AUDIT COMMITTEE

NOTICE AND AGENDA

For a meeting to be held on Thursday, 30 September 2021 in Penn Chamber, Three Rivers House, Rickmansworth at 7.30 pm

Members of the Audit Committee:-

Councillors:

Margaret Hofman (Chair)      Keith Martin (Vice-Chair)

Ruth Clark

Tony Humphreys

Joan King

David Coltman

Alison Wall

Joanne Wagstaffe, Chief Executive

Wednesday, 22 September 2021

“The Council welcomes contributions from Members of the public to its discussion on agenda items at Committee meetings.  Contributions will be limited to one person speaking for and one against each item for not more than three minutes.

Please note that in the event of registering your interest to speak on an agenda item but not taking up that right because the item is deferred, you will automatically be given the right to speak on the item at that next meeting of the Committee.  Details of the procedure are provided below:

Members of the public wishing to speak will be entitled to register and identify which report they wish to speak on from the published agenda for the meeting.  Those who wish to register to speak must do so by notifying the Committee team by e-mail ( CommitteeTeam@threerivers.gov.uk ) 48 hours before the meeting. This will allow the Committee Team to prepare the speaker sheet in advance of the meeting to forward to the Chair of the meeting.

In accordance with The Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014 any matters considered under Part 1 business only of the meeting may be filmed, recorded, photographed, broadcast or reported via social media by any person.

Recording and reporting the Council’s meetings is subject to the law and it is the responsibility of those doing the recording and reporting to ensure compliance.  This will include the Human Rights Act, the Data Protection Act and the laws of libel and defamation.

1.  APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

2.  MINUTES

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the Audit Committee Meeting held on Tuesday 27 July 2021.

3.  NOTICE OF OTHER BUSINESS

Items of other business notified under Council Procedure Rule 30 to be announced, together with the special circumstances that justify their consideration as a matter of urgency. The Chair to rule on the admission of such items.

4.  DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

To receive any declarations of interest.

5.  SIAS BOARD ANNUAL REPORT

6a.  SIAS ANNUAL ASSURANCE STATEMENT & INTERNAL AUDIT ANNUAL REPORT 2020/21

This report:
a) Details the Shared Internal Audit Service’s (SIAS) overall opinion on the adequacy and effectiveness of Three Rivers District Council’s (the Council) control environment. Reference is made to any significant matters and key themes.

b) Shows the outcomes of the self-assessment against the Public Sector Internal Audit Standards (PSIAS) incorporating the requirements of the Quality Assurance and Improvement Programme (QAIP).

c) Summarises the audit work that informs this opinion.d) Shows SIAS performance in respect of delivering the Council’s audit plan.

d) Presents the 2021/22 Audit Charter.

6b.  SIAS INTERNAL AUDIT PROGRESS REPORT 2021/22

This report details:

a)Progress made by the Shared Internal Audit Service (SIAS) in delivering the Council’s annual audit plan for 2021/22 as at 17 September b)Proposed amendments to the approved 2021/22 Annual Audit Plan.c)Implementation status of all previously agreed audit recommendations from 2018/19 onwards.d)An update on performance management information as at 17 September 2021.

7.  STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS 2020/21

This report sets out the latest position regarding the finalisation of the Statement of Accounts 2020/21 and completion of the annual external audit.

8.  BUDGET MONITORING PROCESS

The report provides details on the high level Budget Setting and Monitoring Process as set out in the appendix.

9.  FINANCIAL AND BUDGETARY RISKS

This report advises the Committee on the latest position in respect of the evaluation of financial risks facing the Council for discussion and any recommendations/ comments they wish to make.

10.  COMMITTEE WORK PROGRAMME

To review and make necessary changes to the Audit Committee’s Work Programme.

11.  OTHER BUSINESS - if approved under item 3 above

12.  EXCLUSION OF THE PRESS AND PUBLIC

If any confidential business is approved under item 3, it will also be necessary to specify the class of exempt or confidential information in the additional item(s) and a resolution to be passed in the following terms

“that under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined under the respective paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act”.

1.  OTHER BUSINESS – if approved under item 3 above

General Enquiries: Please contact the Committee Team at

committeeteam@threerivers.gov.uk