Issue - meetings

The Committee received a report of the Head of Internal Audit summarising the main issues arising from the Internal Audit reports finalised since the last Audit Committee meeting in July 2020, progress made against the Annual Internal Audit Plan 2020/21 and Internal Audit staffing and resource issues.

The Chair of the Committee along with Nick Hobbs, Head of internal Audit, then responded to questions from Councillors James Robbins and Kevin Small, namely:

1)     What were the benefits of using credit histories over other sources to detect Council Tax fraud? This was one of a number of data-matching tools the Council used.

2)     How does the level of fraud relate to other years? A written answer would be provided via the Committee clerk. The Chair reminded Members that the Committee had received a report in 2019 showing significant savings from the work of the Fraud team.

Resolved: That the Head of Internal Audit – update report be noted

The Head of Internal Audit presented Members with a summary of the main issues arising from the Internal Audit reports finalised since the Audit Committee meeting in January 2020, to update Members with regard to progress against the annual internal audit plan as set out in Appendix 3 and other key issues.

Resolved - That the Head of Internal Audit’s Update report be noted.

The Head of Internal Audit submitted a report with a summary of the main issues arising from the Internal Audit reports finalised since the Audit Committee meeting in October 2019, to update Members with regard to progress towards the annual internal audit plan and other key issues.

In introducing the report, the Head of Internal Audit informed the Committee that the current progress was ahead of the targets set out in the programme. Members thanked officers for the report and noted that a report would be tabled in March on the Council’s car-parking service.

Resolved – That the report be noted