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Agenda and draft minutes

This meeting will take place on the rising of the Audit & Standards Advisory Committee, Audit and Standards Committee - Wednesday 12 June 2024

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

Contact: James Kinsella, Governance & Scrutiny Manager Tel: 020 8937 2063; Email: james.kinsella@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 195 KB View the background to item 4. To approve the minutes from the following meetings as a correct record: (a) Tuesday 26 September 2023 (Agenda republished on 10 June 2024 to include these minutes as an additional item for consideration) (b) Thursday 12 October 2023 Additional documents: 04b. Minutes - Audit & Standards Committee 12 Oct 23 , item 4. PDF 194 KB Minutes: RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the meetings of the Committee held on: (a) Tuesday 26 September 2023; and (b) Thursday 12 October 2023
5.	Annual Governance Statement 2023-24 PDF 251 KB View the background to item 5. This report seeks formal approval of Brent Council’s 2023-24 Annual Governance Statement, following its consideration by the Audit & Standards Advisory Committee. Additional documents: 05a. Appendix A - Annual Governance Statement 2023-24 , item 5. PDF 644 KB 05b. Appendix B - Local Code of Corporate Governance (updated version) , item 5. PDF 426 KB Minutes: The Committee received a report from the Corporate Director of Law and Governance that provided the draft Annual Governance Statement (AGS) for 2023-24 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 given the focus at the meeting on action to improve the level and rate of audit actions being implemented within original timescales as part of the Internal Audit Plan Annual Report: (1) Inclusion of the following additional improvement action for 2023-24 within Table 1 of the Annual Governance Statement: “To improve the level and rate of audit actions implemented within original timescales.” On the basis of the discussion at the preceding Audit & Standards Advisory Committee it was therefore RESOLVED to approve the 2023-24 Annual Governance Statement for formal sign off, subject to inclusion of the following additional improvement action within Table 1 of the Annual Governance Statement: “To improve the level and rate of audit actions implemented within original timescales.”