Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 1 - Wallasey Town Hall. View directions

Contact: Joe D'Henin, Democratic Servcies Officer  Tel: 0151 691 8139 Email:  josephdhenin@wirral.gov.uk

Media

Items
No. Item

48.

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair opened the meeting and reminded everyone that the meeting was being webcast and a copy was retained on the Council’s website.

49.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Additional documents:

Minutes:

An apology for absence was received from Independent Member Joanne Byrne.

50.

Members' Code of Conduct - Declarations of Interest

Members are asked to consider whether they have any disclosable pecuniary interests and/or any other relevant interest in connection with any item(s) on this agenda and, if so, to declare them and state the nature of the interest.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members were asked to consider whether they had any disclosable pecuniary interests and/or any other relevant interest in connection with any item(s) on this agenda and, if so, to declare them and state what they were.

 

Councillor Sue Powell-Wilde declared a personal interest in Item 9 ((Minute 56) 2021/22 Statement of Accounts for Wirral Council Merseyside Pension Fund and Annual Governance Statement) as she was a member of the Merseyside Pension Fund.

51.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 210 KB

To approve the accuracy of the minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 17 January 2023.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting held on 17 January 2023, be approved.

52.

Public Questions

Notice of question to be given in writing or by email by 12 noon, Monday 27 February to the Council’s Monitoring Officer via this link: Public Question Form and to be dealt with in accordance with Standing Order 10.

 

For more information on how your personal information will be used, please see this link: Document Data Protection Protocol for Public Speakers at Committees | Wirral Council

 

Please telephone the Committee Services Officer if you have not received an acknowledgement of your question by the deadline for submission.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

One question had been received from Mr Graham Lowsby concerning the 'Hoylake Golf Resort',and whether the Chair believed that the outcome of the Internal Audit investigation fully answered the motion as it was proposed.

 

The Chair responded that the Chief Internal Auditor was briefed to investigate the governance and financial arrangements associated with the 'Hoylake Golf Resort with an emphasis on the timeline, governance and decision making provided throughout the initiative. The investigation was completed fully in accordance with this brief which was concerned about the process followed rather than the merit of the decision.

 

Mr Lowsby asked as a supplementary question whether the investigation indicated that there were any lessons learnt.

 

The Chair replied that a written answer would be provided.

53.

Statements and petitions

Notice of representations to be given in writing or by email by 12 noon, Monday 27 February to the Council’s Monitoring Officer (committeeservices@wirral.gov.uk) and to be dealt with in accordance with Standing Order 11.1.

 

Petitions may be presented to the Committee if provided to Democratic and Member Services no later than 10 working days before the meeting, at the discretion of the Chair. The person presenting the petition will be allowed to address the meeting briefly (not exceeding three minute) to outline the aims of the petition. The Chair will refer the matter to another appropriate body of the Council within whose terms of reference it falls without discussion, unless a relevant item appears elsewhere on the Agenda. If a petition contains more than 5,000 signatures, it will be debated at a subsequent meeting of Council for up to 15 minutes, at the discretion of the Mayor.

 

Please telephone the Committee Services Officer if you have not received an acknowledgement of your statement/petition by the deadline for submission.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no statements or petitions.

54.

Questions by Members

Questions by Members to dealt with in accordance with Standing Orders 12.3 to 12.8.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no questions from Members.

55.

INTERNAL AUDIT UPDATE REPORT pdf icon PDF 205 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chief Internal Auditor presented his report which identified and evaluated the performance of the Internal Audit Service and included details of any issues arising from the actual work undertaken during the period 10 January to 13 February 2023. Of particular note was the ongoing work to support the development of control of the new finance system Oracle Fusion so that data was transferred in a secure way.

 

Members questioned the scheduling of school audits and were informed that the rolling programme developed a risk score which set priorities and all schools were covered within a four-year period.

 

Resolved: That the report be noted.

56.

Corporate Risk Management Update pdf icon PDF 240 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Continuity & Compliance Manager presented the report of the Director of Finance which provided an update on activity related to the Corporate and Directorate Risk Registers and the Council’s risk management arrangements. It was noted that the Directorate Business Plan production was underway and Risk Management Workshops were taking place.

 

Members discussed the details on particular risks and requested detail at future workshops of the detail below the risk scores.

 

Resolved: That the report be noted.

57.

Whistleblowing Annual Update pdf icon PDF 215 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Principal Lawyer: Litigation & Governance presented the report of the Director of Law and Governance which was an annual report required by the Council’s Whistleblowing Policy. The report summarised the number / nature of the concerns raised under the Whistleblowing Policy, details of the service(s) to which the concerns relate, and the steps being taken to investigate the concerns further, and any relevant matters or issues that had arisen in connection with the Whistleblowing Policy. It was noted that there was a minimum number of complaints and they were related to two areas. They had been investigated.  

 

Members questioned the methods available for reporting concerns.

 

Resolved: That the report be noted.

58.

2021/22 STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS FOR WIRRAL COUNCIL, MERSEYSIDE PENSION FUND AND ANNUAL GOVERNANCE STATEMENT pdf icon PDF 321 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Senior Finance Manager presented the report of the Director of Finance which brought the final Accounts and the Audit Findings Reports of both Wirral Council and Merseyside Pension Fund as required by the Council’s Constitution. The report also presented the Annual Governance Statement for consideration and approval by the Committee. It was reported that the audit was substantially complete besides the Value For Money section which was expected in June 2023.

 

A representative from the external auditors Grant Thornton discussed the Council accounts audit with Members and informed them that they expected to give an unmodified audit report from the draft presented in October 2022.

 

Resolved: That

(1)   the changes to the draft Accounts, and the External Audit Findings Reports for Wirral Council and Merseyside Pension Fund be noted.

(2)   the final Accounts (Council and Merseyside Pension Fund) be approved as presenting a true and fair view of the Council’s and Merseyside Pension Fund’s income and expenditure for the year and its overall financial position.

(3)   the Annual Governance Statement 2021/22 be approved.

(4)   the Letters of Representation for Wirral Council and Merseyside Pension Fund be approved.