Issue - meetings
Annual Audit Letter 2009/2010
Meeting: 13/12/2010 - Audit Board (this committee has been combined with the Audit, Standards & Governance Committee and no longer meets) (Item 35)
35 Audit Commission Annual Audit Letter 2009/2010 
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Additional documents:
Minutes:
A copy of the Annual Audit Letter for 2009/2010 was considered. The Chairman welcomed Ms. J. Hill from the Audit Commission to the meeting. Ms. J. Hill informed Members that she would present the report in the absence of Ms. L. Cave, District Auditor, who had submitted her apologies.
Ms. J. Hill highlighted the following areas which were covered by the report and discussed these in detail with Members.
· Key messages (including the Council’s release from the formal engagement process and Shared Services).
· Financial statements and annual governance statement (including the National Fraud Initiative and the estimated savings identified).
· Value for money
· Future challenges
· Action Plan
Ms. J. Hill informed Members that since the preparation of the Audit Letter a review of the Housing Benefit and Council Tax benefit had been concluded. Some errors had been highlighted from the initial sampling and additional work and amendments had been required. A qualification letter had been issued and a detailed report would be issued by February 2011.
Members were advised that the Audit Commission had made 3 recommendations in the Audit Letter. These had been considered by Officers and actions had been agreed to address the issues raised. These were:
· To implement all Annual Governance recommendations within the agreed timescale.
· To implement the Shared Service report recommendations
· To consider the liability arrangements to ensure services were delivered in a compliant way to both Councils.
Ms. J. Hill drew attention to Paragraph 63 of the Annual Audit Letter and reassured Members that following the Government’s announcement of the abolition of the Audit Commission they would continue to deliver the Council’s 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 audit.
After further discussion it was
RESOLVED that the recommendations included in the Annual Audit Letter 2009/2010 be noted.