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Agenda and minutes

This meeting will take place on the rising of the Audit & Standards Advisory Committee, Audit and Standards Committee - Monday 16 June 2025

Venue: Conference Hall - Brent Civic Centre, Engineers Way, Wembley, HA9 0FJ. View directions

Contact: Harry Ellis, Governance Officer Tel: 07394 837462; Email: harry.ellis@brent.gov.uk

Items
No.	Item
1.	Apologies for Absence and clarification of alternate members View the background to item 1. Minutes: None received.
2.	Declarations of Interest View the background to item 2. Members are invited to declare at this stage of the meeting, the nature and existence of any relevant disclosable pecuniary or personal interests in the items on this agenda and to specify the item(s) to which they relate. Minutes: There were no declarations of interest made at the meeting.
3.	Deputations (if any) View the background to item 3. To hear any deputations received from members of the public in accordance with Standing Order 67. Minutes: None.
4.	Minutes of the previous meeting PDF 103 KB View the background to item 4. To approve the minutes from the previous meeting held on Tuesday 25 March 2025 as a correct record: Minutes: RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the last meeting of the Committee held on Tuesday 25 March 2025.
5.	Annual Governance Statement 2024-25 PDF 245 KB View the background to item 5. This report seeks formal approval of Brent Council’s 2024-25 Annual Governance Statement, following its consideration by the Audit & Standards Advisory Committee. (Agenda republished to include the attached report on 12 June 2025) Additional documents: 05. Appendix A - Annual Governance Statement 2024-25 , item 5. PDF 692 KB 05b. Appendix B - Local Code of Corporate Governance , item 5. PDF 426 KB Minutes: The Committee received a report from the Corporate Director of Finance & Resources detailing the draft Annual Governance Statement (AGS) for 2024-25 as required by the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015. Members noted that the AGS had been referred on to the Committee for formal approval following its detailed consideration at the preceding meeting of the Audit & Standards Advisory Committee. In considering the AGS the Audit & Standards Advisory Committee had identified the following amendments to be made: (1) review and amendment (as felt necessary) of reference to the key recommendations and improvement actions from External Audit VFM report for 23-24 in section 4.13.3 of the AGS; (2) review of section 5.4 relating to the Council’s referral to the Regulator of Social Housing and data held on the Council’s stock condition surveys. (3) confirmation being provided in paragraph 4.9.1 that the Audit & Standards Advisory Committee had met on 8 rather than 7 occasions during 2024-25. On the basis of the discussion at the preceding Audit & Standards Advisory Committee and amendments identified above it was RESOLVED to approve the 2024-25 Annual Governance Statement for formal sign off.