issue - meetings

That the Governance and Audit Committee’s Annual Report for 2020/21 be approved.

The Internal Audit Manager introduced the report and explained that, in accordance with CIPFA’s best practice ‘Audit Committees – a Practical Guidance for Local Authorities 2018’, there was a requirement for the Committee to be held to account by the Council for the work it undertook.  To support that, the Committee’s Terms of Reference were amended in 2018 to include a requirement for the Committee to prepare a yearly report to the Council on its achievements and to demonstrate its accountability.

The Governance and Audit Committee’s Annual Report for 2020/21 was appended to the report and provided the Council with the necessary information to meet the requirement.

A significant part of the Committee’s role was to demonstrate its accountability, which should be considered under the following three aspects:

1.    Supporting the Council’s accountability to the public and stakeholders

2.    Supporting accountability within the Council

3.    Holding the Governance and Audit Committee to account

The Governance and Audit Committee’s Annual Report had been presented and endorsed by the Governance and Audit Committee on 17^th November 2021.

The recommendation in the report was moved by Councillor Chris Dolphin and seconded by Councillor Mullin.

Councillor Chris Dolphin thanked officers of the Council for the preparation of the report.

RESOLVED:

That the Governance and Audit Committee’s Annual Report for 2020/21 be approved.