Agenda and draft minutes

No declarations of interest were made.

Governance and Audit Committee Public Open Forum Guidance

Our Governance and Audit Committee meetings are live streamed and a link to the live stream will be available on the meeting page of the Monmouthshire County Council website

If you would like to share your thoughts on any matters being discussed by Governance and Audit Committee, you may attend the meeting in person (or join remotely via Microsoft Teams), or submit written representations (via Microsoft Word, maximum of 500 words).

The deadline for submitting representations to the Council is 5pm three clear working days in advance of the meeting.  All representations received will be made available to the committee members prior to the meeting.

The amount of time afforded to each member of the public to speak is at the Committee Chair’s discretion.  We ask that contributions are no longer than 4 minutes.

If you would like to attend one of our meetings to speak under the Public Open Forum at the meeting, you will need to give three working days’ notice by contacting GACRegistertoSpeak@monmouthshire.gov

If you would like to suggest future topics for consideration by Governance and Audit Committee, please do so by emailing GACRegistertoSpeak@monmouthshire.gov.uk

No members of the public were present.

The Action List from the previous meeting was noted.

https://www.youtube.com/live/ViMsZa0GS68?si=KNpdIaZ4PZpoJloU&t=47

1.     Treasury Report: Details of the 3 charters that organisations can voluntarily sign up for to ensure that the minimum level of Environmental, Social and Governance responsibility are being met will be circulated following. CLOSED

The Head of Finance presented the Statement of Accounts for the Charitable Trust Funds, and the Audit Wales Financial Audit Manager presented the ISA260.  In doing so, the work and co-operation of the Finance Team and Audit Wales officers was recognised.  Following presentation of the reports, questions were invited from Committee Members:

https://www.youtube.com/live/ViMsZa0GS68?si=OsxWW7osmZHDhvXy&t=94

The recommendations were agreed, and the Committee agreed the Chair should sign the Letter of Representation:

1.1           That the audited 2023/24 statement of accounts for The Welsh Church Act Fund (Appendix 1) are approved in light of the Audit Wales ISA260 Audit of Accounts report for The Welsh Church Act Fund.

1.2           That the independently examined financial statements for The Monmouthshire Farm School Endowment Trust Fund for 2023/24 (Appendix 2) are approved in light of the Independent Examination Report for The Monmouthshire Farm School Endowment Trust Fund.

ACTION: Head of Finance was requested to circulate information in relation to the land assets owned by the Welsh Church Fund (WCF) , and during the meeting confirmed the below is the full list of assets and value as at 31st March 2024. These are all owned outright by the WCF and are located in both Newport and Monmouthshire. CLOSED

This item was considered at the same time as the previous item.

The Acting Chief Internal Auditor presented the Anti Fraud, Bribery and Corruption Risk Assessment report. Following presentation of the report, Members were invited to ask questions:

https://www.youtube.com/live/ViMsZa0GS68?si=yRUVh7A9TlmVwPVk&t=1075

As per the report recommendations,

1.     The Governance and Audit Committee commented on and endorsed the Council’s Counter Fraud, Corruption and Bribery Risk Assessment.

2.     The Governance & Audit Committee recognised the Council’s commitment to a zero-tolerance approach to Fraud, Corruption and Bribery and requires that all Members, Lay Members and Officers of the Council complete the required e-Learning in this area as soon as possible and at the latest by the end of June 2025; and

3.     The Governance and Audit Committee will receive an updated report and assessment during the 2025/26 financial year (September 2025).

The Audit Wales Officer presented the Audit Wales Review of Performance Management Arrangements report. The Performance and Data Insight Manager presented the Management Response to the report.  Following presentation of the report, Members were invited to ask questions:

https://www.youtube.com/live/ViMsZa0GS68?si=jmPvN3Ta_06NNHDI&t=2359

The Audit Wales report and the Management Response were noted.

The Governance and Audit Committee Forward Work Plan was noted.

https://www.youtube.com/live/ViMsZa0GS68?si=vjfm-Fgn5EcfsfRA&t=2974

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 28^th November 2024 were confirmed as an accurate record.

https://www.youtube.com/live/ViMsZa0GS68?si=wT2y3m1hFUmzc_ls&t=3019

ACTION: The Chair requested that the Lay Members have sight of meeting dates proposed for 2025/26 before the Council Calendar is considered by Council on 23^rd January 2025.