To seek the view of the committee as to whether the Annual Governance Statement (AGS) for 2022/23 properly reflects the internal control environment the council is operating in and the appropriateness of actions identified to improve.

The Head of Strategic Finance (HSF) introduced the report and highlighted;

·       The annual governance statement (AGS) for 2023 forms part of the statutory accounts.

·       The AGS was presented to the committee in June as part of the draft accounts in line with the statutory deadline to which no further changes have been identified.  

·       The AGS is a review of the control environment and the governance framework the council operates in; it is informed by the views of the head of internal audit, the annual opinion as well as other internal audit reports, compliance reviews and statements from directors.

·       A progress report will come before the committee in January to update on the progress made in the areas identified where control arrangements can be strengthened.

In response to committee questions, it was noted that the HSF would provide a written response on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) practices and procedures and on how training is determined, the format it is delivered and how the effectiveness of the training is assessed. 

Resolved:

That the annual governance statement 2022/23 be approved.

Action(s) 2023/24-011 The HSF would provide a written response on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) practices and procedures and how training is determined, the format it is delivered and how the effectiveness of the training is assessed.