Agenda and minutes

            The Minutes of the meeting held on 27 February 2008 were taken as read and signed as a correct record.

SCHEDULE 12A OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972 AND THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT (ACCESS TO INFORMATION) ACT 1985

      

The Board considered:

 

(1) whether Members of the press and public should be excluded from the meeting of the Board during consideration of the following items of business in accordance with Sub-Section 4 of Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 because it was likely that, in view of the nature of the business to be considered, exempt information would be disclosed, being information defined in Section 100 (1) and paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972; and

           

(2) whether the disclosure of information was in the public interest, whether any relevant exemptions were applicable and whether, when applying the public interest test and exemptions, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed that in disclosing the information.

RESOLVED: That as, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, members of the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business in accordance with Sub-Section 4 of section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 because it is likely that, in view of the nature of the business, exempt information will be disclosed, being information defined in Section 100(1) and paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

(NB: Councillor Leadbetter declared a personal interest in the following 2 items of business due to being a Chair of Governors at Westbank Primary School)

          The Board considered a report of the Operational Director, Financial Services which provided with a summary of Internal Audit work for the period January to March 2008. The report contained a summary of the assurances and recommendations from Internal Audit reports, Quarter 4 Internal Audit reports – ‘High’ priority recommendations, the results from follow-up audits and 2007/8 Internal Audit Plan progress to month 12.

           Arising from the progress report Members discussed stock control in relation to the Stock Equipment Service and the outcomes of the audit on the Halton Integrated Community Equipment Service; it was suggested that monitoring the progress of the recommendations could be undertaken as a scrutiny work topic for the relevant Policy and Performance Board.

          RESOLVED: That

(1)           the key issues arising from the Internal Audit report for Quarter 4 of 2007/8 be endorsed; and

(2)           consideration be given to a topic group being established in relation to Halton Integrated Community Equipment Service.

(NB: Councillors Jones, Lloyd Jones and Lowe declared personal interests in the following item of business being to being Governors of Fairfield Infant School and a Member of Athletics Campus Joint Use Group, St Edwards Primary School and Hallwood Park Primary School respectively).

          The Board considered a report of the Operational Director, Financial Services which gave details of the Internal Audit Annual Report, which gave details of;

§     performance against the 2007/8 Internal Audit Plan;

§     an audit opinion on the adequacy of internal controls;

§     Internal Audit performance against its performance indicators; and

§     the results of an Internal Audit self-assessment against the CIPFA Code of Practice for Internal Audit in Local Government in the UK.

The Board thanked the Internal Audit Team for their hard work throughout the year.

RESOLVED: That the Internal Audit Annual Report for 2007/8 be approved.