Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Corporate Governance Group.

The Action Plan outlines the key governance issues currently facing the Council along with agreed controls put in place to manage the issue.  A quarterly update is provided via communication and challenge to nominated officers specified by the Corporate Governance Group.

The Audit Committee is invited to consider and comment on the report.

Officer Contact: John Pearsall on Tel: 0161 474 4033 or email: john.pearsall@stockport.gov.uk

The Borough Treasurer submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing the Audit Committee with a quarterly update on progress with implementing the Annual Governance Statement Action Plan as agreed by the Audit Committee in July 2017.

The following issues were discussed:-

·         Work done on digital capacity. This was a key risk for the Council and had also been raised by the Corporate, Resource Management & Governance Scrutiny Committee. Where appropriate, any concerns about risk would be shared with this Committee.

·         Clarification was sought on potential costs to the Council were the Strategic Property Alliance (SPA) to end, and whether the inclusion of the SPA in the Action Plan was an indication that it was deemed fit for purpose. It was commented that work was ongoing with colleagues in Asset Management to assess, understand and plan for the financial risks. In response to comments about learning from the experience of the SPA, it was stated that this was something the Council would always seek to do but that the particular issues with the SPA were not foreseeable at the time it was established. Nevertheless it demonstrated the value in diversifying the Council’s supply chain.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.