Agenda item

1.1            The Head of Finance present the report explaining to the Committee that to meet the requirements of the Accounts and Audit (Wales) Regulations 2014, Newport City Council needed to prepare and present an Annual Governance Statement with its Annual Statement of Accounts. This Statement was based on how well the Council met its own Code of Corporate Governance. A review of Governance was also a requirement of the Local Government Measure and the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021. The recommendations and actions from this Statement would be integrated into the Council’s Annual Well-being and Self-Assessment Report.

Comments of the Committee:

1.2            Councillor Harris referred to page 274 where overall volumes of complaints had increased as well as the number of complaints being forwarded to the Public Service Ombudsman for Wales (PSOW).  The Head of People, Policy and Transformation advised that there would be a more detailed report on complaints within the coming months to the Committee.  the Head of People, Policy and Transformation confirmed that the Council had become better at recording and categorising complaints and the associated increase in recording of complaints was a positive rather than a negative. Whilst overall complaints received had increased, there was a very small increase in the number of complaints that were upheld.  The Head of Finance added that as an assessment of the governance arrangement, the complaints procedure showed that this was an effective method of engagement with residents.

1.3            Dr Barry sought assurance beyond the evidence presented that there were appropriate policies and processes in place, as there was more information required to confirm that good governance arrangements were in place. Dr Barry was concerned that in some areas there were no further actions, which did not provide assurance to the committee. Dr Barry also considered that the timetable for completing actions should be shorter than those documented.  

1.4            The Head of Finance advised that this was the first report under the new legislation and would be happy to look at other approaches if Dr Barry could give specific examples.  The Governance Statement is about Newport’s processes and how had they been operating.  The Corporate Management Team has provided feedback on this report prior to the Committee having sight of it, and the Audit Plan in 2022/23 also provided assurances in several areas that governance arrangements were in place and operating appropriately. 

1.5            Dr Barry confirmed that they sat on the Governance and Audit Committee for Pembrokeshire Council and would arrange to send their Governance Statement to the Head of Finance, as an example of an alternative format. 

1.6            The Chair suggested that any questions raised could be forwarded to the Head of Finance to take into consideration for the Annual Governance Statement.  The Head of Finance would need the feedback for the accounts by Friday 18 August in time to forward to the external auditors.

1.7            D Reed felt that other formats would be easier for residents to read and understand and would send these examples onto the Head of Finance. D Reed also considered that the report would benefit from more analysis as part of the assessment as opposed to case studies that promoted positive outcomes.

Recommendations:

The Governance and Audit Committee noted the draft 2022/23 Statement of Accounts and would provide appropriate comments by to the Head of Finance by 18 August 2023.