Agenda and minutes

Audit and Risk Committee - Thursday, 13 June 2013 5:30 pm

Venue: THE OAK ROOM - GROUND FLOOR, TOWN HALL, TOWN HALL SQUARE, LEICESTER

Contact: Angie Smith, Email: angie.smith@leicester.gov.uk

Items
No.	Item
1.	TRAINING SESSION PRIOR TO MAIN MEETING - HOW TO BE AN EFFECTIVE AUDIT & RISK COMMITTEE Training will be delivered by the Head of Internal Audit & Risk Management, and the Internal Audit Manager. Minutes: The training session was postponed until the 16^th July 2013 meeting.
2.	APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Minutes: Apologies were received from Councillor Dr. Moore who was on other Council business. Apologies were received from Councillor Meghani.
3.	DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST Members are asked to declare any interests they may have in the business on the agenda, and/or indicate that Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 applies to them. Minutes: There were no declarations of interest made.
4.	MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING PDF 88 KB View the background to item 4. The minutes of the meeting of the Audit and Risk Committee held on 9^th April 2013, and the Special Audit and Risk Committee Meeting on 8^th May 2013 are attached and the Committee is asked to confirm them as a correct record. Additional documents: Minutes 8 May 2013 , item 4. PDF 46 KB Minutes: RESOLVED: that the minutes of the meeting of the Audit and Risk Committee held on 9^th April 2013, and the Special Audit and Risk Committee Meeting held on 8^th May 2013 be approved as a correct record.
5.	RISK MANAGEMENT AND INSURANCE SERVICES - UPDATE REPORT PDF 174 KB The Director of Finance submits a report that provides Committee with the regular update on the work of the Council’s Risk Management and Insurance Services team’s activities. The Committee is recommended to receive the report and note its contents, and make any recommendations or comments it sees fit either to the Executive or Director of Finance. Additional documents: Appendix 1 - 2013 RM AP Update , item 5. PDF 128 KB Appendix 2 - Risk Assessment Scoring and Matrix , item 5. PDF 144 KB Appendix 3-LCC Operational Risk Register , item 5. PDF 239 KB Appendix 4-LCC Strategic Risk Register , item 5. PDF 146 KB Appendix 5A - Claims 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013 , item 5. PDF 18 KB There are a further 2 documents.View the full list of documents for item 5. Minutes: The Director of Finance submitted a report which provided the Committee with the regular update on the work of the Council’s Risk Management and Insurance Services team’s activities. Tony Edeson, the Head of Internal Audit and Risk Management presented the report. The Council’s Strategic and Operations Risk Register as at 31 January 2013 were attached. As requested at the last meeting, the report also contained a scoring grid of Risks to help explain the scores presented within the reports tabled. Tony outlined for members the changes that had been made to the registers by Directors since the last update. Tony said that at the time the report was written, the Council has no cases waiting to go to Court. Also, a litigated claim had been discontinued by a claimant, and the reserve of £50,000 had been returned to the insurance fund. Tony reported there had been little take-up of the Loss Reduction Fund in the financial year 2012-13, and the Insurance Team had advertised its availability in the Council’s FACE magazine, and would also be promoted at school’s business managers groups in June 2013. Tony brought Member’s attention to the information on the Municipal Mutual Insurance Company (MMI) that had gone into liquidation in 1993. It had been requested that MMI provide relevant documentation confirming the Council’s liability, prior to a request from Ernst and Young (E&Y) for the Council to pay £144k later in the year. Tony said storage files at the Council had been searched, but the document had not been found. In answer to Members questions, Tony said that previous reports on MMI had not been reported to the Committee, as four years ago it was the Audit Committee only, who did not have business reported to it on Risk Management and Insurance Services issues. Members asked how the Business Continuity Management Strategy would change when employees began the decant out of New Walk Centre. Tony said that Divisional Directors had been asked to confirm plans would be revisited if areas were affected by the decant, and Heads of Service would be visited 1 week before moving to ensure plans were up-to-date. Tony said Risk Management Officers had attended property meetings, and he has liaised with insurers and structural engineers to ensure it was safe to leave staff in New Walk Centre until Summer 2014. It had also been noted that furniture should be moved out of and not stored in New Walk Centre during the decant. In reference to Business Continuity and Emergency Planning, Councillor Westley said it was important that Ward Councillors were informed of incidents in wards, as they could receive a high volume of requests for information. Tony reported that procedures would be amended to inform Members of incidents. Also, each Monday, it would be checked that Members had been kept informed of issues. Alison Greenhill, Director of Finance, said there was a 24-hour cover arrangement, and the Emergency Response Team had two senior officers that were aware of the need ... view the full minutes text for item 5.
6.	ANY OTHER URGENT BUSINESS Minutes: The Director of Finance informed the meeting of the need for the Audit and Risk Committee to approve the Council’s accounts before 30^th September 2013. It was requested the meeting arranged for the 5^th September 2013 be moved to the 24^th September 2013, to allow for the preparation of the accounts prior to them being reported to Committee. The Chair agreed to move the meeting. AGREED: That the meeting of the Audit and Risk Committee meeting be held on 24^th September 2013 (previously arranged for 5^th September 2013).
7.	CLOSE OF MEETING Minutes: The meeting closed at 5.56pm.