Agenda item

To receive and discuss an update on General Matters.

Consideration was given to a report submitted by the Director of Finance which gave an update on General Matters. The following matters were brought to the Committees attention –

The report set out five key matters which have the potential to impact on the future work of the Committee in undertaking its governance role within the Council. These were covered in detail at Section 2 of the report.

a) An update on financial issues at other Local Authorities including Thurrock, Woking, Liverpool and Northumberland Councils, and several individual Councils who have highlighted the risk of issuing notices under Section 114(3) of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 (Section 114 Notices) following the latest reports in the public domain indicating their finances are under severe pressure following the initial reporting of their projected outturn for 2023/24.

 b) An update on the work currently being undertaken by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Select Committee with regard to a review of Financial Reporting and audit in Local Authorities.

c) The report submitted to the Place and Economic Scrutiny Board on the Assurance Process for Grant Funded programmes, specifically the Future High Streets Fund, the Town Deals Fund and the Levelling Up Fund. The report also presented a proposed way forward for improving liaison between the Scrutiny Function and the Audit Committee with regard to ensuring the appropriate oversight of these capital grant programmes.

d) A suggestion that the Audit Committee set aside a specific date outside of its normal meeting cycle and undertake a Self-Assessment against the checklist of good practice as detailed in the Chartered Institute of Public Finance publication produced on the effective operation of Audit Committees in Local Government.

e) An update on the issuing by the Councils External Auditor (on 7 August 2023) of the 2020/21 Audit Certificate for the Oldham Statement of Accounts following the publication of the Whole of Government Accounts for 2020/21 on 27 July 2023. No further External Audit work was required on these accounts. The report also provided an update on the progress of the audit of the 2021/22 and 2022/23 accounts (although this had been covered by the presentation by the External Auditor as item 7 on the agenda (Update on External Audit Matters).

There was a more detailed consideration of the report that had already been presented to the Place and Economic Scrutiny Board on 31 August 2023 on the Assurance Process for Grant Funded programmes.

It was proposed that  a meeting  is arranged so that the Chair of the Governance, Strategy and Resources Scrutiny Board and the Chair of the Audit Committee can agree the approach to scrutinising the Councils arrangements for managing and reporting on the Future High Streets Fund. The Town Deals Fund and the Levelling Up Fund.  The aim of the meeting is to ensure that the work of  both the Committee and the Board are aligned but avoid duplication so that all the necessary issues have been addressed in order to satisfy any requirements should there be  a review undertaken by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Resolved: that

(i)   With regard to  the report on the Assurance Process for Grant Funded Programmes, a meeting  is arranged so that the Chair of the Governance, Strategy and Resources Scrutiny Board and the Chair of the Audit Committee can agree the approach to scrutinising the Councils arrangements for managing and reporting on the Future High Streets Fund. The Town Deals Fund and the Levelling Up Fund. 

(ii) the Audit Committee meeting scheduled to meet on 6 March 2024 be replaced by the self-assessment workshop meeting and the Audit Committee meeting be rescheduled to meet at 6pm on 26 March 2024.