Agenda and draft minutes

Venue: Hollybank Room, Public Service Plaza, Civic Centre Road, Havant, Hants PO9 2AX

Contact: Mark Gregory  Democratic Services Officer

Items
No. Item

4.

Appointment of Chairman

In the absence of the Chairman of the Board, the Board is ask to consider appointing a Chairman for the duration of the meeting.

 

Minutes:

RESOLVED that, in the absence of the Chairman, Councillor Smith be appointed Chairman for the duration of this meeting.

 

5.

Apologies

To receive apologies for absence.

 

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Kennett, Milne and Inkster.

6.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 75 KB

To confirm the minutes of the Governance and Audit Committee held on 12 June and 2 July 2019.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Minutes of the meetings of the Governance, Audit and Finance Board held on 12 June and 2 July 2019 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

7.

Matters Arising

Minutes:

Minute 64 – The Board noted that the report on Serving You had been withdrawn from the agenda for this meeting at the request of the Chairman of the Board; the report would be submitted at the next meeting when the Chairman will be present.

 

8.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interests relating to matters on the agenda.

9.

Chairman's Report

Minutes:

The Chairman appointed for this meeting had nothing to report.

 

10.

Appointment of Co-opted Members

To consider the appointment of Councillor Carpenter as a co-opted member of the Board.

 

Minutes:

RESOLVED that Councillor Carpenter be appointed as co-opted member of this Board in accordance with Standing Orders 6.9 and 70.2(e) for the municipal year 2019/20.

 

11.

Annual Governance Statement pdf icon PDF 73 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Further to Minute 67/6/2019, the Board considered the final version of the Annual Governance Statement 2018-19.

 

RESOLVED that the Annual Governance Statement for 2018/19 as submitted be approved subject to the following amendment:

 

Section E – Developing the Councils Capacity, Including the Capability of its Leadership and the Individuals Within It – 4th paragraph delete the word “compulsory”.

 

12.

Exclusion of the Press and Public

That the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the item headed and numbered as below because:

 

(a)       it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the public were present during that item there would be disclosure to them of exempt information of the descriptions specified in paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A (as amended) of the Local Government Act 1972 shown against the heading in question; and

 

(b)       in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

 

Item 13 – EHDC Environmental Services Mobilisation

 

(paragraph 3)

 

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the minutes headed and numbered as below because:

 

it was likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the public were present during those minutes there would be disclosure to them of exempt information of the descriptions specified in paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A (as amended) of the Local Government Act 1972 shown against the heading in question; and

 

in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

 

Minute 13 EHDC Environmental Services Mobilisation

(Paragraph 3)

 

All parties agreed to the Licensing Support Officer remaining in the meeting after the public had been excluded.

13.

EHDC Environmental Services Mobilisation

Minutes:

(In camera)

 

The Board received presentations from the Head of Strategic Commissioning on the arrangements made for the delegation of environmental services from East Hampshire District Council to this Council.

 

The Board received prior to the meeting:

 

(a)          a copy of the exempt report and appendices to be submitted to Cabinet on 29 July 2019;

 

(b)          the answers to questions submitted to the Officers by the Business and Commercial Services Board on 22 July 2019; and

 

(c)          A copy of the presentations submitted to the Business and Commercial Services Board on 22 July 2019

 

The Cabinet Lead for Contracts and Commercial Services, the Head of Strategic Commissioning, and the Strategic Procurement Manager were invited to join the meeting and answer questions from the members relating to:

 

(i)           the risks and benefits of the delegation of the services to the Council;

 

(ii)          the plans/options in place to alleviate the risks identified in (i) above;

 

(ii)          proposed improvements to HBC’s services;

 

(iii)         cross border services;

 

(iv)         the transfer of staff from existing contractors; and

 

(v)          the accounting systems that would be in place for both Councils

 

(vi)         the financial and legal implications of the plans/options identified in (ii) above.

 

(Consideration of this matter was adjourned at 6.10 pm to enable the Board to consider the Internal Auditor’s Report and to question representatives of CAPITA)

 

(The press and pubic were invited to return to the meeting)

 

14.

Annual Internal Audit Report and Opinion 2018-19 pdf icon PDF 60 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the report presented by Antony Harvey of the Southern Internal Audit Partnership, who joined the meeting for the debate on this item and answered member’s questions in connection with the report.

 

Representatives from CAPITA joined the meeting and answered members questions relating to the “No Assurance” and the “Limited Assurance Opinion” referred to in the report.

 

In response to questions raised by members, the representatives from CAPITA assured the Board that steps had been taken to prevent the problems relating to the “No Assurance” and “Limited Assurance” reoccurring. The representatives from CAPITA and Internal Audit agreed to give an update report to the Board in November 2019

 

RESOLVED that:

 

(a)          the Internal Audit Annual Report 2018/19 be approved; and

 

(b)          an update report on progress made on the introduction of processes to overcome the “No and Limited Assurances” set out in the Internal Auditors Annual Report 2018/19 be submitted to the Board in November 2019.

 

(The press and public we asked to leave the meeting to enable the debate on Item to continue in accordance with Minute12)

 

(In camera)

 

13.  EHDC Environmental Services Mobilisation

 

(The Board resume the debate on this item at 6.40pm)

 

The Board was advised of the recommendations made by the Business and Commercial Services Board at its meeting held on 22 July 2019.

 

Concern was expressed about the short time given for members to digest the contents of the report, appendices and supplementary information. However, after a detailed discussion it was considered that, based on the information presented by the officers and the Cabinet lead at the meeting, the Board was in a position to make a decision.

 

RESOLVED that having considered Item 13 of the agenda and having undertaken a pre-scrutiny and noting the submissions made by Cabinet Lead attending to consider any recommendations of the Board:

 

(a)          the proposals be noted;

 

(b)          the Board would not call in or scrutinise for a second time the decision to be made by Cabinet on this matter at its meeting to be held on 29 July 2019, in accordance with Standing Order 85(6) and (7); and

             

(c)          a joint scrutiny with the Business and Commercial Services Board be held to consider alternative arrangements, if the Council cannot implement the preferred option.