Agenda and minutes

Most Council meetings can be viewed on the Council’s YouTube channel. You can watch them live or view previous recordings.

Venue: Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Windmill Street, Gravesend DA12 1AU. View directions

Contact: Committee Section 

Items
No. Item

44.

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

An apology for absence was received from Cllr Dakota Dibben (Cllr Helen Ashenden substituted).

 

45.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 141 KB

Minutes:

The Chair advised that there was a typo in the minutes regarding the date of the previous meeting which the Committee Services Officer had amended prior to the start of the meeting.

 

The Chair requested an update on when the Statement of Accounts for 2019/20 would be signed as it was anticipated at the previous meeting that they would have been signed off by now.

 

The Principal Accountant (General Fund) had been in regular contact with the External Audit Manage from Grant Thorton; Grant Thornton were working through the last few remaining details and would hopefully be in attendance for the March Committee meeting to give an update.

 

The Interim Assistant Director (Corporate Services) explained that he was meeting with Paul Dosset from Grant Thornton and the Director (Corporate Servies) on Wednesday to discuss the accounts. The Interim Assistant Director (Corporate Services) assured the Committee that work had progressed on the accounts since the meeting held in December 2023.

 

 

The minutes of the meeting on Thursday, 21 December 2023 were signed by the Chair.

 

46.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

No declarations of interest.

 

47.

Treasury Management Strategy and Capital Strategy 2024-25 pdf icon PDF 156 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the Treasury Management Strategy and associated Annual Investment Strategy and the Minimum Revenue Provision Policy for 2024/25 along with the Capital Strategy for 2024/25-2028/29. The two documents were represented at appendix one and set out how the Council operated a balanced budget. Members received training on Treasury Management in June 2023 which should assist them in understanding the documents.

 

The Principal Accountant (HRA & Exchequer) explained that as the external audit process of reviewing and certificating the 2019/20 Statement of Accounts had not yet been completed, the Statement of Accounts for subsequent years, 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23 and the associated final accounts audit process also remained outstanding. Therefore, the figures included within the Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Capital Strategy were based on unaudited figures.

 

The Principal Accountant (HRA & Exchequer) further explained that to ensure the Treasury Management Strategy Statement remained reflective of the councils activity, delegated authority was sought for the Director (Corporate Services) to amend the Treasury Management Strategy for 2024/25 and the Capital Strategy for 2024/25 to 2028/29 as required.

 

Treasury Management Strategy

 

The Principal Accountant (HRA & Exchequer) took Members through the main sections of the Treasury Management Strategy and highlighted key points; the table of contents for the Strategy could be found on page 14 of the agenda.

 

The Principal Accountant (HRA & Exchequer fielded questions from the Committee and explained that:

 

  • Paragraph 14.4, reviewing treatment of interest incurred on external borrowing, related to the Charter development. The Council had taken on loans to fund the development which it onward lendsto Rosherville Development Company.  However RPDL does not have any current income streams so for the duration of the development, the Council would pay the costs. Once the development was completed, the Council will refinance the debt and interest incurred which RPDL would then pay back over an agreed period of time. Until now, it had been assumed that it is a revenue cost which affects the MTFP ; we are currently reviewing this treatments  with an external consultants to determine whether these costs can be treated as a long term debtor and held on the balance sheet There were a number of stages that needed to be followed first to ensure it was the right treatment
  • The Principal Accountant (HRA & Exchequer) was due to sit with the Director (Corporate Services) next week to discuss the Councils forward projection, evaluations, and total cash position with regards to borrowing. There was potential to fund current borrowing requirements from internal sources and then borrow further funds at a later date; if the current borrowing requirement could be reduced and external funding generated that would improve the Councils position
  • With regards to the ratio of financing costs to net revenue stream getting higher year on year, the Principal Accountant (HRA & Exchequer) advised that she would review the figures again in her meeting with the Director (Corporate Services). Work was being undertaken to ascertain if a limit was needed which the costs could not exceed. The ratio  ...  view the full minutes text for item 47.

48.

Housing Revenue Account Budget Monitoring Report - Q3 2023/24 pdf icon PDF 651 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee was provided with the third quarter budget monitoring report for 2023/24 in relation to the Housing Revenue Account showing the position up to 31 December 2023. The Cabinet had also been provided with and discussed the budget monitoring report in January 2024.

 

The Principal Accountant (HRA & Exchequer) directed Members to page 62 which held an executive summary of the report.

 

The Principal Accountant (HRA & Exchequer) took Members though the report and highlighted key points; Members noted the information provided on:

 

·       actual performance against the approved Revenue and Capital budgets for 2022/23, including known variances agreed or identified through budgetary control activity; and

·       other key arears of financial performance that may have an affect on the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy, Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP), HRA Business Plan or Financial Statements.

