Audit Committee

Tuesday 9 November 2004 at 3.00 pm

Present:  Councillors Hill, McCabe, McCormick (M), Mitchell, Roach and Stewart.

Chair:    Councillor McCabe presided.

In attendance:  Chief Executive, Depute Chief Executive, Director of Community Services, Director of Corporate Services, Director of Education Services, Director of Legal and Support Services, Head of Financial Services and Chief Internal Auditor.

Present also:  Mrs A Cassels, Chief Auditor and Mr D Richardson, Audit Manager, Audit Scotland, External Auditors.

The following paragraph is submitted for information only, having been dealt with under the powers delegated to the Committee.

836

External Auditors’ Annual Report to Members  2003/04

836

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive (1) on the annual report by the Council's External Auditors, Audit Scotland, for the period 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004, a copy of which was appended to the report, and (2) advising of the main issues to be addressed as set out in the Executive Summary.  There was circulated at the meeting, revised Action Plan (Appendix A) as agreed by the Corporate Management Team.

Mrs Cassels advised the Committee on a number of items contained in the report and both she and Mr Richardson answered questions from Members.

(Councillor Hill left the meeting during consideration of this item of business).

Decided:

(1)      that the Committee note the matters raised in respect of the Audit of the 2003/04 Accounts, the comments by the External Auditors and the matters to be addressed;  and

(2)      that it be noted that the revised Action Plan detailed in Appendix A will be progressed by the identified Officers and that it be agreed that progress reports be submitted to the Committee until all actions identified in the Plan have been completed.