Issue - meetings

4.1      To approve the minutes of the previous meeting held on Tuesday 24 March 2026 as a correct record.

4.2      To note the updated Action Log from previous meetings of the Audit & Standards Advisory Committee.

(Agenda republished to include the minutes from the previous meeting on 15 June 2026)

In reviewing the minutes from the 24 March 2026, two corrections were identified in relation to Min 7: External Audit Update Report, which were as follows:

• Under the 3^rd bullet point reference to the statutory deadline for signing off the 2025–26 accounts should have been recorded as the 31st January (rather than 21st) and Grant Thornton's internal target being to have signed all local authority audits by the end of November (rather than the 20th November).

Subject to the above corrections, it was RESOLVED that the minutes of the previous meeting of the Committee held on Tuesday 24th March 2026 be approved as a correct record.

Members noted the update provided in relation to the Action Log of issues identified at previous meetings, which it was noted would remain subject to ongoing review by the Chair and Vice-Chair. The Chair advised that he had received a number of queries regarding three outstanding items. One, relating to environmental risk, which was noted as having been responded to, and two other queries relating to council procurement and fire safety/gas safety logs for i4B. These actions were being progressed, with officers confirming they would be followed up with responses to be provided for the Committee in advance of the next meeting.

4.1     To approve the minutes of the previous meeting held on Tuesday 25 March 2025 as a correct record.

(Agenda republished to include the attached minutes on 12 June 2025)

4.2     To note the updated Action Log from previous meetings of the Audit & Standards Advisory Committee.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the previous meetings held on Tuesday 25 March 2025 be approved as a correct record, subject to the following amendment:

Min 12: Strategic Risk Review – 3^rd bullet point page 18 of agenda pack final sentence being amended to read:

“In noting the Committee’s focus around the management of risk at a strategic level across the Council and ability to commission deep dives around specific risks (if required), members were advised that each Council department would also be responsible for maintaining a departmental risk register to ensure that all operational risks were being effectively managed and to ensure that, where required, these were subject to regular and ongoing review to ensure risks could be escalated to the Strategic Risk Report via the Corporate Management Team (CMT) where appropriate.”

Members noted the updates provided in relation to the Action Log of issues identified at previous meetings with specific updates provided in response to the following matters:

(a)  Strategic Risk Report (25 March 25) – members were advised that the next meeting between the Committee Chair, Vice Chair and Scrutiny Chair’s had been arranged for June and would include a review of the Strategic Risk Heat map and approach towards monitoring risk.

(b)  Evaluating the effectiveness of the Audit & Standards Advisory Committee 2024-25 (25 March 25) – the outcome of the self-assessment questionnaire would be presented to the Committee in July 2025 for further review.

In considering the Action Log, members identified a need to ensure that the content was subject to ongoing review in order to update progress and (where available) include due dates for actions.  In response, the Chair advised he would be willing to undertake a more detailed review of the log with the Vice-Chair and officers in order to ensure the actions listed remained relevant and were as clear as possible in term of their allocation and progress.