Decision details

Having considered the report “Statement of Final Accounts for 2020/21 including Letter of Representation” and the report of the Members’ Working Group “Report Following the Detailed Review of the draft Statement of Final Accounts for 2020/21”, both of which were considered at the informal meeting of Audit Committee Members on 25 October 2021, and the views of the Members and External Members of the Audit Committee, the Chief Executive Officer agreed:-

That authority is delegated to the Corporate Director – Strategic Resources in consultation with the Chairman of the Audit Committee to approve the Final Statement of Accounts and Letter of Representation, unless there are any material changes resulting from the final stages of the audit. Where any material issues arise, the Statement of Accounts and Letter of Representation will be raised at another meeting of the Audit Committee.

By whom: Richard Flinton (Chief Executive Officer), under his emergency delegated powers and after consultation with Members and External Members of the Audit Committee.

PLEASE NOTE that as this is a non-executive decision, it is not open to call in.

Under his delegated decision making powers in the Officers’ Delegation Scheme in the Council’s Constitution, the Chief Executive Officer has power, in cases of emergency, to take any decision which could be taken by the Council, the Executive or a committee.

Following on from the expiry of the Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020 (“the 2020 Regulations”), which allowed for committee meetings to be held remotely, the County Council resolved at its meeting on 5 May 2021 that, for the present time, in light of the continuing Covid-19 pandemic circumstances, remote live-broadcast committee meetings should continue (as informal meetings of the Committee Members), with any formal decisions required being taken by the Chief Executive Officer under his emergency decision making powers and after consultation with other Officers and Members as appropriate and after taking into account any views of the relevant Committee Members and all relevant information. This approach was reviewed in July will be further reviewed in November 2021.

The Chief Executive Officer took all relevant information into account in exercising his emergency delegated powers in this matter, including considering the views of the Members and External Members of the Audit Committee.

The reasons for the decision in this matter are detailed in the attached report.

None.