Issue - meetings

The Committee received a summary report of risk management activity within the Council, including the most recently updated and reformatted Corporate Risk Register as reported to the Council’s Corporate Management Team.

The Chief Executive introduced the report and informed the Committee how the narrative about the risks and mitigations had been clarified and augmented since the previous report in October 2019. In addition, the Chief Executive drew Members’ attention to the new colour coding for finance – purple – to emphasise that this was a distinctive very high risk given the Covid-19 pandemic.

Following the report’s introduction, the Chief Executive along with the Corporate Director of Finance and Assets answered questions and responded to matters raised by the Chair and Councillor Jim Robbins in relation to the following issues:

1)   The risks to the Council’s finances, both in terms of extra costs and lost revenue from the initial pandemic wave.

2)   How the Council was preparing itself and its finances in case of a second wave later in the year. In particular, how was the Council lobbying central government for increased support.

3)   The possible effect on employment in the Borough given the public announcement of the new Zurich offices along with the impact of both the pandemic and the impending closure of Honda.

4)   How the Council would continue to inform and support Honda staff members seeking new employment.

5)   Why Legal Services was not highlighted as a corporate risk as it had been in October 2019.

With regard to legal services, the Chief Executive confirmed that this risk was now being managed by the Chief Operations Officer. The Chair accepted the Chief Executive’s offer that the Chief Operating Officer would bring an update on Legal Services to the next meeting of the Committee.

Resolved - That the risk management approach and the risks captured in the Corporate Risk Register be endorsed.