Agenda and minutes
Venue: MS Teams
Contact: Philip Slawther, Principal Committee Co-ordinator
Note: This meeting will be webcast - use the link on the agenda frontsheet or copy and paste the following link into your internet browser: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZDU3MjMzYWMtMjIwYi00Y2E4LTkwZjQtMzg3MjdiNmEyNjI5%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%226ddfa760-8cd5-44a8-8e48-d8ca487731c3%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22f5230856-79e8-4651-a903-97aa289e8eff%22%2c%22IsBroadcastMeeting%22%3atrue%7d
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FILMING AT MEETINGS Please note that this meeting may be filmed or recorded by the Council for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council’s internet site or by anyone attending the meeting using any communication method. Although we ask members of the public recording, filming or reporting on the meeting not to include the public seating areas, members of the public attending the meeting should be aware that we cannot guarantee that they will not be filmed or recorded by others attending the meeting. Members of the public participating in the meeting (e.g. making deputations, asking questions, making oral protests) should be aware that they are likely to be filmed, recorded or reported on.
By entering the meeting room and using the public seating area, you are consenting to being filmed and to the possible use of those images and sound recordings.
The chair of the meeting has the discretion to terminate or suspend filming or recording, if in his or her opinion continuation of the filming, recording or reporting would disrupt or prejudice the proceedings, infringe the rights of any individual or may lead to the breach of a legal obligation by the Council. Minutes: The Chair referred Members present to agenda Item 1 as shown on the agenda in respect of filming at this meeting, and Members noted the information contained therein. |
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Apologies for Absence and Substitutions (if any) Minutes: Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Berryman and Cllr Dogan. |
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Urgent Business The Chair will consider the admission of any late items of urgent business. (late items will be considered under the agenda items where they appear. New items will be dealt with at item ) Minutes: There were no items of Urgent Business |
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Declarations of Interest A member with a disclosable pecuniary interest or a prejudicial interest in a matter who attends a meeting of the authority at which the matter is considered:
(i) must disclose the interest at the start of the meeting or when the interest becomes apparent, and (ii) may not participate in any discussion or vote on the matter and must withdraw from the meeting room.
A member who discloses at a meeting a disclosable pecuniary interest which is not registered in the Register of Members’ Interests or the subject of a pending notification must notify the Monitoring Officer of the interest within 28 days of the disclosure.
Disclosable pecuniary interests, personal interests and prejudicial interests are defined at Paragraphs 5-7 and Appendix A of the Members’ Code of Conduct. Minutes: There were no Declarations of Interest. |
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Deputations/Petitions/Presentations/Questions To consider any requests received in accordance with Part 4, section B, Paragraph 29 of the Council’s Constitution. Minutes: The Committee received two deputations in relation to agenda Item 10, the Renaming of Black Boy Lane.
The first deputation was given by Anna Taylor and Ian Jackson Reeves both residents of Black Boy Lane. Below is a summary of the key points made as part of the deputation:
In response to the deputation, the Committee put forward a number of questions:
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To consider and agree the minutes of the meeting held on 30th July 2020. Additional documents: Minutes: That the minutes of the meeting held on 30th July 2020 were agreed as a correct record. |
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Update on the renaming of Black Boy Lane PDF 722 KB Additional documents:
Minutes: * Clerk’s note – The Committee agreed to vary the order of the agenda in order to take the item of renaming of Black Boy Lane first, followed by the External Auditors update. The minutes reflect the order in which items were considered at the meeting, rather than the order on the published agenda.*
The Committee received a report which provided an update on the renaming of Black Boy Lane and recommended that Corporate Committee agreed to proceed to a statutory consultation on the renaming to La Rose Lane, following a report to the Committee in July and the subsequent consultation with local residents on the two possible street names which were ‘La Rose Lane’ and ‘Jocelyn Barrow Lane’. The report was introduced by Rob Krzyszowski, Interim Assistant Director for Planning, Building Standards and Sustainability as set out on pages 49-84. The Leader of the Council, Joe Ejiofor was also present for this item.
