Decision details

Having considered the report “Appointment of External Auditors”, which was considered at the informal meeting of Audit Committee Members on 13 December 2021, and the views of the Members and External Members of the Audit Committee, the Chief Executive Officer agreed that the Audit Committee Members recommend that the Council accepts the Public Sector Audit Appointments’ invitation to opt into the sector-led option for the appointment of external auditors to principal local government and police bodies for five financial years from 1 April 2023.

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 has been reviewed periodically since that time and will be further reviewed by full Council at its February 2022 meeting.

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.

As set out in section 3.0 of the report.