The Inverclyde Council

Tuesday 28 March 2000 at 4.00 pm

Present:  Provost Roach, Councillors Blair, Calvert, Campbell, Hunter, Jackson, McCabe, McCormick, McGhee, Mitchell, Morrison (D), Morrison (M), Nimmo, O'Rourke, Rebecchi, Robertson (A) and Robertson (Y).

Chair:  Provost Roach presided.

In attendance:  Chief Executive, Depute Chief Executive, Director of Education Services, Director of Legal and Support Services, Director of Resource Services, Director of Social Work and Housing Services, Director of Information Services and Support Services Manager.

Apologies:  Councillors Moody, Mulholland and White.

268

Report by The Controller of Audit:  Inverclyde Council Audit of Accounts 1997/98

268

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive setting out a proposed response relating to the report under Section 102(2) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 by the Controller of Audit relating to the audit of the Council's 1997/98 Accounts.  The report by the Chief Executive recommended that a separate report on "Audit Committee principles" be considered by the Finance Sub-Committee and that the Members consider the proposed response attached to the Chief Executive's report and agree a final submission to the Controller of Audit.

Decided:

(1)   that separate reports on (a) "Audit Committee principles" and (b) the role and line of reporting for the Chief Internal Auditor be considered by the Finance Sub-Committee;

(2)   that the response forming an appendix to the report by the Chief Executive be adopted and submitted on behalf of the Council to the Controller of Audit;  and

(3)   that it be remitted to the Chief Executive to arrange a meeting between, on the one hand, the external auditors and, on the other, the Members of the Committee considered appropriate by the Chief Executive to allow Members to discuss and assess the seriousness of the position described in the report for 1997/98 made by the external auditors.