Agenda item

In line with The Accounts & Audit (England) Regulations 2015 and The Accounts & Audit (Coronavirus)(Amendment) Regulations 2020  - To receive and consider the Annual Governance & Accountability Return and the Unaudited Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2020

The Committee is requested to complete Section 1 - The Annual Governance Statement 2019/20 -  Town Clerk’s report enclosed to evidence the accounting statements to provide assurance to the Committee to enable it to sign it off accordingly.

THE AGAR 2019/20 WILL BE FORMALLY ADOPTED BY FULL COUNCIL ON 27 JULY 2020

The Committee received and considered the report of the Town Clerk along with the Annual Governance and Accountability Return for 2019/20.

She explained that it was the role of the Committee to carry out its due diligence and go through the Annual Governance Statement to confirm the correct procedures were in place with the Council’s sound financial management.  She pointed out that she had been unable to present the Annual Corporate Risk Assessment to Council because she’d been off sick for a period of time at the beginning of the year and then COVID-19 had resulted in the last Policy, Governance and Finance meeting being postponed.  Due to these extenuating circumstances regrettably, she advised the Members that no formal assessment could be presented and they would need to answer question 5 of the governance statement with ticking NO.  She explained the potential consequences of this but reassured members that the fact she was the only Officer able to run this report would be addressed via the organisational review being undertaken later in the year.

RESOLVED:  that the report be noted and:

1.                   that the Annual Governance Statement at Section 1 of the Annual Return for the year ended  31 March 2020 where questions 1 to 9 were answered yes, (with the exception of question 5 – which will be no) be approved;

2.                   that in regard to question 5 – where, due to extenuating circumstances of the Tow Clerk/RFO being off for a period of sickness absence culminating with the COVID-19 pandemic – the following explanation be provided to the external auditor along with the assurance that the Council is undertaking an organisational review to address capacity issues and will ensure that support is given to the Town Clerk to illuminate the fact only one member of staff is able to assess the corporate/financial risks of the Council;

3.                   that the Statement of Accounts at Section 2 of the Annual Return for the year ended 31 March 2020 be approved, and presented to full Council for formal adoption on 27 July 2020;

4.                   that the unaudited Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2020 be noted.