To approve the 2016/17 statement of accounts and to note the associated letter of representation from the external auditors, Grant Thornton.

It was noted that due to the outstanding issues of the Hoople pension liabilities and the valuation of the energy from waste plant the accounts could not be signed off at the meeting. As the deadline for signing off the accounts was imminent, members of the committee proposed that delegated authority be granted to the chief finance officer to sign off the accounts once these issues were resolved to the satisfaction of the external auditor.

Members of the committee expressed concern that Worcestershire County Council had not yet supplied the valuation of the energy from waste plant and that this could not be allowed to happen in future years. The committee queried whether Worcestershire County Council was in breach of the partnership arrangements.

The committee requested that information on the final accounts be given to the members of the committee before they were signed off by the chief finance officer.

On the vote it being 6 in favour, 1 against, 0 abstentions it was

RESOLVED

that

(a)  the committee delegates to the chief finance officer the approval of the statement of accounts to encompass the remaining asset valuation of the energy from waste plant and Hoople pension liabilities, following consultation with the members of the committee; and

(b)  the letter of representation (at appendix b) be signed by the chairman of the committee and the chief finance officer.