 

The Principal Accountant (HRA & Exchequer) fielded questions from the Committee and explained that:

 

  • £3.8 million was budgeted for the replacement programme with a forecasted spend of £3.6 million; some elements of the programme would have been delayed or a saving. The Principal Accountant (HRA & Exchequer) agreed to look into the matter and circulate a response outside of the meeting
  • Following a Members question, the Principal Accountant (HRA & Exchequer) agreed to circulate a response outside of the meeting advising if net zero requirements and biodiversity requirements had been assessed and budgeted into the new housing developments
  • Regarding 3.5.3, where it said responsive it meant that if something was damaged in the Councils housing then the Council were obliged to repair it; material costs was a part of those repairs. A number of additional responsibilities had been placed on the Council, as a landlord, over the years and many things needed to be replaced when they were damaged increasing overall repair costs
  • The Local Authority Housing Fund gave the Council £810K to provide accommodation for Ukraine and Afghan resettlement properties of which a certain number had to be bought by the Council
  • A report was taken to Housing Services Cabinet Committee and Council in November 2023 requesting additions to the budget for Crescent House and Cable Wharf; Crescent House was easier to accomplish than Cable Wharf as there was an issue that if Cable Wharf was advertised by the developer the land couldn’t be purchased for new builds. The Principal Accountant (HRA & Exchequer) was uncertain if Cable Wharf would be delivered in 2024/25
  • Legal companies offering ‘no win, no fee’ cases targeted tenants and charged exorbitant fees; when a case was won against the Council, the legal fees amounted to 72% with 28% going to the tenant. To prevent those cases from happening in the future, the Repairs Team had worked well to promote services to report any issues in the Councils housing properties and tenants were encouraged to report issues as soon as they were noticed
  • Historic debt stemming from Government requirements for the Council to buy housing was £106 million, an estimated £80 million was still outstanding which was to be repaid over seventeen years. Debt repayments  ...  view the full minutes text for item 48.

49.

General Fund Budget Monitoring Report - Q3 2023/24 pdf icon PDF 361 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee was provided with the third quarter budget monitoring report for 2023/24, focusing on the period up to 31 December 2023.

 

The Principal Accountant (General Fund) directed Members to pages 80/81 which held an executive summary of the report.

 

The Principal Accountant (General Fund) took Members though the report and highlighted key points; Members noted the information provided on:

 

·       actual performance against the approved Revenue and Capital budgets for 2023/24, including known variances agreed or identified through budgetary control activity; and

·       other key arears of financial performance that may have an affect on the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy, Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP), or Financial Statements

·       the in-year addition to the 2023/24 Capital Programme in relation to the Tech Hub Flexible Working Space.

 

The Principal Accountant (General Fund) fielded questions from the Committee and explained that:

 

  • The reduction in cost for CCTV was due to changing technology for delivering the service, not reducing the scope of its activities.
  • One Member expressed disappointment that the Civic Fountains had been decommissioned. The Principal Accountant (General Fund) explained that this was a service decision, and that the financial impact (a saving of £10k) was as set out in the report.
  • The Council owned and operated its own refuse fleet of vehicles, and regularly set aside funds as part of a replacement programme. The £800k referenced in the Earmarked Reserves table was a reflection of current year plans for the service. The plan is reviewed on a regular basis and updated as part of the annual budget-setting process
  • £1 million was allocated to the ‘Public Access to the River’ scheme in the capital programme at last year’s Full Council budget setting meeting. River access maintained by the Council was being looked into however there were no immediate plans.
  • Local authorities all around the Country faced similar financial pressures as the Council with regards to the rising cost of temporary accommodation. Government grant funding released over the last three to four years had been around £300K-£400K and the Council’s spend on temporary accommodation was significantly higher with the gap between funding and spend increasing every year. Despite the financial challenges, Council officers were proactive in looking for innovative ways to save money and deliver an efficient service. For example, the Council had recently created a Social Lettings Agency , designed to work with local landlords, thus reducing reliance upon nightly paid private accommodation.

 

Members noted the report.

 

50.

Internal Audit Update pdf icon PDF 264 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

The Committee was provided with a report that updated them on the work, outputs, and performance of the Internal Audit Team for the period 1 October 2023 to 31 December 2023.

 

Members were advised that attached at appendix two was the third and final update to be produced during 2023-24; ahead of the annual report; detailing the work undertaken by the Internal Audit Team between 01 October and 31 December 2023 and the progress made

against the Q1-Q2 and Q3-Q4 workplans.

 

The Head of Internal Audit and Counter Fraud guided Members through the report and highlighted key headlines. An executive summary of the reporting period was listed on page 104 of the report.

