Agenda and minutes

To confirm and sign the minutes of the previous meeting held on 14 November 2022 (attached herewith).

The minutes of the meeting held on 14 November 2022 were submitted and approved, and the Chair was authorised to sign them as a correct record.

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Sean MacLeod.

Disclosure by councillors of personal interests in matters on the agenda, the nature of any interest and whether the councillor regards the interest as prejudicial under the terms of the Code of Conduct.

There were none.

Items not on the agenda which the Chair of the meeting is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency by reason of special circumstances as defined in Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

There were none.

To deal with written questions from councillors pursuant to Council Procedure Rule 12.3 (page D8 of the Constitution).

There were none.

Report of Lewes District’s Monitoring Officer

This report was deferred to a future meeting of the Committee. Members were advised that they could submit any queries or concerns regarding the contents of the report to the District’s Monitoring Officer.

Report of the Chief Finance Officer

The Committee received the report which asked its Members to note the appointment of Grant Thornton (UK) LLP as the Council’s new External Auditor for five years beginning 1 April 2023.

The Deputy Chief Finance Officer (DCFO) presented the report.

Discussions included concerns regarding the Council’s current External Auditor’s (Deloitte) continued inability to meet target deadlines in respect of the completion of outstanding External Audits of the 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22 Statement of Accounts, and the unknown level of the fees variation in respect of the outstanding External Audits and Public Sector Auditor Appointments (PSAA).

The DCFO advised that PSAA would consult on the proposed scale of audit fees payable by bodies in respect of the audit of 2023/24 accounts and the advice to bodies was to anticipate a major re-set of total fees for 2023/24 involving an increase of the order of 150% on the fees for 2022/23.

The DCFO clarified that the actual total audit fees would depend on the amount of work required for future audits undertaken by the Council’s newly appointed External Auditor, Grant Thornton (UK) LLP.

Resolved: That the report be noted.

Report of Director of Finance and Performance

The Committee received the report which provided details regarding the Treasury Management Activity for the period 1 November to 31 December 2022.

The Deputy Chief Finance Officer (DCFO) presented the report, highlighting that the report and Appendix A did not reflect the activity for all three months of Quarter 3 (1 October to 21 December 2022) due to statutory agenda publication deadlines. He further highlighted that a full summary of Quarter 3 would be provided to Members at the next scheduled meeting of the Committee on 20 March 2023.

Discussions focused on some presentation issues in figures shown in paragraph 2.4 and queries surrounding the publication of surplus assets in the Capital Programme.

Members advised that as the report was incomplete, they were not able to assure Cabinet that the Treasury Management Activity from 1 October to 31 December 2022 had been in accordance with the approved Treasury Management strategies.

Resolved: That the report be noted.

To note that the next meeting of the Audit and Standards Committee is scheduled to be held on Monday, 20 March 2023, in the Ditchling and Telscombe Rooms, Southover House, Southover Road, Lewes, BN7 1AB, commencing at 10:00am.

It was noted that the next meeting of the Audit and Standards Committee was scheduled to commence at 10:00am on Monday, 20 March 2023, in the Ditchling and Telscombe Rooms, Southover House, Southover Road, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 1AB.