Havant Borough Council Governance, Audit and Finance Board (20/06/2018 - 01/02/2021) Meeting

There were no apologies for absence.

There were no matters arising.

There were no declarations of interests relating to matters on the agenda.

The Chairman had nothing to report.

The Chairman had accepted this item as an urgent item in view of the need for the report to be considered before the next scheduled meeting of the Board.

The Board considered the Annual Audit Letter 2018/2019 as presented by Ernst and Young LLP.

The Board thanked the officers and external auditors for their work.

RESOLVED that the Annual Audit Letter 2018/2019 from Ernst and Young LLP be noted.

The Committee considered a report presented by Ernst and Young LLP providing the Board with a basis to review the external auditors proposed audit approach and scope for the 2019/20 financial year.

RESOLVED that the Annual Planning Report as submitted be noted.

This Board considered a report giving a strategic overview of performance for Quarter One 2020/21 in relation to the corporate priorities in the Council’s Corporate Plan.

RESOLVED that:

a.           the revenue and capital forecasts and forecast variance outturn for 2020/21 in Appendices A and B of the submitted report be noted; and  

b.           the summary performance information at Appendix C of the submitted report be noted

The Board received a report providing a finance update on period 4 of 2020/21.

RESOLVED That the revenue and capital forecasts and forecast variance outturn for 2020/21 as set out in Appendices A and B of the submitted report be noted.

The Board received a report detailing the Council’s performance against the Council’s Treasury Management Strategy for 2019/20.

The Chief Finance Officer agreed to provide a Members’ Briefing on the Treasury Management Outturn 2019/20.

RESOLVED that the Treasury Management Outturn 2019/20 as submitted be noted.

The Board received an update report on the Local Government Association (LGA) Draft Model Code of Conduct that went out to consultation from 8 June 2020 to 15 August 2020.

The Board was requested to consider the model code against the proposed draft code.

RESOLVED that:

a.           the submitted report and the LGA Draft Model Code be noted; and

b.           the Constitution Group and full Council be recommended to adopt the process and draft Code of Conduct as set out in Appendix 1 of the submitted report.

The Board received an update on the Councillor Code of Conduct Complaints received by the Monitoring Officer since 1 January 2020.

RESOLVED that the report as submitted be noted.

RESOLVED that the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the item headed and numbered as below because:

it was likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the public were present during that item there would be disclosure to them of exempt information of the descriptions specified in paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A (as amended) of the Local Government Act 1972 shown against the heading in question; and

in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.

Minute 12               Code of Conduct Review

          Paragraph 1        Information relating to any individual

          Paragraph  2       Information likely to reveal the identify an individual