Agenda item

The Committee considered a report of the Corporate Director of Resources which presented the council’s statement of accounts for the financial year ended 31 March 2022 and sought to delegate authority to the Responsible Finance Office, the Corporate Director of Resources, to approve the accounts upon resolution and conclusion of the national infrastructure assets technical accounting issue and Whole of Government Accounts instruction (for copy see file of minutes).

With regards to a query from Mr Rudd relating to cross referencing financial performance figures, the Finance Manager, Revenue, Pensions and Technical Accounting advised that clarification would be provided following the meeting. The Corporate Director of Resources explained that the narrative document was a summary of the outturn report which was a management account to help aid the understanding of the performance of the Council. Mr Kirkham, Mazars confirmed that consistency of the narrative report was part of the work carried out by external audit.

Responding to a query from Councillor R Ormerod regarding control over suggestions made by external audit, Mr Kirkham, Mazars advised that the Council in no way control the direction of work undertaken by external auditors and they were totally independent and free from influence of reporting entities. The Corporate Director of Resources added that external auditors could be appointed via the Councils procurement process, however advised that Audit Committee agreed at its meeting in November 2021 to participate in a National Scheme for Auditor Appointments managed by Public Sector Audit Appointments (PSAA) who appointed the Councils external auditors. He also confirmed that we received robust challenge and scrutiny from the external audit team and that whilst we work with them there certainly was not, nor should there be, any control over them or the scope of their work.

Resolved:

(i)     That the updated draft statement of accounts for the council, for the financial year ended 31 March 2022 including the pension fund financial statements subject to the proposed changes noted in paragraph 36 of the report in relation to infrastructure assets be approved;

(ii)  That delegated authority for the approval of the Accounts to be undertaken by the Corporate Director of Resources (and Responsible Finance Officer) upon resolution of Infrastructure Assets reporting requirements expected in early 2023 (subject to the amendments being in line with those set out in the report) be approved.