Decision

The Accounts and Audit committee has decided to approve the Annual Governance Statement for 2023/24.

Analysis

outcome: The committee approved the Annual Governance Statement for 2023/24 as attached to the report.

summary: The decision at stake is the approval of the Annual Governance Statement for 2023/24 by the Accounts and Audit committee.

topline: The Accounts and Audit committee has decided to approve the Annual Governance Statement for 2023/24.

reason_contentious: This issue is not particularly contentious as it is a standard procedure for councils to prepare and approve Annual Governance Statements.

affected_stakeholders: ["Accounts and Audit committee members", "Council staff", "Council members"]

contentiousness_score: 2

political_party_relevance: There are no mentions or implications of political parties or political influence on the decision.

URL: https://democracy.ribblevalley.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=1098

Decision Maker: Accounts and Audit

Outcome:

Is Key Decision?: No

Is Callable In?: No

Purpose:

Content: The Director of Resources and Deputy Chief Executive provided members with the Annual Governance review for 2023/24 and sought Committee’s approval of the resulting Annual Governance Statement.   Members were reminded that all councils were required to prepare an Annual Governance Statement each year in accordance with the “Delivering Good Governance in Local Government Framework” and to publish the extent to which they complied with their own Local Code of Corporate Governance. The code included how the Council had monitored the effectiveness of its governance arrangements in the previous financial year and detailed any planned changes in the coming period.   The report noted that: ·         The Annual Governance Statement was a backward-looking review of how the Council had performed or acted in relation to the principles set out at the beginning of the year in its own Local Code of Corporate Governance. ·         In reviewing how the Council and its staff and members had acted over the period of the review, evidence had also been gathered to support the Report’s conclusions. ·         There were two recommendations raised in the review in relation to policy review and implementation, for which work was ongoing. ·         In May 2024 the Draft Annual Governance Statement had been published alongside the Council’s Draft Statement of Accounts on the Council’s website, which would be updated to reflect the approval of the audited Statement of Accounts and the approval of the Annual Governance Statement.   RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:   Approved the Annual Governance Statement 2023/24 as attached to the report.  

Date of Decision: November 20, 2024