Meeting documents

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the previous meeting held on 25th March 2015.

Prior to signing the minutes, the Chairman introduced Jo George, Assistant Director of SWAP who was Andrew Ellins replacement.

The minutes of the meeting held on 25^th March 2015, copies of which had been circulated, were taken as read, and having been approved as a correct record were signed by the Chairman.

Audit Committee members noted that there would be Audit training offered after the meeting scheduled for 25^th June 2015.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors John Dyke, Tony Lock and Terry Mounter.

In accordance with the Council's current Code of Conduct (adopted July 2012), which includes all the provisions relating to Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPI), personal and prejudicial interests, Members are asked to declare any DPI and also any personal interests (and whether or not such personal interests are also "prejudicial") in relation to any matter on the agenda for this meeting.  A DPI is defined in The Relevant Authorities (Disclosable Pecuniary Interests) Regulations 2012 (SI 2012 No. 1464) and Appendix 3 of the Council’s Code of Conduct. A personal interest is defined in paragraph 2.8 of the Code and a prejudicial interest is defined in paragraph 2.9.

There were no declarations of interest.

There were no members of the public present.

The next scheduled meeting of the Audit Committee will be held on Thursday 25^th June 2015 at 10.00am in the Main Committee Room Brympton Way Yeovil.

Members noted that the next scheduled meeting of the Audit Committee would be held on Thursday 25^th June in the Main Committee Room, Brympton Way Yeovil.  There would be no scheduled meeting of the Audit Committee on 28^th May 2015 but there would be training for Audit Committee members on that day instead.

The Finance Manager introduced the report and confirmed that there had been no changes to the Accounting Policies.  The intention was to provide training for Audit Committee members in the more complicated areas in order to make the information more meaningful.

In response to a query, the Finance Manager agreed to change the wording on page 9 of the report from - An asset is tested for impairment whenever there is an indication that the asset ‘might be impaired’ to ‘might have fallen in value’.

With reference to the Glossary, the Finance Manager explained that provision of it by SSDC went above and beyond what CIPFA required.  She agreed to amend the wording in the glossary under Central Government Grants to read:

Comprises of - Revenue Support Grant (RSG) New homes Bonus (NHB), New Burdens and the Council Tax Freeze.  These are grants paid by central government to aid local authority services in general, as opposed to specific grants, which may only be used for a specific purpose.

-       - Specific service grants – grants in aid of services in which central government have a more direct involvement.

-       - Supplementary grants – grants aid of both capital and revenue

Members were content to approve the Accounting Policies.

RESOLVED:That members approve the Accounting Policies.

The Assistant Director Finance and Corporate Services presented the report as detailed in the agenda she explained that the Printing and Copying service had received a ‘partial’ assurance but there had been good progress against the Action Plan. 

Wherever possible Service Managers were asked to ensure that printing was carried out in-house, she explained that external printers were likely to be used to carry out certain specialist work.  Reference was made to stock control, the Assistant Director Finance and Corporate Services explained that it was not considered cost effective to stock control all items of which many were of low cost, however high value stock items would be identified and  a process was to be initiated.

Members were content to approve the Printing and Copying Action Plan.

RESOLVED: that the Audit Committee notes the progress achieved in the Action Plan for the Printing and Copying Service.

Cllr Tim Carroll thanked Cllr Derek Yeomans for his chairing skills as chairman of the Audit Committee which ensured the committee functioned well.