Agenda and minutes

To appoint an Independent Chair to the Committee.

RESOLVED

(i)  that Mr David Blake be elected as Independent Chair of the Committee for the purposes of the meeting;

(ii)  that the appointment of Independent Chair for the Municipal Year 2010/11 be deferred to the next meeting.

The Chair stated that Carolyn Williamson, Executive Director for Resources would be leaving the Council in July 2010.  He expressed his appreciation on behalf of the Committee for all her hard work and wished her well in her new position.

The Chair also gave thanks to Katerina Mesmer for her assistance to the Committee as an Independent Member over the last two years who would be leaving the Committee due to other commitments.

To approve and sign as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 19^th April 2010 and to deal with any matters arising, attached.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Standards and Governance Committee held on 19^th April, 2010 be approved and signed as a correct record.  (Copy of Minutes circulated with agenda and appended to the signed Minutes).

Report of the Chair of the Audit Committee 2009/10 requesting that the Committee considers and comments on the Chair’s Annual Report attached at Appendix 1, attached.

The Committee considered the report of the Chair of the Audit Committee detailing the Chair’s Annual Report for 2009/10.  (Copy of the report circulated with the agenda and appended to the signed minutes).

RESOLVED that the Chair of the Audit Committee be invited to the next meeting to present his report to the Committee.

Report of the Executive Director of Resources setting out the Action Plan status report on the Statement of Internal Control 2008/09 and seeking approval of the draft Annual Governance Statement 2009/10, attached.

The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director of Resources requesting that the Committee approve the draft Annual Governance Statement for the financial year 2009/10.  (Copy of the report circulated with the agenda and appended to the signed minutes).

The Committee noted that the Annual Governance Statement 2009/10 had been approved by Audit Committee on 23^rd June, subject to the following changes on page 9 of the draft statement:

• that the Standards and Governance Committee formally review the Code of Corporate Governance every two years, rather than twice a year;
• that the Comprehensive Area Assessment was no longer required and reference to this could be removed from the Annual Governance Statement.

RESOLVED:

(i)  that a target completion date of April 2012 for the Council’s Code of Corporate Governance be included in the Annual Governance Statement;

(ii)  that the Annual Governance Statement 2009/10 be approved subject to the amendments that had been identified.

Report of the Executive Director of Resources seeking the Committee’s approval of the Statement of Accounts 2009/10, attached.

The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director of Resources requesting that the Committee approve the Council’s Statement of Accounts for 2009/10.  (Copy of the report circulated with the agenda and appended to the signed minutes).

The Committee was informed that the Statement of Accounts 2009/10 was not in a position to be signed at the meeting.  The signing of the accounts would need to be signed by the Chair of the Committee by 30^th June 2010.

The Committee discussed the table which detailed where the money came from in the Explanatory Forward.  It was noted that it was difficult to compare to the Income and Expenditure table and recommended that a total be included.

RESOLVED: 

(i)  that the Explanatory Forward be revised to show a figure for where the money came from;

(ii)  that the Chair would sign the accounts after the meeting on 30^th June 2010.