 

The Head of Internal Audit and Counter Fraud guided Members to the key performance indicators on page 113 of the report and gave updated figures (as of 13.02.2023) for the ‘Proportion of agreed assurance reviews’:

 

9a) Delivered – 65%

9b) Underway – 5%

 

The Head of Internal Audit and Counter Fraud advised that no updates had been received from the lead officers for the two actions outstanding more than six months after the scheduled implementation date.

 

The Head of Internal Audit and Counter Fraud fielded questions from Members and explained that:

 

  • The whistleblowing status action had been looked into; the Whistleblowing Policy had been reviewed and it was going through the approvals process in line with Constitutional requirements having been submitted to Management Team before progressing to the relevant Committee. The remaining actions to be completed all depended on the approvals process being finished.. Legal Services were being consulted on the approval process.
  • The Head of Internal Audit and Counter Fraud had requested an update from the Service Manager who was responsible for the two actions that were outstanding after six months but had received nothing back. Management Team were aware of the outstanding actions as they received quarterly reports.

 

The Chair asked that the relevant Service Manager responsible for the outstanding actions attend the next Committee meeting to explain why the actions had not been implemented.

 

Members noted the report.

 

51.

Internal Audit Charter Review pdf icon PDF 264 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committees approval was sought for the Internal Audit Charter.

 

The Head of Internal Audit & Counter Fraud explained that following the annual review, it had been determined that the existing charter met all the requirements of PSIAS and that no amendments were necessary, with the exception of an updated structure chart at Appendix One of the document.

 

The Head of Internal Audit & Counter Fraud advised that due to updates to the Global Internal Audit Standards, which were released on 09 January 2024 and would be effective from January 2025, this would subsequently lead to changes to PSIAS. Based on what was shown in the new Global Standards, changes to the Charter would be necessary for 2025-26.

 

A copy of the charter was provided at Appendix 2 for Members’ approval for 2024-25.

 

Resolved that Members approved the Charter presented at appendix two.

 

 

52.

Counter Fraud Update pdf icon PDF 264 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee were provided with a report with an update on the work, outputs and performance of the Counter Fraud Team for the period 01 October 2023 to 31 December 2023.

 

Members were advised that attached at Appendix 2 was the third and final update to be produced during 2023-24; ahead of the annual report, detailing the work undertaken by the Counter Fraud Team between 01 October and 31 December 2023 in relation to the agreed workplan.

 

The Head of Internal Audit and Counter Fraud guided Members through the report and gave an update for each section. An executive summary of the reporting period was listed on page 140 of the report.

 

The Head of Internal Audit and Counter Fraud advised that the report demonstrated the shared service was still good value for money.

 

Members noted the report.

 

 

53.

Internal Audit & Counter Fraud Strategy 2020-2024 pdf icon PDF 280 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee was provided with a report that updated them on progress against the Internal Audit & Counter Fraud Strategy 2020-2024 made by the team during 2023-24 to date.

 

The Strategy set out three strategic objectives:

 

  • Aligned priorities
  • Effective Staff
  • Positive Impact

 

A review had been conducted and progress against the strategic objectives was outlined in Appendix Two. There were no increases to the current costs to the Council.

 

The Head of Internal Audit and Counter Fraud advised that due to the Councils involvement in the Medpay review pilot, the team was unable to dedicate resources to a new strategy to cover the period post 2024. Alongside this, changes to the Global Internal Audit Standards, which were released on 9 January 2024 and will be effective from January 2025, meant changes to the requirements for the Councils strategy. Due to that it was proposed that the existing strategy was extended to cover 2024-25, during which time the team would conduct a thorough review and prepare a new strategy that would be effective from April 2025.

 

Resolved that Members approved the proposal to extend the current 2020-2024 strategy to cover the period April 2024 to March 2025.

 

54.

Exclusion of the public

To move, if required, that pursuant to Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 that the public be excluded from any items included in Part B of the agenda because it is likely in view of the nature of business to be transacted that if members of the public are present during those items, there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

Minutes:

 

The Chair moved and it was agreed, that pursuant to Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 that the public be excluded from any items included in Part B of the agenda because it was likely in view of the nature of business to be transacted that if members of the public were present during those items, there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

 

55.

Fraud Risk Register

Minutes:

 

The Committee were presented with the outcomes of an independent assessment of the Councils fraud risks and a newly created fraud risk register for 2024-25.

 

The Head of Internal Audit and Counter Fraud took Members through the report and highlighted key points.

 

Members had their questions answered by the Head of Internal Audit and Counter Fraud and the Counter Fraud Manager.

 

The Chair praised the work of Counter Fraud Team and asked that when the next iteration of the report was submitted to Committee, the top five risks be highlighted to Members in a table for presentational purposes.

 

Resolved that Members endorsed the assessments undertaken by Counter Fraud.