The Leader of the Council advised the Committee that the decision being asked of them was just to agree to take this issue to the next stage and agree that a formal consultation be launched on changing the name. It was suggested that many of the concerns raised by residents and by the deputation party would be addressed as part of this consultation and captured in a future report to Committee, which would formally seek authorisation for the name change. The Leader also advised the Committee that he had been in regular contact with the family of Mr La Rose and they were very supportive of this change. The Leader also noted that this was an important task, as language mattered.
The following was raised in discussion of this item:
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Progress Update on the Audit of the Final Statement of Accounts 2019/20 Verbal update. Minutes: The Committee received a verbal update from Leigh Lloyd-Thomas from the external auditors, BDO on the Audit of the Final Statement of Accounts 2019/20. The Committee was advised that the onset of Covid had significantly impacted the ability of the sector to undertake all of the required audits within the given timescales and that only around half of local government audits had been signed off by September. BDO advised that Haringey’s audit started around a month ago. It was anticipated that the field work would be completed by Christmas and that it would be ready to be signed off in January. The Committee noted that the Council had submitted the final accounts on time but that auditors had simply not had the staff to complete it on time.
BDO fed back that they had been able to sign off three ongoing objections to the statement of accounts. These objections related to: Spending on the initial phase of the Haringey Development Vehicle; contract monitoring of PFI contracts for schools; and an allegation of non-compliance with penalties for non-payment of Council Tax. In all three cases the auditors had written to objectors to explain that they had investigated and found nothing of concern. BDO also advised that they had also received one new objection to the current statement of accounts which related to governance structures around the Council housing programme. This specifically related to a case were a property was purchased, was subsequently deemed to be surplus to requirements and then put back on the market for significantly less than the purchase price. BDO advised that there may be a very good reason for this, but that further investigation was required before a determination could be made.
The following was raised in discussion of this item: a. In response to a question, Leigh Lloyd-Thomas from BDO advised that they had not found any issues to date that crossed the materiality threshold but cautioned that there was still work to be done and that he could not say for certain that there wouldn’t be going forward. b. In response to a question, BDO reassured Members that the objections raised at present were not considered material and would not affect the auditor’s ability to certify the accounts as true and fair. c. BDO advised that since the final accounts were compiled, Kingston Council had lost an appeal around repaying a surcharge for tenants’ water rates and that any council who had undertaken a similar scheme with Thames Water was expected to repay tenants for the excess amounts charged. It was noted that Haringey’s legal and finance officers were looking at the potential exposure for the Council. In response to a question, BDO advised that they could not determine whether this would exceed the materiality threshold until Haringey had determined the number of people who may be affected, and the amounts of money involved. d. The Committee raised concerns about the fact that the deadline for the signing off of the accounts would be missed ... view the full minutes text for item 172. |
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Update on the Audit of the Housing Delivery Programme PDF 167 KB Minutes: The Committee received a report which provided an update on recommendations from the Housing Delivery Programme audit, that had been implemented since the last update to Corporate Committee report on 30th July 2020. The report was introduced by Robbie Erbmann, AD for Housing and Anna Blandford, Senior Housing Project Manager, as set out in the agenda pack at pages 17-24. The following arose during the discussion of this item:
RESOLVED That Corporate Committee
December 2019 have now been completed. |
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Treasury Management Update Report Q2 PDF 199 KB Additional documents:
Minutes: The Committee received a report which provided an update on the Council’s treasury management activities and performance in the three months to 30 September 2020, in accordance with the CIPFA Treasury Management Code of Practice. The Committee were advised that all treasury management activities carried out were within agreed parameters set by the Treasury Management Strategy and that all performance indicators had been met. The report was introduced by Oladapo Shonola, Head of Pensions & Treasury, as set out in the agenda pack at pages 29-52. The following was raised in discussion of this item:
RESOLVED
The Corporate Committee:
undertaken during the first half of the financial year to 30 September 2020 and the performance achieved, attached at Appendix 1 of the report;
quarter of 2020/21 (April to June 2020) and the performance achieved attached at Appendix 2 of the report;
with the approved Treasury Management Strategy.
