To receive the Audit Commission’s progress report covering its areas of work with

the Council.  The external auditor will present the report to Committee.

The Committee received an Audit Commission report covering its areas of work with the Council. Terry Tobin, representing the Audit Commission, presented the report, and informed the Committee that the report was the first of its kind and would welcome the Committee’s views on its usefulness. He informed members that the report was a short summary of the current position following the 2007/08 Audit and highlighted items of work for 2008/09 audit year. He reported that overall, work had progressed well to its current expected position. He made particular reference to the Statement of Accounts which had received an unqualified audit opinion. Views on Data Quality had been shared with the appropriate officer and matters were moving forward with positive outcomes of the action taken. With regard to grant claims there were no major issues. On procurement, there had been a lot of good progress made. With regard to the current risk area of procurement, he referred to the Amey contract. The Audit Commission had been involved whilst the contract was being negotiated to enable their views to be considered before the contract was signed off. There would then be a report issued at the end of the contract. The Safer Roads Partnership (SRP) had asked the Audit Commission to audit the SRP rather than the Commission imposing an audit. He informed the Committee that despite a lot of commitment to working together to improve road safety in the area, the partnership was slow to move to its new role in wider education and that it was not using the benefits of bodies in the wider partnership such as the Health Service and Fire Service. He  applauded the use of best practice from other SRPs. It was however relatively early days in for the SRP in its new wider role and he would submit a full report to the Committee on the SRP in due course.

Councillor AM Toon referred to the Direction of Travel and asked if the draft words were available. Terry Tobin reported they were not yet ready but would be shortly.

In answer to a Member’s question regarding the procurement report, Terry Tobin informed Members it was likely that the report would be completed in April/May. Councillor RH Smith was of the view that the Committee should be involved in the Council wide procurement processes and the Amey review. He questioned whether the SRP should be the business of the Committee. The Acting Director of Resources was of the view that the Committee should be aware of areas and issues such as those relating to the SRP on an information basis. The Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic informed the Committee that the Committee had an update of partnerships in general but that it was more appropriate that Strategic Monitoring Committee dealt with reports on partnerships with governance issues coming back to this Committee.

Councillor Smith referred to his appointment as a member of the West Mercia Police Authority and drew Members’ attention to the government Green Paper on policing. He informed the Committee that the Green Paper was proposing to take away performance indicators for the police but was proposing a new principle whereby local Councils would have a greater responsibility for crime and disorder. He asked how aware the Commission was regarding the Council’s efforts in dealing with these issues.

The Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic informed the Committee that the terms of the partnership were for all partners to assist and cooperate and assist the Council in the scrutiny and audit process. There was a need for the Council to be clear on its expectations in those areas. Also that the Council should be challenging all partners in what they have agreed to do and whether their performance is being achieved at agreed levels as determined by the Council.

Councillor Smith was of the view that the Council was not delivering on the new crime and disorder proposals and  requested the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic, in his role as Monitoring Officer, to inform the Strategic Monitoring Committee of the Council’s proposed new duty of greater responsibility for crime and disorder in line with the policing Green Paper.

Councillor Toon stated that the issue was where the control and oversight of partnerships lay and that this should be with the authority and scrutiny. She was of the view that there was also the need to be aware of value for money in partnerships and raised the issue of pooled budgets in this respect.

The Chief Internal Auditor reported that pooled budgets and partnerships reviews were in the Audit Plan for 2009/10 which would be presented to the Committee for approval.

 RESOLVED: That

(i)                 the Committee welcome and endorses the Audit Commission’s progress report covering areas of work with the Council;and

(ii)        the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic to bring to the attention of the Strategic Monitoring Committee of the Council’s proposed new duty of greater responsibility for crime and disorder in line with the Policing Green Paper.