Agenda item

The Panel, further to Minute 8 of its meeting held on the 12^th July, received a report on the meeting of the Joint Audit Committee held on the 31^st October, 2017 attended by Councillor William Powell, as an observer on its behalf. The Panel noted that Councillor Powell had detailed a number of observations in his report on the operation of the Joint Audit Committee resulting in the formulation of the following three recommendations for the Panel to consider forwarding to the Commissioner to promote openness and transparency in the work of the Committee to facilitate public interest and scrutiny:-

1.     That if there are agenda items in respect of which no report is being published, the agenda should include a summary of the key facts or issues being discussed, so that the public can better understand what it is to be considered and be able to make a more informed decision as to whether or not to attend,

2.     That where a particular agenda item is to be treated as exempt from publication the reasons for non publication should be set out in the agenda with reference to a published set of criteria (such as that contained in the Local Government Act 1972) together with an explanation as to what this means in terms of the conduct of the meeting. This will reassure the public that information is being withheld for proper reasons and only where it is in the public interest to do so,

3.     If the Panel is to send observers in the future, it is suggested they receive specialist financial training.”

The following issues/questions were raised on the report:

·        Reference was made to reports presented to the Joint Audit Committee and a view expressed they should be more structured and include a risk analysis and mitigation measures, which was accepted by the Commissioner.

·        In response to a question relating to recommendations made to the Dyfed Powys Police Force by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, the Commissioner confirmed that whilst they had not originally fallen within the Joint Audit Committee’s remit, he had introduced changes for their future submission to that Committee.

·        Reference was made to recommendation 3, and views expressed that whilst specialist financial knowledge would not be required, panel members attending the Joint Audit Committee, as observers, should receive some form of ‘walk through’ explanatory discussion with the Commissioner’s Finance Officer on the budget. In that regard panel members were encouraged to attend the forthcoming budget seminar.

The Commissioner, in supporting the suggested ‘walk through’ training, reminded that Panel that the Joint Audit Committee was an advisory Committee reporting to himself and the Chief Constable. In that regard, he considered if the Panel were to send observers to future meetings it would need to set parameters on their role and in providing feedback to the Panel. He suggested the Panel may wish to give consideration thereto when it met with him as part of the meeting agreed in minute 6 above

·        Reference was made to recommendation 2, and the Lead Officer advised that the provisions of the Local Government Act did not apply to the operation of the Joint Audit Committee. However, any exempt report submitted should refer to set criteria detailing the reasons for the exemption

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED