Issue - meetings

That the WAO Annual Audit Letter for 2015/16 be noted.

The Corporate Finance Manager introduced the Annual Audit Letter from the Wales Audit Office (WAO) which summarised the key messages arising from the Auditor General for Wales’ statutory responsibilities.  He advised that the accounts action plan used in previous years to address issues highlighted by WAO was not required this year, as the issues now being raised were service specific.  A post-project learning meeting had taken place enabling officers to work with WAO colleagues to make further improvements.

In acknowledging the progress made, John Herniman of WAO reported a significant improvement in issues identified this year and highlighted the earlier deadline required for closure of the accounts.

On a query by Councillor Haydn Bateman, Mr. Herniman explained the need for the Council to investigate any potential liabilities from the former waste disposal sites to establish if financial provision was required within the accounts.  The Chief Executive said that this was an ongoing technical accounting issue which did not pose any public risk.  The Finance Manager advised that complex testing work was being carried out at the sites and that until its conclusion, £250K had provisionally been set aside in the Capital Programme as a contingency.

RESOLVED:

That the WAO Annual Audit Letter for 2015/16 be noted.