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Quarter 2 Audit, Risk & Fraud Update PDF 334 KB Minutes: The Committee received a report which provided a combined update on the work undertaken by the in-house Audit and FraudResources team, as well as its outsourced partner Mazars, for the quarterending 30 September 2020. The report was introduced by Minesh Jani, Head of Audit and Risk Management, as set out in the agenda pack at pages 85-92. The following was raised in discussion of this item: a. In response to a question, officers advised that the target for reclaiming properties was a notional target to measure the team’s performance in reclaiming properties that had been secured fraudulently by people who had no entitlement to a council property. A national study had found that the percentage of fraudulently held council tenancies was around 5% and this measure was the means by which the Council could monitor such activity. b. In relation to a question around Right to Buy properties purchased with fraudulent funds, officers advised that checks were carried out as part of money laundering regulations to establish the source of funds used to purchase a property, to ensure that those funds were legitimate. c. The Committee enquired what audit processes were in place to oversee the millions of pounds of government money distributed locally in response to Covid. In response, officers acknowledged that this was a huge task, particularly as the government had stipulated that limited entitlement checks were undertaken, in order to speed up the distribution of grants to businesses. Instead, local authorities would be carrying out a robust process of post assurance checks, including cross-referencing national fraud databases and working with the National Fraud Initiative. The Council was submitting monthly returns to government on this. d. In relation to non-fraudulent Right to Buy applications that were refused, officers advised that the role of the Fraud Team was to ensure that things were done properly and that there was an additional level of assurance. The Fraud Team did not interfere in the application process but there were some situations that would illicit involvement and checks being undertaken by the service to ensure that the person was entitled to purchase the property. e. In relation to a question, officers advised that where there was sufficient evidence, cases would be referred to the Police and that the Council was also able to use its in-house Legal team to prosecute. There were currently two cases of tenancy fraud being progressed internally. f. The Head of Audit and Risk Management agreed to send the audit plan for the year to the Committee. (Action: Minesh Jani). g. The Committee requested a provisional assessment of the robustness of internal systems for monitoring/auditing Covid-related grants distributed by Haringey on behalf of the government. (Action: Minesh Jani). h. The Chair requested a follow-up report on the audit of the disposal of assets, following the points of clarification requested at the last meeting and to provide further assurance that the recommendations had been fully implemented. (Action: Minesh Jani).
RESOLVED
That the Corporate Committee noted the activities ... view the full minutes text for item 175. |
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Risk Management Policy Statement PDF 285 KB Additional documents:
Minutes: Corporate Committee considered the Risk Management Policy and associated Risk Management Strategy as part of its Terms of Reference for monitoring the effectiveness of systems for the management of risk across the Council and compliance with them. The report was introduced by Minesh Jani, Head of Audit and Risk Management as set out in the agenda pack at pages 93-118. The following points were raised in discussion of the report:
RESOLVED That Corporate Committee
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Anti-Fraud & Corruption Strategy PDF 285 KB Additional documents:
Minutes: The Committee received the Anti-Fraud & Corruption Strategy and covering report. The report was introduced by Minesh Jani, Head of Audit and Risk Management as set out in the agenda pack at pages 119-152. The Committee agreed to address any questions on this item to the Head of Audit and Risk Management via email. (Action: All).
RESOLVED
That the Corporate Committee reviewed and endorsed the Corporate Anti-fraud and Corruption Strategy together with the appended Fraud Response Plan, Whistle-blowing Policy, Sanctions Policy, Anti-money Laundering Policy and the Anti-bribery Policy.
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Any other business of an urgent nature To consider any items admitted at item 3 above. Minutes: None. |
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Date and Time of Next Meeting 4th February 2021 18 March 2021 Minutes: 4th February 2021 18 March 2021
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